Deck 9: Religious Pluralism in Secular Classrooms

Question 1

A good reason to include the study of religion in school is that:

A) schools are responsible for moral training.
B) all children have religious needs.
C) religious references and allusions permeate people's lives.
D) churches expect schools to do so.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The prohibition clause of the First Amendment specifies that:

A) Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion.
B) the United States is not a society founded on religious principles.
C) Congress will prohibit the establishment of new religions.
D) the United States is unlikely to accept the establishment of new religions.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Most broad definitions of religion encompass concepts of:

A) a deity.
B) shared values and an orientation toward the sacred.
C) a sense of community.
D) all of these answers are correct.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The basic beliefs and the structure of American schooling are derived in part from:

A) the role of agnosticism in early Colonial life.
B) the values of New England Protestantism.
C) the ideas of the Quakers.
D) the values of English Anglican believers.

Question 5

The widespread use of McGuffey readers in schools across the nation in the 19th century is an example of:

A) the introduction of Protestant values to public schools.
B) the ability of McGuffey to sell his product.
C) the separation of church and state in public schooling.
D) the influence of Catholic values on public schooling.

Question 6

The second wave of Muslim immigrants to the United States included primarily:

A) educated professionals.
B) African American converts to Islam.
C) Muslim students.
D) the poor and uneducated.

Question 7

Sensitivity to potential and real areas of conflict among students of different religious backgrounds requires that teachers:

A) keep religious discussions strictly out of the classroom.
B) favor the religious convictions of the majority of the students.
C) adopt the role of interpreter and mediator.
D) favor the religious convictions of minority group members.

Question 8

Identify an issue that has brought religious pluralism in classrooms into sharp focus in the current scenario.

A) The strengthening of the social cohesion that helps bind communities together
B) The immigration of people from a wide variety of religious backgrounds
C) The emergence of human dramas that contain the very essence of religious questions
D) The alienation of elderly people from a society that exists only in their minds

Question 9

In Zorach v. Clauson (1952), the Supreme Court ruled that:

A) the right of parents to guide their children's education is a constitutional right.
B) the state does not have the right to impose an ideological discipline that invades the sphere of intellect and spirit.
C) sectarian prayers at high school graduations and before football games are unconstitutional.
D) schools can release students during public school hours to attend religious instruction off the school premises.

Question 10

Much of the difficulty in sorting out religious controversies with regard to schools has been generated around different interpretations of:

A) the Bill of Rights.
B) the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
C) the Declaration of Independence.
D) the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

Question 11

Butts cast issues related to the role of religion in education into two broad categories. These are:

A) the role of schooling in the exercise of public worship on and off school grounds.
B) the role of education in protecting private freedoms and public freedoms.
C) the role of schooling in preventing religious conflicts and addressing controversies.
D) the role of schooling in developing religious sensibilities and religious bias.

Question 12

Concrete examples of schooling issues with regard to religious pluralism are:

A) compulsory attendance.
B) prayer in schools.
C) the use of public funds for religious schools.
D) all of these answers are correct.

Question 13

The argument that pledging allegiance to the flag is contrary to some religious beliefs is based on the idea that:

A) some religious groups are not patriotic.
B) the flag is an image and cannot be worshipped.
C) schools should attend to basic education only.
D) the flag is not a suitable symbol of our country.

Question 14

In the Abington v. Schempp case, the Supreme Court ruled that:

A) no student may pray in a school building.
B) teachers may not mention religion in classrooms.
C) students may not be excused from classrooms for religious observances.
D) students may not be required to participate in sectarian prayers.

Question 15

Legislation such as the National Defense Education Act of 1958 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 provided:

A) public financial support for aspects of public schooling.
B) public financial support for books for Catholic schools.
C) public financial support for religious instruction in public schools.
D) public financial support for aspects of private schooling.

Question 16

The writers of the U.S. Constitution established a religion as a dimension of the state.

Question 17

Knowledge about religious groups means that a classroom must be designed to match each child's unique experience.

Question 18

The belief that human beings are destined to rule over the natural world has its roots in the Judeo-Christian tradition.

Question 19

Islam was introduced in the United States only in the last 50 years.

Question 20

In the Abington v. Schempp decision, the Supreme Court held that education is not complete without a study of comparative religion or the history of religion.

Question 21

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act passed in 1993 stated that the government cannot "burden"
an individual's exercise of religion even if that exercise conflicted with a compelling government interest.

Question 22

In Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925), the Supreme Court ruled that attendance at private religious schools did not satisfy the requirement of compulsory attendance.

Question 23

Today, the debate about tax support for parochial education continues, made perhaps even more strident because of current efforts to provide competition for the public education system.

Question 24

The creativity with which Africans interpreted and utilized Protestant scriptures and music produced a unique contribution to American religious and political life.

Question 25

Religious identity has its strongest roots in the family.

Question 26

Explain the difference between the establishment clause and the prohibition clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Discuss some implications of these clauses for schooling practices.

Question 27

Describe, with examples, how school rules may conflict with the customs of certain religious groups, and discuss ways in which such conflicts might be avoided.

Question 28

Discuss ways in which compulsory attendance laws violate rights to free exercise of religion. Give an example in which this argument was put forward by parents.

Question 29

Briefly discuss the major arguments put forward by religious groups to justify the censorship of certain school materials.

Question 30

Briefly discuss at least two important ethical issues raised by religious pluralism in schools.