Religion: Truth or Fiction ?

There is a heated debate going on in the educational field about Religious Instructions in Austrian schools. The debate ranges particularly about lower grade schools. Public schools, dealing with children from 5 or 6 years and upward.

Older children, so it is claimed, are capable of making their own decisions whether they wish to have religious instructions or not.

This, however, seems to be a lame argument, since, if a child has had “Reli” from Grade 1 and up, he/she will be so thoroughly indoctrinated, not to say “brainwashed” that this decision no longer is their own. Conversely, if there has not been any Religious Instruction, from childhood on, it is unlikely that as a teenager or older he/she will choose it.

In my opinion, the question is not about the age at which Religion is to be taught, but whether it should be taught at all, and how it should be taught.

Schools, after all, are here to teach firstly about “real” issues, such as Math, Physics, Chemistry, History, Geography, Languages, Computer Sciences and so on.

Schools should also speak of less tangible issues, such as Psychology, Philosophy, Ethics and, yes, also about Religion. In no way should these subjects be taught as “Facts” or “Truth”, because they simply are neither. The Philosophies of Lock, Kant, Schopenhauer or Nietzsche are neither “Facts” nor are they “Truths.” They are “Opinions”, expressed by men, open to be rejected, accepted or interpreted by other men. Religion falls into this same category of “Opinion.”

None of it is “Fact” or “Truth”.

The followers of several Preachers were clever enough to give their Teachings the mantle of “Truths” and “Facts”, without offering so much as a smidgen of evidence.

What evidence has ever been offered for the existence of a “Concerned God”? None!

In fact there is more evidence regarding the non-existence of a “Concerned God” as there is to the opposite. Why do so many “believe” without the smallest proof, in a Life after Death ?

What evidence is there regarding the existence of Heaven and Hell? None.! Absolutely “None”.

And yet, the majority of adherents to all the major Religions follow these absurd opinions, because they have been presented to the followers again and again.

Since Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and all the others, are not based on Facts, but on Opinion, neither should be taught in Schools as “Fact.”

A course in “Comparative Religion” as in “Comparative Philosophies” should be taught in schools, but it should never be presented as Facts.

A teacher of such C.R. Might start his lesson in the following way:

Approximately 2000 years ago, a man seems to have preached a set of Ethics to his followers. Unfortunately, none of it was actually recorded until years later and we will discuss his Principles in this light.

Approach the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Koran and all other such books as a collection of Opinions and not as Truths or Facts. On close reading of the two “Testaments” ( which are the only ones I know a little about ) it is totally impossible to present those as “Truth.” and yet, they are introduced to a non-suspecting public as “truthful in every word.”

So, by all means, teach a course of Comparative Religion, but do not teach it with the same certainty as you teach other, demonstrable subjects....