While some might frown upon religion entering the classroom, journalist and author Linda K. Wertheimer argues that ignoring religion altogether is problematic.

Wertheimer recently presented findings from her new book, “Faith Ed.: Teaching About Religion in an Age of Intolerance,” to a crowd at Tifereth Israel Synagogue as part of the Sunday Speaker Series.

“When people hear the word teaching, they think that means preaching,” said Wertheimer. “But good teachers, when they’re teaching world history, geography, even literature, don’t ignore where religion plays a role.”

In her book, she argues that teaching about religion will reduce ignorance across the general populous and reduce bullying of religious minorities in schools. Her reasons for writing the book partially stem from her own experiences growing up in the Midwest.

“I was teased about being Jewish from the fourth grade on when my family moved from western New York to Ohio,” she said. “We went to a school system called Van Buren. Not only had there never been Jews in that school system before, I don’t think the kids had any idea what a Jew was.”

She said that, in the fourth grade, a guest lecturer visited her class to preach the Christian faith and sing religious songs.

“It was 1974. It was beyond illegal,” she said.

In 1948, the Supreme Court case, McCollum v. Board of Education, barred religious instruction from tax-supported public schools. Vashti McCollum, an atheist and mother of a student in the Illinois public school system, objected to a similar instance of clergy-led classes entering the curriculum.

In Wertheimer’s situation, she said her mother eventually contacted the school board. They refused to eliminate the classes. Instead, she and her brother were allowed to be excused from the classroom.

“State standards all around the country require that kids learn about the world’s religions,” said Wertheimer. “These requirements usually hit sixth or seventh grade in the middle school. Where it shows up is social studies, world history and geography.”

She noted, however, that teaching can sometimes veer into a gray area before, sometimes, crossing a line. For instance, she has reported on Sharon Peters, a geography teacher from Lumberton, Texas.

“I went to her home and she gave me a fashion show of the types of items she brought into her ninth grade advanced geography classroom. She teaches about the world’s religions as part of geography,” said Wertheimer.

Peters had hand-stitched burkas and clothing a male might wear in Saudi Arabia, which the students could try on during class. Once photos of the children wearing the outfits surfaced online, it landed the teacher in hot water.

She said that students spoke in favor of the teacher during a school board meeting, saying that their eyes were opened to the Muslim faith. While it may be an effective teacher tool, Wertheimer noted that inviting students to wear religious garb in the classroom is a dubious decision.

Despite the complications that face educators when teaching about religion, Wertheimer thinks doing so will lead to a more tolerant society. She said the courses that have managed to teach religion effectively steer clear of guest speakers, field trips and trying on garments. Teachers also get parents involved by making them aware of the curriculum.

“I don’t think anyone could have predicted the kind things happening right now in our country,” said Wertheimer. “If anything, it highlights why it’s so important that our teachers do a good job teaching about the world’s religions.”