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Religious education in school...
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Well, I'm starting another thread (to which I will add more when I have the time) and it's... well...
I don't know about a lot of you, but from primary school up to when I chose my options in secondary school I was taught compulsory religious education. In secondary school it touched upon Budhism, Islam and other religions but in many schools it's mainly centered around Christianity. In primary school we were taught all about Jesus.
Now, you guys probably know I'm a pagan, but that doesn't mean that I don't believe that every religion has something to offer. However, personally I believe that teaching religion or morals to little kids is wrong, in a sense it's brainwashing. Anyway, here's what I think should be done.
On arriving to secondary school I believe that the kids should be given the option of whether they want to take on religious studies, or social science (on a lower level) without the teaching of Christianity in primary school. Because whilst some religions work on trying to convert people, you should follow what you feel is right. If a child is meant to be Christian then they would want to pick up a Bible or look in to it. Or if somebody wants to be Muslim then they could pick up the Koran. Get me?
Any other opinions or ideas?
I don't know about a lot of you, but from primary school up to when I chose my options in secondary school I was taught compulsory religious education. In secondary school it touched upon Budhism, Islam and other religions but in many schools it's mainly centered around Christianity. In primary school we were taught all about Jesus.
Now, you guys probably know I'm a pagan, but that doesn't mean that I don't believe that every religion has something to offer. However, personally I believe that teaching religion or morals to little kids is wrong, in a sense it's brainwashing. Anyway, here's what I think should be done.
On arriving to secondary school I believe that the kids should be given the option of whether they want to take on religious studies, or social science (on a lower level) without the teaching of Christianity in primary school. Because whilst some religions work on trying to convert people, you should follow what you feel is right. If a child is meant to be Christian then they would want to pick up a Bible or look in to it. Or if somebody wants to be Muslim then they could pick up the Koran. Get me?
Any other opinions or ideas?
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Comments
I think in general the more christianity is pushed on someone in school, the less likely they are to be religious later in life - it puts them right off.
When I went to secondary school the first thing they got us to do in RE was write the lords prayer! I wrote
"Our father
forgive us our trespasses
Amen"
because it was all I knew but the teacher didn't believe me and told me to re-write it every lesson!! I just said...'if you want me to know it...teach me' She never did because she thought I was being difficult!
However...lack of religious education didn't leave me without morals!!
As for teaching children how to be good citizens, what is wrong with that? Consideration should be taught in schools, a lack of it is why thsi country is such a shithole with all the graffiti and vandalism.
"People need to see religious leaders being exceptionally narrow-minded and bigoted in order to accept that this is really what religion is all about. Not just the frankly nasty obsession with sex, but the sickening intolerance and prejudice that goes with a mindset rooted in fear and hatred.
Let us stop funding religious indoctrination of children in our schools, take away the tax advantages of churches, and remove the religious psychobabble from our constitution and official life. It is time our society grew up."
Source
I only have to think about what people like our departed pnj came out with about Islam to know how dangerous ignorance can be.
Schools should without a doubt be non-religious, I object to religious schools because they are a form of segregation on religious basis and if you segregate children on the basis of religion it increases the potential for division on the basis of religion as unsavoury myths and stereotypes about others is encouraged by not mixing with them.
All schools, schools shouldn't advocate a certain way of life - can you imagine the uproar if a school said "this is a Labour school" or "this is a Conservative school" it's the same thing. Schools are places to learn things, developing a way life is your own choice. Why would it have any effect on Christmas? :rolleyes: Most schools don't take holidays for Diwali or Eid and they manage just fine out of the school environment.
And where I go toschool, people were allowed time off for religious festivals if parents called up and stuff.
Being taught that Christianity is the religion that we should follow isn't right or fair. We live in a multi ethnic society and for our schools to pretend otherwise is pure ignorance.
Today in a regular gymnasium, with primarily protestant students, I was shocked to see how much more I knew about different religions than they did. Most astonishing was the fact that I could give reasonings behind christian traditions, which they had no clue about.
Jacq, I assume you went to a Jewish school? If you hadn't gone there couldn't you have been taught the same things about your religion and its culture from your synagogue? My friend had to go to classes before his Bar Mitzvah where he learnt about his culture and religion.
I think a brief summary of each religion could be taught in a PSRE setting and then if you want more information then it should be up to you to learn about it. I think the faiths would be able to provide this and it would allow for schools to be non-religious, also most people aren't interested in religion nowadays anyway so why force the details on them when those who are can go elsewhere to learn about it?
A year where I haven't been there, and I can already see how much is slipping.
It isn't for everyone. But the moderate frames I was taught under suited me.
I only studied christianity and Islam for re gcse, I wish we were taught a wider breadth of different religions, just because knowing and understanding about different religions does lead to a greater respect of other people and cultures.
I just can't stand religious extremism and intolerance and education is the way forward to try to combat such problems, rather than forcing religion upon people.
I don't really agree with organised religion, but being informed about and understanding religion is crucial.
I had to take it because I went to a Catholic School (despite being C of E- therefore I never took communion of done confession).
It doesn't just teach about christianity, the course touched on other area's. I think my sister knew more about Islam than Jesus!
