Considerations for Teaching About Religion in Schools

ING policies relating to teaching about religion in schools adhere to the principles derived from the doctrine of separation of church and state by following the guidelines provided by the Freedom Forum.  The Freedom Forum is an organization whose mission is to foster First Amendment freedoms for all. This includes informing educators on how to teach about religion in schools in a manner that is consistent with the religious clauses of the First Amendment. ING has adopted and integrated these policies in its content and speakers training, which we also recommend for educators.

The following are answers to common questions on teaching about religion in public schools.

1. Why Is the Study of religion Important?

As described in an article by the Freedom Forum titled Teaching About Religion:

Teaching about religion is important and necessary if public schools are to provide students with a complete education. Much of history, art, music, literature, and contemporary life is unintelligible without an understanding of the major religious ideas and influences that have shaped history and culture throughout the world. Even teaching religious liberty, the civic foundation that sustains the United States as one nation of many faiths, requires teaching about the role of religion in history and culture.

Understanding the role religion plays in history and culture is of special importance in our increasingly diverse society. Expanding religious pluralism in the United States confronts our schools and our nation with unprecedented challenges. America has shifted from the largely Protestant pluralism of the 18th century to a pluralism that now includes people of all faiths and a growing number of people who indicate no religious preference. New populations of Muslims, Buddhists and many other religious and ethnic groups are entering schools throughout the nation.

2. How should schools teach about religion?

According to the Freedom Forum article titled, Teaching About Religion:

All public-school teachers must have a clear understanding of the crucial difference between the teaching of religion (religious education) and teaching about religion. In 1988, a broad coalition of 17 religious and educational organizations published guidelines that distinguish between teaching about religion and religious indoctrination.

The guidelines state, in part, that:

• The school’s approach to religion is academic, not devotional.
• The school strives for student awareness of religions but does not press for student acceptance of any one religion.
• The school sponsors study about religion, not the practice of religion.
• The school exposes students to a diversity of religious views; it does not impose any particular view.
• The school educates about all religions; it does not promote or denigrate any religion.
• The school informs students about various beliefs; it does not seek to conform students to any particular belief.

Additionally, the California Public Schools History-Social Science Framework Appendix F, p. 785 specifies that, “The primary manner in which schools establish a climate of respect for religious differences is by clearly distinguishing between teaching about religion and indoctrinating students or advocating religion” and includes the above-mentioned guidelines as recommended approaches to achieve this end.

3. Why is the First Amendment so important?

Because it is central to the dual principles of separation of church and state as well as the protection of religious freedom that were envisioned by the Founding Fathers, who saw this new nation as a beacon of light in the dark history of religious intolerance and persecution. At ING, we believe that these guidelines and principles are essential to any conversation about religion in this country and continue to be critical in promoting interreligious discourse and understanding.

4. Why does ING teach about world religions?

ING upholds the belief that understanding world religions is critical in understanding world history. This is in line with California Public Schools History-Social Science Framework Appendix F, p. 783 which state:  “The history–social science classroom needs to be a place for the study of historical developments that includes understanding how religious beliefs and values affected historical figures. The overall goal is to build understanding and respect for the constitutionally protected rights that the U.S. has agreed to uphold so that people live peacefully despite their differences. As the framework content makes evident, much of history, art, music, literature, and contemporary life are unintelligible without an understanding of the major religious ideas and influences that have shaped the world’s cultures and events.”

ING’s goal in teaching about religion supplements States’ Board of Education content standards for history and social studies in 6th through 12th grades as it relates to studies of world religions, and the fundamental values and principles of civil society and the historical role of religion and religious diversity.

5. How does ING teach about world religions?

ING teaches about the five major world religions through its Interfaith Speakers Bureau and about Muslims in the context of religious pluralism through its Islamic Speakers Bureau. Our guiding principles are based on the Freedom Forum publication titled, A Teacher’s Guide to Religion in the Public Schools which was based upon the principles outlined in Religious Liberty, Public Education, and the Future of American Democracy, a document produced by a group of educational and religious organizations. Principle IV of this document states:

Public Schools may not inculcate nor inhibit religion. They must be places where religion and religious conviction are treated with fairness and respect. Public schools uphold the First Amendment when they protect the religious liberty rights of students of all faiths or none. Schools demonstrate fairness when they ensure that the curriculum includes study about religion, where appropriate, as an important part of a complete education.

This principle supports ING’s mandate to provide academic presentations on the world’s religions to complement social studies and world history curriculum in schools. To this end, ING trains and evaluates volunteer speakers on their knowledge of the content they present and their understanding of their role in the classroom. As part of their education, ING speakers are trained to uphold the following ideals and principles of the First Amendment and pledge to:

• Provide an academic view of religion’s place and impact on world history.
• Honor the trust of the host organization and provide education about religion within the contexts of world history and social sciences.
• Provide accurate and balanced information relating to world religions.

Adherence to these guidelines has ensured 30 years of successful partnerships between ING and public and private academic institutions.

As expressed by Dr. Charles Haynes, a senior fellow for religious liberty at the Freedom Forum and Founder of the Freedom Forum’s Religious Freedom Center,  What is most impressive about ING is the careful First Amendment [separation of church and state] training given to every speaker, especially those who give presentations in public schools.

6. What are the guidelines that ING follows when teaching about religion?

ING’s guidelines are based upon principles outlined by the Freedom Forum, as originally described in First Amendment Center publications, “A Teacher’s Guide to Religion In the Public Schools.” They include the following guidelines, which are emphasized in ING’s training and certification of speakers and listed in ING’s training manual: 

When delivering ING presentations or when representing the organization in any capacity, ING speakers and panelists shall adhere to the following First Amendment Center policies and guidelines for speaking about religion in the public square.

ING policies for speaking about religion in the public square are as follows:

1. The role of speakers and panelists in the classroom is to serve and support the teacher(s) in his or her effort(s) to teach the curriculum relating to world religions. Speakers and panelists shall follow ING-designed content that was created to supplement the required curriculum, based on specific state social studies content standards.

2. In venues other than schools, presentations are tailored to fit the needs of the audience. Speakers and panelists shall follow pre-designed content that was created to supplement a particular program, whether for religious literacy or for cultural diversity or cultural competency education.

3. Presentations and panel discussions are academic (objective and neutral), not devotional (calling people to your religion). An ING speaker and panelist shall present subjects relating to his or her religion as he or she would any other religion. A useful strategy to achieve this standard is to preface most statements, especially those concerning theology, with “according to (the particular religion)’s teachings…” or “(practitioners of a particular faith) believe ….”

4. ING presentations inform the audience about religion and never attempt to impose belief in any religion or influence the audience to accept any particular religion.

5. ING speakers or panelists shall strive for audience awareness of the religion they are representing and never press the audience to accept their religion.

6. In relating their religion to other religions, ING speakers and panelists shall neither promote nor denigrate any other religious belief.

Speakers and panelists associated with ING adhere to the aforementioned policies.