Quebec kids can't opt out of religion course: top court

[TyrianQuill]

Stephane Giroux says in 2008, the Quebec government decided to abolish traditional religious classes taught in both Catholic and Protestant school boards. They were replaced with an ethics and religion course, which now kids cannot opt out of.

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court has rejected the arguments of a Quebec couple who wanted to have their children exempted from having to take an ethics and religion course at school.
The court unanimously ruled on Friday that the course does not violate freedom of religion.

Read more and source: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20 ... -20120217/

This is an interesting issue and outcome, it can be viewed different ways from different sides.

What are your thinkings about it?
 

[cliffy1]

I'm thinking that Quebec is far ahead of the rest of Canada in teaching tolerance and understanding.

[kgcayenne]

I think secular and religious education need to be separate. After all, the Bible keeps secular and spiritual separated.

Why not a course that teaches conflict resolution and dialectical thinking skills instead?

[TyrianQuill]

I'm thinking that Quebec is far ahead of the rest of Canada in teaching tolerance and understanding.

I trend with that, but ... I do wonder if there is a mandatory course on, the discipline of critical thinking, not connected with the religion and ethics material, but separate all together, as a balance.

Under common conditions once a concept has been introduced to the brain, it becomes a part of that brain's gestalt.

In an analogy, a brain's gestalt, is like stew or tomato sauce, once a flavour has been added, (like the practice of adding a pinch of sugar to activate the tongue's taste bud / receptors, which are located beside the acid receptors on the tongue, to enhance the tomato acid of the stew of sauce) the added ingredient is part of the overall mix whether it can be consciously detected or not; it is part of the whole that is perceived as more than the sum of its parts.
 

[JLives]

I love the idea of a religious course that compares and contrasts beleifs and includes a section on athiesm. Teach critical thinking, provide the facts about the differences out there and let the children choose their own path. Calling a child a Muslim or Christian or whatever religion makes as much sense as calling them a Liberal or Conservative. I'm glad the government is stepping in for the sake of the kids making their own choices.

[TyrianQuill]

I think secular and religious education need to be separate

I agree, but the thinking of allowing a sperate school systems is well establish here in Canada.

[TyrianQuill]

I love the idea of a religious course that compares and contrasts beleifs and includes a section on athiesm. Teach critical thinking, provide the facts about the differences out there and let the children choose their own path. Calling a child a Muslim or Christian or whatever religion makes as much sense as calling them a Liberal or Conservative. I'm glad the government is stepping in for the sake of the kids making their own choices.

I am thinking of it as a good first step ...

edited to correct spelling error ;-)

[Sneaksuit]

I have thought for a long time that a course in Religious Studies should be offered at the high school level. Hatred and intolerance are no doubt caused in part by ignorance. Learning other peoples beliefs at a young age will certainly be a good thing but I believe some parents feel threatened that their child might be more interested in a particular religion than the parents want, similarly, how one might get political after taking a political science course. Religious studies is unbiased and studies many religions as an academic field and should not be confused with Theology where one studies as a believer of a particular faith, like a minister might have done.

Check out this web page that rates various fields of study comparing quantitative/verbal/writing skills. I would guess religion does so well because of the broad historical and cultural knowledge it teaches.

EDIT: Whoops, I forgot to add it!
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/ ... academics/