Religious schools are blasphemy to education

Published in http://www.upiasia.com/Society_Culture/2009/09/14/religious_schools_are_blasphemy_to_education/3151/

karta, Indonesia — Schools and churches, alongside parents, are institutions with an obligation to instill respect, tolerance and moral standards in children. These institutions are trusted as safe places for children, as well as places for education and moral and spiritual guidance.

Across Indonesia, particularly in Medan and Jakarta, various schools are emblazoned with names that declare certain religious beliefs. For instance, Methodist schools offer Christian instruction, while the name Al-Azhar indicates a school that is run based on Islamic principles.

I argue that such emblems promote social intolerance in Indonesia.

First, religion advocates the value of the “one and only” truth. Children are taught from a young age to believe in one particular religious standard. Various religions – particularly Christianity and Islam – believe that the only path to salvation or heaven is through that particular religion. This ostracizes all other religions as viable choices of belief.

The Holy Bible indicates this exclusive religious standard. For example, in 1 Timothy 2:5, it is stated: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.” Moreover, In John 14:6, Jesus says: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

As for Al-Quran, QS. Ali Imran : 19 and QS. An-Nuur : 39 indicate that the only godly religion is Islam and the “kafirs” – or non-Muslims – will not find the path to heaven open regardless of their good deeds.

I realize that these are incomplete citations from extremely complex and historically interpreted holy scriptures. However, it is conventional wisdom and accepted truth that Christians and Muslims believe in an exclusive path to heaven through their own religions.

Even in universities, students who adhere adamantly to certain religions tend to view that too much interaction with students of different religions, or non-religious students, can impair their beliefs. I would not discuss the merits of such claims; however, I am concerned that such beliefs destroy tolerance in society and can do damage, particularly to children.

Religions are judgmental. They adamantly declare what is wrong and what is right. Religious schools compel students and children to study only the one religion that the school endorses. Methodist schools provide compulsory Christian lessons; Al-Azhar provides compulsory Islamic lessons. Students are taught values that include exclusivity based on religion.

The problem with religious schools is that they deal with children or relatively young teenagers; this leads to my second point.

Second, children are susceptible to pressure. Religious schools create enormous pressure for children to accept and believe in their teachings; otherwise they become social outcasts. Although the same argument may be true for adults, at least adults can make informed choices and determine right and wrong values.

This is analogous to smoking, driving or drinking alcohol. Children are not allowed to decide on such issues because they are not wise enough to know wrong or right, bad or good. My personal experience in religious school taught me one thing: A good student is one who believes in the religion his school endorses.

Some schools will argue that they do not impose beliefs; however, most students come from families that share the religion the school endorses. Therefore social circles are built among those who embrace the same religion.

Students tend to ostracize classmates of a different religion, and worse, teachers do too. One person I interviewed told me that a teacher at a Christian school in Manado refused to give his sister first rank merely because she was a Muslim. Also, some Christian students will not invite students of a different religion to their birthday parties, for example.

Certainly I am not arguing against a teacher’s prerogative to decide on first rank, or a student’s right to decide who to invite to a birthday party. But to make such choices under the banner of religion is unjustifiable. Children are susceptible to such ostracism and this consequently creates enormous pressure to embrace religion, not because they believe in it but simply because they want to be accepted socially.

Third, schools have an important obligation to educate. This means more than providing informative lessons. It includes enabling children to grow in both cognitive and moral skills. To instill exclusive religious ideas is similar to a doctor executing a procedure without the informed consent of the patient. It is like imposing Sharia law on all Indonesian citizens, or requiring all women to wear veils.

The main problem is that religious schools force students to study only one religion. Also, students must score well in religion as it constitutes part of their academic assessment. Sometimes the assessment revolves around the quality of the students’ religious beliefs.

For example, in one Christian school in Medan, attending church on Sunday constitutes part of the assessment. This is why many non-Christian students attend church. Moreover, in several Methodist schools in Medan, students are encouraged to instill Christian values in their parents’ lives.

Christians believe they have a mission, originating from Jesus’ remark: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15) Some students would go home and tell their parents to convert to Christianity because that is the only way for salvation.

It certainly outrages some parents that their children judge their moral standards; some tell their children not to go to church any longer. Teachers would advise these students to pray for their parents; when parents find their children praying before they sleep that their parents be forgiven for their sins and ignorance, they are again outraged at being judged by their own children.

We all agree that companies should not be allowed to discriminate between employees based on their religion; then why are schools allowed to do so? Companies deal with adults who are capable of making decisions, yet discrimination is not allowed. Schools deal with children who cannot make informed decisions, yet they are exposed to great pressure to embrace religious ideas and faced with discrimination if they do not.

In the end, the argument here is not whether the religious schools promote the right moral values, but whether religious schools educate children to allow them to make informed choices concerning religion. Even if religions teach the right moral values, it is still wrong for schools to compel children to choose one particular religion. If all religions teach the right moral values, why not allow children to learn different religious ideas?