The problem with the education in this context is that, we are never taught to connect the ideas we learn over a course of time in different levels of learning.Most of us luckily, as time passes does learn to do this.But in case of religion,before the time such connections can take place, the idea would have become so deep rooted in their minds and is part of his/her identity that it is impossible to break away from it. Still one may argue that there are lots of educated people (even geniuses in their specific fields) around the world who continues to believe in God and religion.I believe this is because they have not spared enough time on thinking outside the box their society has bought them up in.
So ultimately it comes down to a persons bringing up and education he gets which -almost always- decides whether he continues to believe in the obnoxious idea of religion.What could be a solution to it ?Daniel Dennet has a very interesting one-point-proposal to break the spell of religion
"Just as we require reading, writing, arithmetic, American history, so we should have a curriculum on facts about all the religions of the world -- about their history, about their creeds, about their texts,their music, their symbolisms, their prohibitions, their requirements. And this should be presented factually, straightforwardly with no particular spin, to all of the children in the country. And as long as you teach them that, you can teach them anything else you like. That, I think, is maximal tolerance for religious freedom. As long as you inform your children about other religions then you may -- and as early as you like and whatever you like, teach them whatever creed you want them to learn. But also let them know about other religions.
Now why do I say that? Because democracy depends on an informed citizenship. Informed consent is the very bedrock of our understanding of democracy. Misinformed consent is not worth it.It's like a coin flip, it's just not -- it doesn't count really. Democracy depends on informed consent.This is the way we treat people as responsible adults. Now, children below the age of consent are a special case- parents are stewards of their children. They don't own them. You can't own your children. You have a responsibility to the world, to the state, to them, to take care of them right. You may teach them whatever creed you think is most important, but I say you have a responsibility to let them be informed about all the other creeds in the world too."
What such a curriculum can do is keep kids to make connections between what they learn. By noting the similarities and variations in religion all over the world and their beliefs one can see for himself that religions are a product of humans and have undergone a process of evolution to be what they are now.
An after-thought:The way our religions have evolved , most ideas related to God ,creation of universe and life were created when our knowledge of the basic laws of was limited. So we filled in them with wild ideas of our fantasies.Its almost like a three year old getting a sudoku puzzle, how would he fill it? Its obvious that he will will it with random doodles, but what will happen if it is filled by grown up man who knows the rules of the game? As humanity matured our knowledge increased due to our inquisitiveness and observation skills, and now we are in a better position to solve the puzzles we face.But stories of Adam and Eve and the like seems to have solved the puzzles even before Darwin or Einstein could catch up, but the problem is that the solution offered by religions are internally coherent but ultimately a wrong idea.Though science has not solved the puzzle yet at least we are progressing in the right way!
