Public nativity scenes and debates about language dominate the culture wars this time of year but, amid the skirmishes over proper greetings and public displays of religious belief, one of the most overlooked casualties is the fact that Americans are surprisingly ignorant about the world's major religions. While America's separation of Church and State prohibits teachers in public schools from lead students in prayer, what about teaching about prayer and the world's major religions? Is there a need for comparative religious studies and critical analysis in an era when religious values play an increasing role in global conflicts? How should schools be educating children about religion?
The Cost of Ignorance: Teaching Religion in Public Schools
Credits
Guests:
- Andrew Rotherham - Co-founder, Bellwether Education
- Ira 'Chip' Lupu - Professor of Law, George Washington University
- Reza Aslan - University of California, Riverside - @rezaaslan
- Richard Land - Southern Baptist Convention - @erlcsbc
- Diane Winston - USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalistm - @dianewinston