Religion belongs outside of public school

By HEATHER STROTHER

Staff Writer

Faith and religion are by no means harmful concepts that should be banned on campuses; however, it should be banned from curriculum. Religious ideals should not obscure scientific evidence in the classroom. This mix of science and religion has proven to negatively impact facts in the curriculum, even at the college level.

In 1948, McCollum vs. The Board of Education ended funding for religious practice in public schooling. While prayer in school is still a conversation parents across the nation have today, open practicing of religion belongs outside of school to prevent religious bias.

To better exemplify the harm of religious bias in the curriculum, it is a hard topic for scientists and some religious believers to agree on evolution. Although a teacher may be strong in their faith, or was taught to believe that evolution is blasphemy, it is not ethically sound for them to spread the belief that evolution is nonsense in the classroom. It is illegal in the eyes of separation of church and state.

“Teaching people that God created earth in class is not right. It may be perfectly valid and respectable belief, but obviously it’s one that belongs in a church…” said Gizmodo journalist Jesus Diaz. He responded vigilantly after receiving information of a young girl who got a quiz question wrong for answering the earth was formed by The Big Bang, and not answering that it was created by God.

If teachers in the public realm start to intermingle their curriculum with their personal religion, it is highly probable there would be an uproar of all religions. The United States is a mixing bowl of many faiths, and those teaching their children of another God(s) or no God may choose to push their truth onto the public sector as well.

“There is no such source and cause of strife, quarrel, fights, malignant opposition, persecution, and war, and all evil in the state as religion…Let it once enter our common schools, they would be destroyed… Those who made our constitution saw this, and used the most apt and comprehensive language in it to prevent such a catastrophe.” said Justice J.S. Horton of the Wisconsin supreme court in 1890.

Public school is not the place to include personal bias. Science is a wonderful way to understand earth’s history. It is a disservice to not teach students the wonders of how and why the earth was geologically formed and how it is ever-changing.