The starting point for this theoretical and argumentative article is the perception that religious literacy entails developing the student’s knowledge about and ability to confront their religious and non-religious other. Religious literacy is thus understood as a necessary part of the students’ democratic agency. By critically examining the teaching of controversial issues as a means of confronting religious difference, this article argues that teaching controversial issues is an essential part of RE. At the same time, using controversial issues in RE brings its own didactic challenges that risk working against the ambition to develop students’ religious literacy. The article thus highlights a paradox of controversy: while teaching controversial issues is necessary, teachers in RE probably should not do it.