In the last 10 years I have been to half a dozen weddings and funerals – not one of them had a single religious component

I don’t believe in god but I celebrate Christmas. Why? Because it’s fun, the family get together, we eat, drink, have fun, relax. I don’t care about the back story, I just embrace it for what it is – a chance to get away from the drudgery of everyday life. Am I a hypocrite? Probably. Do I care? Merry Christmas!

Nothing to do with the site, this will be down to various client-side god-bothering settings you have neglected to change. Did you tick ‘atheist’ when you installed Windows?

I don’t believe in god but I celebrate Christmas. Why? Because it’s fun, the family get together, we eat, drink, have fun, relax. I don’t care about the back story, I just embrace it for what it is – a chance to get away from the drudgery of everyday life. Am I a hypocrite? Probably. Do I care? Merry Christmas!

This!!! ^

In the last 10 years I have been to half a dozen weddings and funerals – not one of them had a single religious component

Whereas I have been to at least one of each. What do I win?

It exists therefore you are going to come across it.

NEXT!

Next what, victim or perversion?

The only time that religion features in my life is on STW threads like this where we have to try and keep our pet Woppit on a leash.

Oh, really.

Have a look at the message I just sent you.

kcr

In Scotland, the only religious schools are for Catholics

Non-dom schools, otherwise known as proddy schools! 😆

Tbh, I’d suggest in both, the religious aspects are minimum and token at best. My own Catholic schooling wasn’t overly religious, bits and pieces here and there and the Catholics will make more of a thing in primary of first communion and confirmation. Maybe prayers first thing in the morning for primary children too, but otherwise, overwhelmingly academic. I’d be willing to bet secondary education in both is near identical.

Tbh people read far to much into the religious aspect of schools. It’s not particularly necessary, but it’s not really harmful either, and I’d guess it’ll probably run it’s course naturally here in the next 50 years imo. So no point in worrying about it.

Sweet baby Jesus and the orphans.

Difficult to avoid completely*, but very easy to tolerate.

*If for example the fact that Christmas exists annoys you.

Oh, really.

Have a look at the message I just sent you.

Dude, I was teasing! Also, not got any message.

I suggest leave the UK and move to North Sentinel Island.

😉

Can’t avoid it but it doesn’t bother me. Although I am an atheist, I am pretty ‘christian’ in my attitude to others and happy for them to do what they want.

we have to try and keep our pet Woppit on a leash.

If he’s on a lead I hope it’s directional.

, I am pretty ‘christian’ in my attitude to others and happy for them to do what they want.

It’s a shame so many Christians don’t have that attitude 😉 I do prefer to call that a civil attitude.

Nothing to do with the site, this will be down to various client-side god-bothering settings you have neglected to change. Did you tick ‘atheist’ when you installed Windows?

I suspect it is seeing as I don’t know how my iPhone would know my religious persuasions, I cant remember ever having seen a religious targeted ad before, and it only started after having looked at this thread.

In fact I’ve noticed now that a lot of threads appear to have thread content related adverts.

In Scotland, the only religious schools are for Catholics who specifically want an RC religious education

🤔

Welcome

It’s a shame so many Christians don’t have that attitude 😉 I do prefer to call that a civil attitude.

Yeah, like Perchy said you just need to see how many threads get started off the back of their intolerance to others beliefs.

Oh.

In answer to the thread title ..yes you can..however it seems to have moved from that to can you avoid religion ?
No you can’t ..

I don’t believe in god but I celebrate Christmas

I suspect you mean you celebrate AT Christmas.

Dude, I was teasing! Also, not got any message.

Oh. Well in that case, it’s probably just as well.🤔

I feel I’m pretty relaxed about the whole Christianity thing too, in a live and let live kind of way. Most Christian shenanigans in the UK are no more than pale echoes down the ages of a former seriously religious era. We are a religious country in the same way as we have a monarchy; we are fond of the cute traditions but don’t let it get in the way of cold blooded hard nosed financially motivated decision making.

How Jewish Is the Only Jewish School in Scotland?

https://www.haaretz.com/how-jewish-is-scotland-s-only-jewish-school-1.5197403

I didn’t know there was one Jewish school in Scotland, but that kind of reinforces the point that it’s not difficult to avoid religious schooling if you want to. There’s certainly nothing like the situation in England, which I assume the OP was referring to, where a lot of people are pretending to be practising Christians in order to get their kids into local CofE schools.

Yeah, like Perchy said you just need to see how many threads get started off the back of their intolerance to others beliefs.

To be fair you don’t get many middle Americans posting on here.

To be fair you don’t get many middle Americans posting on here.

This is a fair point. Can’t imagine what it would be like to be an American artsiest. I did a race in the states (triathlon world champs) and was surprised we had a god botherer in chief given the mic when we were all on the start line to bless us all and a quick round of the Lord’s Prayer. Felt quite presumptive of an international field and certainly nothing I experienced any where else in the world.

We could of course ship our few remaining believers out to the states – milk and honey for all surely…

Boop

I did a race in the states (triathlon world champs)

Humble brag of the day

that kind of reinforces the point that it’s not difficult to avoid religious schooling if you want to. There’s certainly nothing like the situation in England, which I assume the OP was referring to, where a lot of people are pretending to be practising Christians in order to get their kids into local CofE schools.

We live in catchment for two primary schools. Both are “faith schools”. The kids have to go to church at least once a week (while in school). They pray on a daily basis, sing hymns about our lord, and heaven and angels and all that nonsense. So it is kind of hard to avoid, and has a very lasting impression on a 5 year old child.

Humble brag of the day

Well, I thank you 😊

I spent my 20s and 30s being a bit of a dick about religion and about being an atheist, probably because it didn’t seem that many were outspoken about it. I probably felt a bit repressed…

To me, today it would seem it’s the accepted norm for many, I don’t see a reason to keep talking about it. It’s like a balance has been struck, really.

I won’t tell me kids if I believe in god (9 and 5) it’s up to them to figure it out. Whatever they choose is fine by me.

I walk around with me eyes open, can’t say religion is in my life at all. It’s around me, but not in my life. Christmas to me is about family.

Can you live a non religious life in the UK any country in the world?

Yes, probably China and North Korea.

I had the full Catholic works, went to church every Sunday, and to Catholic primary and high schools. I hated it all and, looking back, I don’t think I believed in any of it even at the time. What I really hated was the implication that you are being surveilled at all times and everything you do is going in a big ledger.

I haven’t been to church, except for weddings and funerals, since I left home at 18.
I had a civil wedding, my children are not baptised and I sent my eldest daughter to a secular school that is OFSTED rated “needing improvement” rather than send her to the CoE school, also in catchment, which is rated “excellent”. My kids don’t need the same bollocks that I had to endure growing up.

I live in a catchment area of 3 schools 1 is religious it’s a catholic one, dead easy to avoid.

While you say “live a non religious life”, it sounds like you actually mean “not come into contact with any reminder that some other people do have religions”.

I’d say that the classic “live and let live” is the way forward. You don’t need to avoid anything remotely religious connected (that would be pretty hard to do anywhere in the world as religion in one form or another has shaped almost every society), just not “believe”. There’s no reason not to enjoy the human aspects of all the different religious festivities – family & friends getting together is pretty universal.

And of course, remember there’s a huge difference between a normal person who has faith and a Bible belt zealot!

While you say “live a non religious life”, it sounds like you actually mean “not come into contact with any reminder that some other people do have religions”.

I’d say that the classic “live and let live” is the way forward.

It is, probably. But then you get MP’s starting things with “As a Christian”, we get religious beliefs used to justify actions or to justify/excuse behaviour.

But then you get MP’s starting things with “As a Christian”, we get religious beliefs used to justify actions or to justify/excuse behaviour.

That’s always been something I have hated – and IMO less about being religious as wanting to make it ethically harder for anyone to challenge what they are about to do/say. In fact I’d go so far as to say that “using” your religion as a shield to act without reproach is the very antithesis of what religious teachings should be – a framework to guide you in living a better, more decent life.

You and the people that surrounded you have the choice to do so

I reckon the majority of people in your circle have something to say about expense, stress etc.

You or they have a choice

Without reading loads pocpoc is on my wavelength.
I believe in ‘something’ A God maybe. I don’t know.
I’ve never done singing or praying etc in weddings/funerals/being a Godfather etc, and always made a point about it.
But at my grandads funeral recently I found myself being conflicted and I did sing (quietly) and saying a prayer and said Amen. I don’t normally do this but for the first time I thought ‘don’t be a dick’, if there is something else out there then why not try and pray and hope my grandad will be safe and well.
It’s an enormous leap of faith for me to now begin to believe.
But that’s what religions focus on.
Death and hardship.
Sorry for my long winded post.

But that’s what religions focus on.
Death and hardship.

I’m not sure it’s just what religions focus on, I suspect it’s an element of natural human ‘desperation’ to grasp for something at our time of need. Personally if (huge, massive, totally never going to happen if) there is an omnipotent being who only shows you a little love and compassion if they get a verbal reach around beforehand they can go swivel.

But then you get MP’s starting things with “As a Christian”,

That should open them up to some obvious questions such as “would a Christian put in place policy x which has had this effect on these people?” but don’t seem to hear those questions.