If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Read the community guidelines before posting ✨
School trips to Church
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
My dad seems to think that there is a law that means I don't have to go on school trips to a place of worship etc. Is this true?
I don't go to a faith school is that makes a difference!
Thanks
Xx
I don't go to a faith school is that makes a difference!
Thanks
Xx
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Xx
Xx
No seriously... This trip has probably been organised so you can learn more about the Christian faith, not to try and convert you. We had a school trip to a hindu temple, and it was just to learn more about the religion.
I think its a really positive thing to be able to open your mind to other cultures and religions. You don't have to agree to what they say, just be willing to try and understand why they believe the things they do.
Your parents are able to ask for you to 'opt out' of RE lessons. *You* do not have that power, it has to come from a legal guardian.
RE is not about telling you which faiths are right / wrong or whatever. RE is about educating you about the different cultures, religions, social concepts that are out there. It teaches you acceptance of others. And, if you want to look at it from a literacy point of view, there are many wonderful stories from other religions. I recently taught the story of Rama and Sita, which is a Hindu story, and also teaches good over evil.
Visiting other places of worship is to try and make the different religions more 'real' to you or others. It is to show respect. And to show you how other people live. Yes, they will tell you that they believe xyz (don't know which place you are going to) but if you just open your mind a tiny amount you will realise that they are telling you what *they* believe, not what *you* should believe. It's about, as purplestarfish said, opening your mind to other cultures and religion. Showing respect.
And if nothing else, it's a day out of school.
*sigh*
Apart from anything, it will be interesting even if you don't agree, and have others have said, it's time away from the classroom.
I also don't think you'll be able to suddenly pretend to have a religion - for one thing I'm sure your school would know by now and for another, is there a religion that says you can't go and visit another religion's place of worship?!
However he was able to answer our questions and backup his points. Didn't mean we agreed with what he said (some of his reasoning seemed to me just absurd) And no - he didn't try to convert us to scientology! He showed us a promotional video... but even then that wasn't to try and convert us.
Exactly - it's about learning to understand and appreciate everyone as an individual.
I am not religious. I teach a lot of RE and I always start by telling the children that I am not religious. I think RE is one of the most interesting subjects out there because it is so *real* to different cultures / groups of people. Alas, it tends to be a subject that is put on the backburner a lot because there is more of an emphasis on maths / literacy, which is rather sad.
Oh, and because you don't agree with a certain politicians beliefs, would you stop going to a politics class when you are taught about them? No.
I think it's perfectly acceptable for her not to want to visit a place of worship if she doesn't want to, and it doesn't mean she's being ignorant or intolerant. You can learn about different faiths without visiting their places of worship. I think you're being very grown up and mature, B-A. I wouldn't much like being made to go either.
And the last thing I would ever do is allow a scientologist into a school ffs! If you want to lean what they are all about, there are far more reliable sources than actually talking to a scientologist. That's touchy feely bleeding heart acceptance of everybody's batshit views taken to a ridiculous level. They are a cult who try to indoctrinate young people and aim to extract large amounts of cash from their followers. I think they should be banned from talking to children!
But I think faith schools should be banned anyway, so I have pretty extreme views on the subject.
Stand up for what you believe in B-A
This is all really patronising. You wouldn't tell me that I ought to go to a church or synagogue and have them tell me what they believe, or accuse me of not having an open mind or showing respect. So you shouldn't assume that of B-A.
A place you go to learn, learn about other religions and what better place than the place of worship?
I'm an atheist and I take the time to understand other people's beliefs. Doesn't require me to visit their places of worship or listen to their sermons, though. There are plenty of ways to exhibit open-mindedness. If you're going to call me small-minded or lacking in respect, because I don't want to go to church, then you're being pretty small-minded and disrespectful yourself, as you know nothing about me, my beliefs, or my attitudes towards other people's beliefs and faiths.
And, they aren't taking us to teach us about the religion... my teacher is a Christian, and he is taking us to his church, to meet the vicar person that preaches to them. Why should I go and listen to him preaching?
Thank you Jamelia, I'm not being narrow minded... I'm perfectly happy to learn about peoples religion. But I don't believe I should go to their place of worship, why should I? A place of worship is there for the people of that faith, I am not of their faith and I do not believe what they believe...So why do I need to go?
I don't go to Church outside of school, I'm not going just because it's in school. I don't do religious assemblies anyway, so I think my teacher knows I am not going on the trip.
Xx
If you/your guardian feel the need to hide away from all other faiths then to me it's just that, hiding.
Xx
Actually, I would. Particularly if it is part of your education, teaching you about other cultures and religions. Which, in this case, it is.
Think what you like of me then... but if I was refusing to go to a Church because I was of a different faith, you wouldn't say it. So what's the difference? Beliefs are beliefs, why do I need to put the word "religion" round them for them to be respected?
Xx
Xx
The difference is this is part of education. And nobody was calling you small minded or lacking in respect. I think it is a rather sad reflection of society that there is a lack of openness about going to a church / synagogue / scientology place without people thinking that you are going there to be converted rather than for an educational visit. Which, in the case of the OP, is what is being discussed. And to refuse an educational visit because 'i don't see why i should' is a shit reason. Would you say the same about a history trip to the tower of london, or a science visit to the science museum, or an english visit to stratford? I doubt it very much.
To be perfectly honest, I don't believe you for a second.
And on that note, I shall bow out.
Oh my god! She is a year three teacher at a Catholic school! I'll fucking send you a link to the website with her picture on it if you really don't believe me! Why would I lie about my mum?! She isn't Catholic, she only works there because jobs are short at the moment!
Thanks, but you don't need to PM me to prove a point or whatever the hell it was to do. What I don't believe isn't the fact that she is a teacher but the fact that she is a teacher in a Catholic school and doesn't want you going on school trips to places of worship to *learn* about them, not to be converted.
But, as I said, I am bowing out of this thread so please don't PM me information that I couldn't actually care about again.
Good one :thumb: