What would happen if we started using public funds for private, religious-based schools?
Then they wouldn't be so private would they ;p
Yes, of course, but what if that were the case? Why don't we (the U.S.) do that now?
Wouldn't religious education be part of the curriculum at a religious school? Generally you would want that since you're paying for it.
What if the quality of the education at the religious school was the most important factor for the parents (regardless of it's religious nature)?
We have those, and we call them public schools. They are not religious because that would violate the separation of church and state. We have neither the money or the need to fund private schools. Private schools are, for the most part, better funded than public schools. Any federal or state money that would go to a private school would be better spent in a public school that needs it desperately. Public schools need the money. Additionally, anyone who doesn't feel like their private school is funded well enough has the option to go to a public school.
I get that. I am simply asking questions to encourage discussion.
Why do we even separate the church and state?
That was my parents' thought when they sent me to Catholic school.
Yea we have a few exceptional religious schools in my hometown, and know more than a few who went to them.
More often than not the decision hinged on the quality of the education.
Historically speaking, politics and religion have never worked quite well together.
The question is, why? Therein lies the answer to the OP.
We do. In certain areas with horrible public schools, families can get vouchers to pay for private/religious schools using public funds. See example below.What would happen if we started using public funds for private, religious-based schools?
I haven't seen that slogan in ages, perhaps since even those who promoted it found it far too hard to live up to.Of course! You can't possibly form values and morals without a WWJD bracelet on.
In Finland, until 2003, religion was being teached mandatorily if you belonged to a religious organization (and Lutheranism has long roots in Finland, so about 85-90% belong to that organization), and if you didn't, you had a permission to request for ethics class instead. In order to pass, you had to pray and sing hymns and study the bible. I recall once writing on one exam that "What if Jesus wasn't real?" and had some logical argument to support that. Teacher didn't like that, and gave me the worst grade in my whole life. So, if you didn't believe in God, you had to be wise enough not to say it out loud, or you risk failing the class, and therefore, whole grade.
Also, during holidays (Christmas, easter, etc.) we had to go to a church and attend to a ceremony there.
But luckily after 2003 it has been taught more as a history than a religion. Pupils are being told how the Christianity (and other religions) work, but they don't have to learn how to pray or sing hymns. And they always have the choice to pick some other religion than Christianity, or study ethics.
I recently had a discussion with a friend regarding this hot potato, but what do you think of having a mandatory few minutes of prayer in school?
Personally, I am a supporter of this, if you go to a religious school. I believe we get many of our good morals from religion. This means that if children of atheistic parents have no contact with religion in their formative years there's a very high risk of them growing up to become antisocial individuals with dangerous values,
Yeah, we had that at school, never enjoyed it but then I never enjoyed assembly either, especially not at primary school when it was frankly a terrifying experience and put me off large gatherings of that kind too.
Although I often dont get the liberal or secular outrage and hatred that it can provoke. I know that there wouldnt be the same reaction if the discussion was about meditation, yoga or therapy in schools.
All of which, except maybe therapy, are pretty religious so to speak... or spiritual in the politically friendly term. Yoga and all these types of "eastern cures for everything" are such a prevailing force in America at the moment. Typical fad dieting. You can imagine how many guys might hate to sit through a yoga class. No one wins with these forced extra programs.
I see that as part and parcel of a society attracted by novelty, replacing God with Odd, eventually there'll be people rail against meditation as oppressive and wrong the way they do pledges or prayer now.
There are forms of therapy which do resemble religious faith, the higher power ones for instance.
That's funny... I thought Scandinavia was very secular/irreligious as a whole. That's what I've been told, anyway.