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by Susan Herendeen ("Modbee.com," Decenber 22, 2002)

Lindy Beam thought a class about religion was going to be a waste of time.

Algebra and reading comprehension are on the High School Exit Exam, she reasoned. The five pillars of Islam and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ are not.

In time, though, the 14-year-old started to think that the world religions course required in Modesto's five comprehensive high schools is worthwhile after all.

A lesson on Islam helped give some perspective to America's war on terrorism.

And the textbook, which covers seven major religions and looks like a modern travel guide, gave her a glimpse of people and places that she had never heard of.

"You should learn about everybody, not just some people," said Lindy, a freshman at Johansen High School.

Charles Haynes, senior scholar at the Freedom Forum's First Amendment Coalition in Arlington, Va., said the class that began as a community compromise now is a model for the future.

He said Modesto City Schools is the only district in California, and perhaps the only one in the nation, to require the study of comparative religion, though some schools offer such classes as electives.

He said all schools should find a meaningful way to talk about religion in class.

"To be an educated person today in this country and this world, one needs to know something about at least the major religious traditions," said Haynes, who has written several books on the matter.

Officials hope the class helps cut down on the fights and bullying that can happen when teen-agers are afraid of the differences among them. The requirement is part of the district's Safe Schools Policy.

The district had no intention of teaching religion when it first crafted the policy, and the plot line that led to the class is anything but straightforward.

It all started when the district decided to rewrite its discrimination and harassment rules, to include gay and lesbian students as a protected class along with racial, ethnic and religious groups.

That tolerance policy, which the Board of Education approved in March 1997, led to an outcry from the community.

Some church groups said their religions do not condone homosexuality, so they should not have to tolerate it. Some minority groups said they would rather be respected than tolerated.

The district set up a 115-member community committee to rework the policy. It also hired Haynes to help forge a compromise everyone could live with.

The result was a policy that includes protections for gay and lesbian students, a character education program that makes core values a part of classroom lessons, and the course titled "World Religions."

Sam Oppenheim, a history professor at California State University, Stanislaus, helped train the teachers, so they would know the differences between Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Assyrians and Jews.

He said the class is a wonderful idea, but also said it has received mixed reviews so far.

"Some people say it works well, and some people say it doesn't," Oppenheim said. "Some teachers are better than others."

Glen Berteau, pastor of Calvary Temple Worship Center in Modesto, said he remembers the controversy over the tolerance policy and the many meetings that were held to hammer out a compromise.

He said the world religions class is a good idea, but also said it is the job of parents to instill core values in their children.

"It's an effort to do something positive, but it will never be completed unless it is established in the homes," Berteau said.

The half-year course looks at seven major religions -- Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam -- and serves as the foundation for 10th grade's World History class.

In "World Religions," students study the Constitution's First Amendment, which was ratified in 1791 and guarantees all people the right to practice the religion of their choice.

They also look at how the laws that protect religious liberty have evolved as waves of immigrants have brought new ideas and traditions to the United States.

America was formed by Puritans, Quakers, Baptists, Catholics and Jews, who were fleeing persecution, and the majority of residents remained rooted in Western traditions for more than two centuries.

Since 1950, the nation has become home to many immigrants who practice eastern religions, such as Buddhism and Islam, as well as an increasing number of people who practice no religion at all, Haynes said.

Schools have been a key battleground, because they must instill values while protecting the rights of all groups.

The Supreme Court banned school-sponsored prayer in 1962. The court prohibited prayers at graduation ceremonies in 1992, and in 2000 said schools cannot have organized prayers at school events, either, even if they are led by students.

Yvonne Taylor, who teaches world religions at Johansen High School, said she sticks to the study of religion, and does not favor a particular belief or celebrate religious holidays with her students.

She tells the teen-agers that they must respect the beliefs of others, but they do not have to agree with them. She expects her students to understand that all major faiths teach peace, love and kindness.

"To protect the rights of all, you must protect the rights of the smallest minority," said Taylor, who has been teaching the class since it started in 2000-01.

Her students, all ninth-graders, said they like learning about religious leaders who have searched for enlightenment and inspired people around the world.

They now know the difference between a Sikh who wears a turban because he may not cut his hair, and a Muslim who wears a turban because it is common in his culture but not required.

And they realize that an American wearing a baseball cap in Saudi Arabia would seem just as odd.

Students said the class gives them a place where they can talk about important ideas. They see more similarities than differences in the religions they study.

"The morals are pretty much the same," said 14-year-old Karen Duong, who attends Johansen.