If Christianity is seen as the primary religion in this country then I don't that's a problem, as long as kids are made aware of other religions in school, which I think they are because they live in a more varied world than their parents.
Christmas should not be banned, who cares if kids don't know what it's about.
I do think that other religious festivals should be taken into account when allowing people to take days of work & school as I know non-christians who have had problems with this.
By the time I was four I knew what Christmas was - to be honest how many people in this country pay attention to the religious significance of it? I know I don't - Christmas is an opportunity to swap presents with everyone, have a good meal and watch The Great Escape. Muslim kids know about Eid without schools teaching them it, it comes from their parents as it would for those who celebrate Christmas if it wasn't done at school. Schools aren't there to give presents, at least mine didn't, schools are places of education and religious celebrations have no place there.
And now for something completely different........
The Larch!
Very nice indeed
Though seriously does anyone actually have anything to add, or have we covered it all?
But one thing that does always piss me off is this "multi-ethnic" crap. Britain is Christian, and whilst I think all religions should be freely practised, Christianity should remain the dominant religion. We shouldnt bend over backwards just to avoid offending other religions, and other religious festivals should not be state sponsored. After all, Saudi Arabia arrests those who drink because of religious reasons, and no-one would criticise them for discriminating against Christians who want a brandy.
I agree, I did forget about that most people are Christians and in a way it's starting to get a little stupid... remember the Hot Cross Buns?
But the main topic of the thread was letting the children make up their own mind. But maybe children have, I know I have. Just because they haven't changed from being a christian doesn't mean that they've had poor religious education.
Actually Britain is secular, only 4% of the country go to the supposedly dominant (63%) Anglican church on a regular basis, most of Britain's attitude is "I couldn't give a stuff". Once you take in the Catholics who make up about 16% of the population of which I would say at least three quarters of whom don't go to church - in fact no Catholics I know go to church and I come from a Catholic family on my dad's side. If you want a Christian country look at America today, that's not the sort of example I wish to see emulated in this country. Also there is more of a need for children to be educated about other religions at school because they're not going to learn about it elsewhere because whenever there is religious stuff on TV or in our society it's Christian. So I think learning about the general beliefs of other religions does a lot more good than learning about the dominant religion because it combats intolerance. No religious festivals should be state sponsored but you ignore the fact that only Christian bishops are represented in the House of Lords and that our country has a history of being very much pro-Anglican as you can see from the anti-Catholic legislation of the 18th Century. God knows what they'd have done if there'd been other religions too.
In high school we had to have one RE lesson a week & then could choose to do it at GCSE if we wanted. The people who choose not to do it at GCSE didn't have to do even a short course in it or take an exam.
I chose to do GCSE & the entire course & exam was centered around Christianity although that was the last year it was being taught like that (i left school last year). Apparently now the course covers many religions which is the way i think it should be.
How can a person choose what to believe or what not to believe if they have not been educated in more than one religion? Also how can we expect people to respect and tolerate people of other faiths if they do not understand them?
As for religious schools, it's not just the personal beliefs about afterlife that are at stake. In many schools in America- and alarmingly, in a few here as well- they have abandoned Evolutionism and are teaching kids Creationism.
No offence to anyone, but as far as I'm concerned anyone who believes in Creationism has a serious mental disability. It's absolutely disgusting that some kids are being taught such superstitious rubbish as fact. What else do these kids grow up believing in? That the world's different languages are not the result of tens of thousands of years of evolution but of the wrath of God, who gave those building the Tower of Babel different tongues to confuse them? That the earth is really 5,000 years old or so?
Would you consider employing anyone for your company who has such beliefs? You might as well employ a 3 year old kid.
My dad who's mentality is made up by scientific believe only, does believe as much in the 6 day creation as in Darwins evolution theory. So far none of them have been proven, nor can be proven. But I do not hear you criticise people holding belief in the evolution as you do with people, who have some kind of believe in spirituality.
Your attitude towards people with religious belief is disgusting and disrespectful in every sense. Doesn't really go together with the rest of the stuff you advocate.
But the problem here is that few people are allowed to look at the different religions from an objective point of view. Very few people indeed who were raised in a truly atheist environment would turn to religion later in life. That's exactly why religious leaders put so much importance to giving young defenceless children religious education. Because they know very well that someone who has not been exposed to religious beliefs would be very unlikely indeed to form a decision, from a balanced and rational position, to embrace a faith. Because (again, no offence) from a balanced and rational position religious beliefs appear rather absurd.
You are right that neither Creation nor Evolution has been proven. I wouldn't go as far as saying Evolution will never be proven. I think you will find out that what we know already proves it to be 99% certain. Only some people choose to grasp the 1% uncertainty. I frankly find it astonishing that anyone who has not been brainwashed could possibly give Creationism a second thought.
I bet you cannot prove either that the Moon is made of cheese just beneath the rocky surface. And for what is worth you cannot prove either that the Matrix is real, and that this life and reality we know is just a virtual reality created by a computer as we lay in giant warehouses producing energy for machines. I’m sure (or at least I hope) that if someone made those claims to you, you would dismiss them as rubbish.
Now you tell me what the difference is between the two theories above and Creationism.