Why Should Religion Not Be Taught?

Why should religion not be taught?

Why should religion not be taught? Teachers and administrators are prohibited from either encouraging or discouraging religious activity and from participating in such activity with students.  Public schools may not provide religious instruction but may teach about religion.

Students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork and other written and oral assignments. The work should be judged by ordinary academic standards and against other “legitimate pedagogical concerns.” Students may distribute religious literature on the same terms other literature unrelated to curriculum can be distributed.  Schools have “substantial discretion” to excuse students from lessons objectionable on religious or other conscientious grounds.

But students generally don’t have a federal right to be excused from lessons inconsistent with religious beliefs or practices.  Schools may actively teach civic values and morals, even if some of those values also happen to be held by religions. Students may display religious messages on clothing to the same extent they may display other comparable messages.