Nashville Religion Communicators Council Discusses Teaching Religion in Schools

The longest running interfaith communications organization in the United States, the Religion Communicators Council (RCC), has chapters across the country that meet regularly and promote “excellence in the communication of religious faith and values in the public arena and encourage understanding among religious and faith groups,” according to the RCC website. 

In Nashville, the RCC Chapter recently shifted the style of meetings to maintain the organization’s historic integrity while adjusting to 21^st century ideals by holding bi-monthly meetings to discuss hot topics and how they, as people of faith, may influence others.

In November, the group talked about the teaching of religion in public schools, citing the recent news of parents in Williamson County who were upset about the amount of attention paid to teaching about Islam during a social studies class.

During the meeting, the group reviewed the possible ways that religion could be discussed in a grade school setting to promote tolerance and diversity without enforcing any one particular belief or faith values on students. RCC members also agreed parents are the ones that need to teach their children about religion, not just their own, but open the discussion so their kids understand that there are other people in the world who believe differently than oneself.

According to the President of the Nashville Chapter, Rev. Brian Fesler who also Pastors the Nashville Church of Scientology, the chapter meetings take place on the second Tuesday of every other month during breakfast. “The concept for these meetings is to bring diverse people together to dialogue about hot topics and how we can unite to bring more inspiration and good news to the world,” he said.

The RCC has members from every faith group and walk of life including Baha’is, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Scientologists, Sikhs, Hindus and more. For more information about the RCC or their next meeting, visit www.religioncommunicators.org.