If religion is central to the lives of billions of people

Of course I acknowledge that teaching religion in school in an intellectual fashion rather than evangelical proselytizing is a fine line to walk. But that doesn't imply that educators should dismiss religious education categorically...Few people cringe more than I at the thought of how some teachers could morph the classroom into a training ground for future Jerry Falwells and Pat Robertsons. However, it seems more likely that leaving religion completely out of schools allows for the seemingly rising number of close minded people, whether they are fundamentalists or atheists. In school, students learn history, languages, math and science in order to live and work in the real world. If religion is central to the lives of billions of people on Earth, wouldn't it make sense to learn a little about what makes these people tick? The Cavalier Daily Wednesday, January 17, 2007 Marta Cook's column appears Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at mcook@cavalierdaily.com Other Articles by Marta Cook