₦airaland Forum

hahn:
What is the point of serving something you gain nothing from?

See it as finding true purpose. The reason we are here.

Horlufemi:
See it as finding true purpose. The reason we are here.

There are about 42,000 different religions and all these people have found their true purpose without Jesus. What then is the use of Jesus?

hahn:
There are about 42,000 different religions and all these people have found their true purpose without Jesus. What then is the use of Jesus?

list those 42, 000

bi0nics:
list those 42, 000

Just type google.com on your browser and search for "how many religions are there in the world"

Christianity alone has about 33,000 denominations

Use google friend

hahn:
There are about 42,000 different religions and all these people have found their true purpose without Jesus. What then is the use of Jesus?

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

Jesus is the only one who is the same as his message.

Jesus is not Religion

Horlufemi:
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

Jesus is the only one who is the same as his message.

Jesus is not Religion

That is what other religions say about their god

hahn:
Just type google.com on your browser and search for "how many religions are there in the world"

Christianity alone has about 33,000 denominations

Use google friend

No Time shoo

Not just in schools. It should be banned from the public space

lawani:
Not just in schools. It should be banned from the public space

No, religious studies should not be banned from schools.

The person who created this thread has set a trap, which you and others have unfortunately fallen into. His confusion is deliberate. If you reread his post carefully, you will see he intentionally uses misleading terms like "Bible class", or "Islamic studies" instead of Religious studies.This is to create the false impression that schools teach students religious doctrines or stories the way churches or mosques do, a disingenuous framing meant to provoke outrage and advance an anti-religious argument disguised as pro-science advocacy.

But the truth is that in our schools, Religious studies is taught with academic detachment. And its purpose is to educate students about the beliefs, histories, and practices of various religions and to draw from them ethical and moral lessons relevant to society.

I know this firsthand, having been temporarily assigned to teach it alongside English and literature at a private school years ago. As someone who has since left organised religion, I still found great value teaching the subject. Unlike in a church, students in a Religious studies class are free to question and express doubt.

Once, after I narrated how the Angel Gabriel inspired Prophet Muhammad in a cave to write the Quran, one of of my brightest students, who had been listening intently, asked, "Sir, how do you know Gabriel appeared to him? Were you there"?. It was an unexpected and sensitive question, especially with Muslim students present. Before I could formulate a careful reply, another student, who obviously noticed my hesitancy, intervened, asking him, "How do you know Jesus was crucified on the cross? Were you there"?. The first student fell silent, the point made. And the class continued without need for my intervention.

That is the essence of a Religious Studies classroom. It is a space for inquiry, not indoctrination; for discussion, not preaching.

It is also about understanding why people believe what they believe, how religion shapes culture and history, and how to engage respectfully in a multi-faith society. This is exactly why it is a mandatory subject in places like the UK, to foster informed citizenship, not conversion.

In fact, I would argue we should expand the curriculum to include the academic study of indigenous traditions like Ifá, allowing students to engage with their own heritage intellectually instead of through prejudiced or foreign lenses.

Removing Religious Studies or banning it , would not make students more rational. It would leave them culturally ignorant and ill-prepared to thoughtfully navigate the world.

triplechoice:
No, religious studies should not be banned from schools.

The person who created this thread has set a trap, which you and others have unfortunately fallen into. His confusion is deliberate. If you reread his post carefully, you will see he intentionally uses misleading terms like "Bible class", or "Islamic studies" instead of Religious studies.This is to create the false impression that schools teach students religious doctrines or stories the way churches or mosques do, a disingenuous framing meant to provoke outrage and advance an anti-religious argument disguised as pro-science advocacy.

But the truth is that in our schools, Religious studies is taught with academic detachment. And its purpose is to educate students about the beliefs, histories, and practices of various religions and to draw from them ethical and moral lessons relevant to society.

I know this firsthand, having been temporarily assigned to teach it alongside English and literature at a private school years ago. As someone who has since left organised religion, I still found great value teaching the subject. Unlike in a church, students in a Religious studies class are free to question and express doubt.

Once, after I narrated how the Angel Gabriel inspired Prophet Muhammad in a cave to write the Quran, one of of my brightest students, who had been listening intently, asked, "Sir, how do you know Gabriel appeared to him? Were you there"?. It was an unexpected and sensitive question, especially with Muslim students present. Before I could formulate a careful reply, another student, who obviously noticed my hesitancy, intervened, asking him, "How do you know Jesus was crucified on the cross? Were you there"?. The first student fell silent, the point made. And the class continued without need for my intervention.

That is the essence of a Religious Studies classroom. It is a space for inquiry, not indoctrination; for discussion, not preaching.

It is also about understanding why people believe what they believe, how religion shapes culture and history, and how to engage respectfully in a multi-faith society. This is exactly why it is a mandatory subject in places like the UK, to foster informed citizenship, not conversion.

In fact, I would argue we should expand the curriculum to include the academic study of indigenous traditions like Ifá, allowing students to engage with their own heritage intellectually instead of through prejudiced or foreign lenses.

Removing Religious Studies or banning it , would not make students more rational. It would leave them culturally ignorant and ill-prepared to thoughtfully navigate the world.

I agree that Ifa can be taught in schools. Comparative religion can be taught too but as you said it should not be taught to kids as truth. Ifa is science. Religion is not science

lawani:
I agree that Ifa can be taught in schools. Comparative religion can be taught too but as you said it should not be taught to kids as truth. Ifa is science. Religion is not science

The purpose is not to teach these narratives as literal or scientific truth. If it were, I would not have hesitated in my reply to the student who questioned me about me about Angel Gabriel .

As with folktales, like the tortoise stories, the focus is on moral instruction, cultural understanding and critical thinking. The curriculum is designed for education about traditions , not indoctrination into them.

This distinction is clear in practice: Students who try to use doctrinal beliefs from their faith to answer exam questions in Religious studies usually do not perform well. The subject assesses understanding, not personal beliefs. It's exactly for this reason I am advocating for the teaching of local traditions like IFA in our schools so our people stop demonizing it due to ignorance.

hahn:
It is very sad that in this country religious studies is mandatory in some schools. Why should that be?

Because politicians needs brainwashed individuals but the reality is that such shouldn't be welcomed in any civilized society!