Sir, – I read with some amusement the piece by Breda O'Brien (Opinion, July 30th) on the teaching of religion in our schools. In particular her final assertion: "Being willing and eager to question, and being open and tolerant, are characteristics of healthy religion. Such attitudes are an asset, not a threat, to education."
Religion does anything but foster an eagerness to question, nor does it promote openness and tolerance, rather it promotes dogma in the face of scientific fact, and a divisive ingroup-outgroup approach to the world.
There in only one solution to the teaching of religion in our schools and that is to teach it as an objective part of the history curriculum, noting first that Christianity is but one of over four thousand religions recognised by the United Nations.
Religion should also be thought as part of the scientific curriculum, as part of the history of science to show children how incorrect theories of the world can be formed, and how even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary such theories sometimes prevail.
We should no more teach religion in school than we should teach astrology. School days should be about learning, and not indoctrination we need to appeal to the curiosity and scepticism of the nation’s children, rather than to their credulity.
-Yours, etc,
JIM BRILLY
Dublin 8.