Religion. This is one of the most controversial topics, but it doesn't seem to come up in regular everyday conversations. There is a multitude of reasons for this. At times people don't want to be the person that brings it up because it can be personal. We in America have freedom of religion, and although that makes it much easier to discuss religion, we don't always take the chance to speak up.
At my high school, all juniors are required to take world history. I overheard a conversation that really sparked my interest in why we don't talk about religion more openly than we do. The girl said, "They're teaching us about these different religions. I don't think they should do this because some parents don't want their kids to know about different religions other than the one they believe in...." Now, she really missed the point on why other religions are taught in a class. Buddhism and Islam are taught (in my world history class) because they are very relevant to how other countries operate, and that's why students receive lectures on this information. Because of certain laws, teachers are not allowed to persuade students into another religion. Persuasion into a religion, which this student was ultimately speaking on, definitely is not taught in high school classes.
The second part of the student's statement, "parents don't want their kids to know about different religions other than the one they believe in," is a very strong opinion of keeping religion private. Personally, I believe that people should be exposed to and learn about as many religions as possible. Not taking the opportunity to learn from other people and their perspectives can result in close-mindedness and ignorance. This brings up a point that is often debated: children being forced into a religion at a young age. Every child is different. Parents cannot control what their child believes. As much as parents want their children to be just like them, religion is not a rule to be dictated. Besides, parents can only protect their children from other religions and the real world for so long. Introducing children to other religions can ease religious tension and prejudice. Religious prejudice is absolutely huge. Because of the adult role models children have to look up to, they are taught to stereotype entire groups of people at a very young age.
Ultimately, the reason world history is taught junior year is because students are much more mature and aware of the world around them. Religion has a big impact on every single person. Because we have the freedoms of religion and speech, it's my opinion that people should be educated on a multitude of religions because they all play off of each other in our history and today. Isolation and ignorance are major causes of religious conflict and can be avoided by not being aggressive or trying to persuade others into other religions. Let people believe in the religion they want to believe, it's out of your control.
