Whether or not religion should be part of the public school curriculum has been a topic of debate in the United States for 60 years. Religion has always played an important role in people's lives. Archaeologists have discovered that as early as 300,000 years ago, Paleolithic art was already based on religious theories (“Religious Beliefs”). In Egypt, ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, and more recent civilizations, the influence of religion is embedded in the daily lives of governments and citizens. The settlers and founders who came to America from England a few hundred years ago were largely Christian believers. Their biblical inspirations were omnipresent and helped shape the United States. Religion has always been a major motivator for political decisions, both positive and negative. Wars were fought because of religion and peace was made because of religion. The overall goal in today's globalized world should be to provide a thorough education to America's students, which will result in well-trained, well-educated adults capable of leading this country into the next century. In light of the historical importance of religion, the question arises: Should comparative religion be incorporated into the public school curriculum? There are several valid concerns regarding the integration of comparative religion into the public school curriculum. The most obvious concern is that the state and the church in the United States are separate institutions. Since public schools are owned by the government, many believe that religion has no place there. Furthermore, religion is not a science. It is not factual and cannot be proven to be true or false. No one knows for sure whether there is a God or not, and if there is, what his ideals are or how the...... middle of paper ......d02-ccf751783f5f%40sessionmgr11&vid =2&hid=21> .Feinberg, Walter. “Teaching Religion in the Public Schools: A Critical Assessment of Dewey’s Ideas on Religion and Education.” Directory of Philosophy of Education (2010): 266-274.EBSCOhost. Internet. November 11, 2013. “Religious beliefs considered the basis of the origins of Paleolithic art.” Daily Science. Np, April 19, 2010. Web. November 11, 2011. Ward, David. “Religion in Public Schools: America is religious, but also religiously illiterate. » Deseret News December 1, 2012: n. page. Internet. November 17. 2013. .