The President of the Russian federation, Dimitry A. Medvedev, announced on July 21, 2009 that the Russian Federal government would start a national program to teach religious education in all the public schools as of the Spring of 2010. The pilot program is in effect by now in the 18 regions of the Russian Federation. The program will be fully developed and in place by 2012.
Under this program parents would choose studies for their children in the four Federally recognized religions: Russian Orthodoxy, Judaism, Islam and Buddhism, as well as a course on comparative religions. Parents have the option to have their children take courses instead on Secular Humanism, which they call Secular Ethics.
Catholicism is not a recognized religion because it is the same faith as the Russian Orthodox. Both Catholicism and the Orthodox are the same One true religion, thus it is not necessary for Catholics to proselytize the Orthodox, or vice versa.
In contrast, the US public schools are forbidden to teach religion of any kind, in any way, but everyone is forced to receive a Secular Humanist education. Parents have no say on this.
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