Why Having a Religious Education is Beneficial

Why Having a Religious Education Is Beneficial

"The only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be aid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments. Without religion, I believe that learning does real mischief to the morals and principles of mankind" (Rush, Benjamin). Benjamin Rush, one of the signers of The Declaration of Independence, said this and meant that having a religious education is where one receives a real and true education. A sense to be closer to God, a parent’s wish, or even a life changing experience has caused people to want to receive a religious education and by doing this, they have found out more about themselves, they learned more about the world besides what scientific theories have taught them, and a religious education has helped to promote the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of people and of society.
Growing up, I had always gone to public schools but my parents made it very clear to my brothers and I that having a religious education is important and they felt that it was one of their goals as parents to raise us with a Christian background. My parents put all four of us in religious education classes and made sure that we received all of the different sacraments. In our religious education classes we learned about the teachings of the Bible, what the sacraments meant, and much more. Because of my parents instilling this way of life upon us, I know a lot more about humanity than what science has to offer. I also got very involved with the church and its community by sacrificing my Wednesday nights to eventually help teach religion classes to younger kids and to help volunteer at many of the events the church itself has to offer. Besides taking religious classes outside of school, many people prefer to have their child go to a private school. There, students take religious education classes but the cost for the school is much higher when comparing to public schools.
Not only is having a religious education a parent’s wish, sometimes it has a lot to do with the person that wishes to receive the religious education.
Many people do not realize how little they know about religion. In order to grow into a well-rounded individual, it is important to have faith in something. According to The Center for American Progress, “Despite the fact that Americans claim to be highly religious people—with 92 percent of Americans professing belief in God or a universal spirit—that belief does not seem to translate into knowledge of our own faith or that of others”. The article goes on to reveal how little Americans actually know about religion saying that “On average, Americans correctly answer 16 of the 32 religious knowledge questions on the survey by the Pew Research Center 's Forum on Religion & Public Life” (The Pew Research Center). From this survey, it was found that Atheists/Agnostics, Jews and Mormons generally held the highest scores with the Christian religions scoring the lowest on the Religious Knowledge Survey. This knowledge gap has some real-world consequences. Those being: a hindered ability to evaluate religious claims from different political candidates or religious groups and these same people tend to have a very shallow view of world events. By closing the religious gap, a step will be taken towards lessening this problem. Considering that America is a nation founded on the separation of church and state, people wonder if it even matter if they know anything about religion. Some may second guess it, but it does matter. The reasoning behind separating church and state was not meant to forbid religious practice, but it was meant protect religious liberty. Many people practice their faith in private but people of faith also participate in their civic duties and still speak out. They work on poverty, immigration, the environment, and more. Religious leader who are advocating for or against new legislation can be involved in politics. As one can now see, religion –whether you like it or not- is involved in the everyday life of America and by knowing more about it, it will not only help you grow as a person, but it will help people hold stronger views on what is truly right or wrong. Having a religious education is important because it instills moral obligation in people and helps people come together as a community. Religion traditionally gives comfort to people in knowing that there is a higher power and that it is not all for nothing. By having a religious education and by enjoying the process of getting one, a person will eventually want to contribute their time in other aspects of the church by volunteering and helping others. It can almost be seen as ripple effect. By taking the step to become closer to God or any other higher power, a person’s benefit from it may be straightening out their moral compass and then eventually working towards doing greater things for other people. By receiving a religious education, people will be encouraged to learn from different religions, beliefs, values, and traditions, while they explore their own beliefs and questions of true meaning. It makes it so people need to reflect on and evaluate issues of faith and truth in order to communicate their responses. With a religious education, one is encouraged to develop their sense of identity and belonging and is able to grow as an individual within their community but still remain a citizen in the world and understand what is going on in the world. This form of education holds an important role in preparing kids and young adults for adult life. By doing that, it helps to let the young adults develop sensitivity and respect for others who have their own beliefs.

Works Cited
The Importance of Religious Education. Christian Supermom, 29 Apr. 2011. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. .
Thorn, Brian. Why Religious Education Matters . Center For American Progress, 20 Oct. 2012. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. .
U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey. Pew Research Center Publications, 28 Sept. 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. .
Why Is Religious Education Important? . Salford City Council, n.d. Web. 13 May 2011. .

Cited: The Importance of Religious Education. Christian Supermom, 29 Apr. 2011. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. . Thorn, Brian. Why Religious Education Matters . Center For American Progress, 20 Oct. 2012. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. . U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey. Pew Research Center Publications, 28 Sept. 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. . Why Is Religious Education Important? . Salford City Council, n.d. Web. 13 May 2011. .