Position Paper

Religion rules the world. Sure, atheists exist, but they only comprise roughly 2.5% of the world’s population. To put that figure in perspective, there are still more people in the world today who believe in ancient tribal rites (often referred to as Animism) then there are atheists. The rest of the earth’s inhabitants have some sense of a higher power. It would therefore stand to reason, that, whether it be blatantly or subtly, faith in all its various forms influences daily life for billions of people. Religion rules and for that reason, Colorado should be mandating a yearlong religious history class for all student wishing to graduate from high school.

Allow me to elucidate a quick point. There is a major difference between exploring the impact religions have had on the world and scrutinizing their dogma, or established beliefs. Scripture, which is the sacred, holy texts of a particular faith, primarily focuses on “…the spiritual dimension of life, and particularly those qualities of life that enable us to transcend the mundane and the temporal,” (Rohani, p11). Although scripture may be the foundation of a faith, I would generally not have the students focus their attention on this area of devotion.

Instead, I feel we should direct our attention on the impact religions have had in shaping the world we living in today. Occasionally, looking at the scriptures may be necessary to understanding the acts of a group of people or government, but in general the students should be able to study the acts of religions without having to delve too deep into their systems of belief. Think about it this way: in a U.S. history class it is not unusual to study the Mormon’s flight from Illinois to Utah without ever discussing the Angel Moroni. Their exodus out of the Midwest had a huge impact on the opening of the American West, affecting everything from daily life to presidential elections to this day. Needless to say, it’s is important to study. While analyzing this with high school pupils, it may be noted that some of the Mormon religious beliefs are inevitably tied to their history, yet it is clear that students need not understand the divine revelations of Joseph Smith to analyze the greater historical relevance of the migration.

We should lend this same discerning eye to all religions of the globe, providing our students with an understanding of how the history of religion is really the history of the world we live in today. Outside of the United States, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Confucianism, Jainism – the list keeps going – have all shaped the global community our students will inherit. From the positive contributions to the turmoil born of various faiths, students must have a clear understanding of how the evolution of religions mirrors the development of our world. The students will walk away with a more well-rounded view on the events in world history, knowing the role religion played in structuring today’s societies.

Religion has brought with it many wonderful qualities, but students need to also comprehend that today, the conflicts in Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Sudan all have their foundations fixed to religion. Indeed, all conflicts, on some level, are based on faith. Disagree? Even President Bush has called the war on terrorism a “crusade.” If students can begin to fathom just how intimately involved religion is in swaying the acts of the populace, then maybe they can begin to construct solutions.

Sources:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/
Rohani, Accents of God
http://www.religioustolerance.org/worldrel.htm
http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0919/p12s2-woeu.html