Religion and Human Rights: Challenges for Religious Education at School in Costa Rica

Abstract

This essay analyzes the complex and ambiguous relationship between religion and human rights, with particular attention to the challenges facing religious education in schools. It begins with the question of whether religions support or hinder the promotion of human rights, considering that some traditions have inspired principles such as dignity and equality, while others have justified discriminatory practices. The topic is examined within the framework of the Religious Education Syllabus in Costa Rica, which incorporates human rights as a normative and philosophical foundation but demonstrates limitations in its pedagogical implementation. The text also explores the historical influence of Christianity on the formulation of human rights and the difficulties identified by authors such as Juan José Tamayo and Helio Gallardo in religions fully embracing those principles. Finally, it proposes guidelines for an intercultural pedagogy that promotes coexistence in diversity, the critical reinterpretation of religious narratives, and interreligious dialogue as ways to strengthen the human rights perspective in religious education.