bigNATE : If religious schools are teaching something true or not has nothing to do with the merits of religious schools ? I beg to differ, the argument is quite important in this topic.

I already said that I stand corrected about faith, I should have said blind faith.

Atheism was not anything that was shoved down the throats of the children in my school, it´s the conclusion the children came to after studying there. And you say religious schools don´t shove religion down the kids throats ? You said it yourself that there would not be any conflicts of belief in a religious school, that can mean two things.

1: Every single kid has chosen that religion by itself.
and
2: Every single kid that did NOT choose that religion got thrown out of the school.

So tell me how excluding kids from that particular school from it if they are not of a certain religion, is not showing the religion down their throat, and if they don´t get excluded you think there is still no conflict of religions ? And did you choose your school or did your parents choose it for you, I didn´t get to choose where my first 10 years of school got spent, I just had to be in the school I was put in. And lets say there is another school around let´s say a Christian school, and there is a Islam kid living in the area, the Christian school has good education and the other school has bad education, if it was like that then is it not negative that the Christian school excludes people, would it not be better if both schools did not care about religion ?

I won´t post more in this threat since we are creating a back and forth discussion here, I will read whatever arguments you may come up with however but it´s a hopeless thing to try to force my views on you or anyone else who is religious or wishes to defend religion so I won´t try (at least not too much).

"it´s a hopeless thing to try to force my views on you or anyone else who is religious or wishes to defend religion so I won´t try (at least not too much)."

and you claim that religious people are hypocrites.... what you said right there pretty much shows that you're no different.

Ellert : A couple more things to clarify, then we can stop:
Just because students are not picked on due to opposing beliefs does not mean that it is shoved down their throats they are forced to believe. Assumptions again, claiming that children are kicked out for not being religious. You have obviously never been around anyone that goes to a private school...
As for choice, when the children are young, they can't be expected to make decisions like that for themselves. By the time they're in middle or high school, though, parents should allow them some say. Mine have, they've given me options between staying homeschooled and going to public school like several of my friends have recently begun to do.
Lastly, you misunderstood my illustration of atheism in public schools. You claim that the students arrived at a conclusion by themselves; is this because they were given several different possibilities and chose among them? If it's anything like public school curriculum I've seen, that's highly doubtful. But that's not forcing it on them, that's only teaching them limited opinions (something I don't agree with for a public school anyways, but that's another discussion for another time). Private schools have even more right to do so, being special schools chosen by families rather than government-funded schools kids go to by default.
Also, of note, you never said that you messed up and meant blind faith. Don't claim corrections you didn't make.

I agree with septembern. I don't think religious schools are good, kids should not be forced to believe in a religion just because their parents believe in it. They should be able to believe in what they want.

Here's my take : yes, there should be religious schools. For one thing, one of the parent's duties is to raise their child in an understanding of their faith. having said that, if, as the child grows older, he/she has the right to choose, but until then, the parent's obligation is to point the way, if not necessarily put them on the actual path. If a family is Catholic, and they are disheartened by the public eduction system (not hard), then by all means send the child to a parochial school. It should be the parents' choice, not for other people to sit back and be armchair quarterbacks on.

Not going to get into a sidetrack of what is "acceptable" curriculum, save this. There has been a movement in place since the 60s designed to move the religious from not only all aspects of public life, but from a good deal of private life as well. Not going to argue that, either, save to say this : stop considering religious thought/doctrine as the "opiate of the masses." And stop worrying about "not being able to have friends of various religions." This is the Global Age. Kids these days have the benefit of being able to have friends from all over the globe, thanks to the 'Net, as well as all the collective knowledge of mankind at their fingertips. let's stop beating each other over the head over "religion vs. nonreligion" and worry more on what makes is similar. I am a Christian, yes, but that doesn't mean I cannot or do not have friends who are Moslem, Hindi or Jewish.

Forgive me if I have riled or offended. Just my two cents.

Going to a religious school is only sheltering the kids attending them, putting them in a soft spot where they agree with everything and anything the teacher says. They ARE that religion and they go to a school RUN by that religion. Me smells something not right.

Public schools, I agree, are prety screwed up, but at least in public school you get to learn, understand, and see different sides of different beliefs and religions. Being sheltered in this world is a sorry excuse for being a coward. Public school teaches you life lessons, gives you spunk. Having kids go to a school with their own religion being the main focus is crazy.

No, not crazy.

Stupid.

I'm Christian, have been all my life, and I know the "horrors" of public school, but with a calm mind and reverence, public school is no big deal and you actually learn many things.

Schools run off religion is pointless, it's doing the kids, the future generation of this world, no good at all. I pray we never, ever, replace normal schools with only religious schools.

If the parents enroll them in a religious school from the start, shame on them. They denied the child's right to choose for themselves. "Rasied with a belief for your whole life, at home and at school". Whats that, Lassie? Huh? BRAINWASHING? No FREEWILL? Kids alread having a SET RELIGIOUS VIEW? And for what? so the kids think what the parents think? Ahahahaha! Thats so.....not right.

Thats terrible, terrible, terrible. Thats taking away a little thing called free will, and without that, what are we?

Should there be religious schools? I think not at least not in the manor of normal schools... unless you are wanting to learn about religion or are wanting to grow up and want to do it as an occupation. In fact, religious schools should be like college dont force people into it only go if you want to. I am not a fan of any school, I think your better off though enjoying it much more when you actually want to learn about something you want. Being forced to learn something you don't want to learn is why people hate school.

People should not force their child into a religious school though, children grow up with different views then the parents and the parents should respect that. In life they will learn what they like or dislike.

Also the bad thing about religious schools is they are like cults that force and divide people into a certain section. It creates hate towards others is all it does. My brother and sister went to a catholic school it was pure hell, teachers called them pathetic. They all dress alike, what kind of school is that where you are forced to dress, talk, and believe what they do? FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IS WHAT MAKES CHILDHOOD GREAT. Let them live how they want while growing up because when they get older they will be FORCED to wear, talk, and basically be a puppet for whatever job they are at.

There is an extent to freedom of expression, but you will have slim to non in a religious school. That is why they are bad.