like the christians make us pray.

When and how would a Christian make you pray?

Are you incredibly feeble minded or something?

Another example of kicking Christians in the nuts. 🙄

Semantics Rusty, but you are right, should have said any form of religion, it is just that the majority of posters are complaining that their kids are taught christian beliefs.

Again JY, I agree the children shouldn’t be penalised for their beliefs, I just don’t think religion should have any sway over education. Just as the excellent catholic school in my area should not give priority to children who can prove they go to mass, it is publicly funded

Where does this ‘anti Christan’ thing come from gobuchul?

Serious question, BTW.

I can’t recall anyone having a pop at aspects of Christianity that don’t equally apply to Judaism or Islam.

Junkyard – lazarus

I am happy to be tolerant/make allowances I am not happy to be compelled to join in,

And for those who are not Muslim, but who are having their exam dates adjusted. They’re not being compelled to join in either. No, of course not.

When and how would a Christian make you pray

Gobuchul, you obviously didn’t go to a catholic school, plus it would appear to happen in most junior schools

…the majority of posters criticising the op would seem to be atheist in leaning, and against any form of christianity taught in schools, but support the moving of exams to aid those strictly following another religion.

atheist here.

it’s not that i’m ‘against Christianity being taught in schools’, i’m against any preaching in schools.

(see, there’s a difference between teaching about religions, and preaching that one religion is the one true way)

because:

partly A) it’s all a load of nonsense anyway.

but mostly B) dividing kids on religious grounds is an effective way of dividing kids on racial grounds, and that’s clearly a very bad idea.

so, i think secular schools that make allowances for kids of all religions, are probably the most inclusive, healthy way to go.

When and how would a Christian make you pray?

See the above references to compulsory acts of collective worship in schools.

it is just that the majority of posters are complaining that their kids are taught christian beliefs

Trust me, I’d be complaining exactly the same if my kids were being taught any other religion as absolute fact.

I just don’t think religion should have any sway over education

Neither do I, but I don’t think that trying to be accommodating of other beliefs is quite the same as “holding sway”.

And for those who are not Muslim, but who are having their exam dates adjusted. They’re not being compelled to join in either. No, of course not.

Clearly they will take some of their exam on a different date/time, but how will this negatively affect them?

When and how would a Christian make you pray?

Are you reading the thread properly or do you just have a short attention span?Please recall the need for collective worship mainly christian in nature in all schools ?
At school mainly when they forced me to

FWIW my son has been made to do it twice at a non religious school and at the second time was sent to the head for refusing to bow his head and close his eyes.

Are you incredibly feeble minded or something?

not so feeble minded i believe the shit you write or that i find what you say even remotely difficult to counter.

And for those who are not Muslim, but who are having their exam dates adjusted. They’re not being compelled to join in either. No, of course not.

that is correct having your exam on a different date is nothing like having to fast or do ramadan

We can’t stop people believing what they like, even if we don’t agree with it.
We CAN stop their children them being penalised as a result.

And for those who are not Muslim, but who are having their exam dates adjusted. They’re not being compelled to join in either. No, of course not.

Correct, they are not.

If they were being compelled to join in then the exam board’s solution would have been to force all children to fast for Ramadan.

Perhaps children ought not to fast !

What next ?

I dunno, non-Christian kids being dressed as a donkey for the school Nativity play?

Halal Spotted Dick for dinner?

Halloween showings of ‘The Djinnbusters’ with all the original Ghostbusters music removed and replaced with Quranic recitation?

Gah! ye got me. Trick question innit?

At school mainly when they forced me to

How is it different from an Islamic school?

JY – Your statement was

It not like they are making us all do ramadan like the christians make us pray.

Do you think children at an Islamic school do not get “forced” to take part?

Junkyard – genuine question, not looking for a rise. Do you think you would be considerably less spiteful about religion had you been brought up in a secular or even more tolerant environment? Just a general observation that those most against it seem to be the ones that were brought up in a less tolerant environment, a lot of backlash going on from what I can see.

I may or may not have asked this question in the baby Jesus thread.

Neither do I, but I don’t think that trying to be accommodating of other beliefs is quite the same as “holding sway”.

RE is a compulsory gcse at many secondary schools and takes up a huge amount of otherwise useful teaching time. I would rather religion had no influence over this, or when exams should be set.
Just sayin like.

Neal, if you meant that adults take these exams too, then yes, I see the reason for your edit.

I don’t particularly care about adults and the consequences of their beliefs – they usually have a choice.
Their kids don’t.

Halloween showings of ‘The Djinnbusters’ with all the original Ghostbusters music removed and replaced with Quranic recitation?

To be fair, that sounds brilliant. 😀

Could we extend the multiculturalism to throw in some Bollywood dances as well?

Gobuchul, you obviously didn’t go to a catholic school,

I did.

I no longer follow the religion I was taught in school.

I don’t feel particularly bitter, angry and resentful like a lot of others on here about having the whole Catholic thing as a kid.

If people did follow what JC taught, not to the exact letter as this is impossible due to the lack of clarity of the various translations but the underlying principles, then the World would be a better place. You don’t have to believe he was God to do that either.

Do you think you would be considerably less spiteful about religion had you been brought up in a secular or even more tolerant environment?

you dont mean to cause offence but you use the word spiteful?
if they had left me alone then I probably would care less about what they do/
Undfortunatley they dont want to be left alone to do as they please they feel the need to both preach and make us all join in with the,m Tihis crosses the line for me

One can do and act as one please but one cannot demand others to do the same]

FWIW i dont eat meat were i to make everyone vegan I would expect some “spiteful ” reactions to this.
i also deplore that our govt decided all students must study RE – Again if religion left me alone and education alone i would not be as “spiteful” to it.

RE is a compulsory gcse at many secondary schools and takes up a huge amount of otherwise useful teaching time.

How would you suggest kids should be taught about how to live in a multicultural society?

Or don’t you think that’s important.

RE lessons aren’t indoctrination to one religion, they are to educate about all of them.

And I’m saying that as someone who was taught RE in a catholic school by nuns, 30 odd years ago.

Undfortunatley they dont want to be left alone to do as they please they feel the need to both preach and make us all join in with the,m Tihis crosses the line for me

Geniune question.

I only went to religious schools so obviously there was a bit of praying and stuff, so I don’t know what happened elsewhere.

“Back in the day”, in “normal” state schools, i.e. not RC or C of E, was there much praying and stuff? I always assumed there wasn’t much?

I was about to post same as Neal, RE is about understanding different religious beliefs, festivals etc and being understanding of others. It doesn’t make you believe in God of any kind.

“Back in the day”, in “normal” state schools, i.e. not RC or C of E, was there much praying and stuff? I always assumed there wasn’t much?

I left a non-religious state primary in 1988. We had daily worship, including hymns and prayers, and said grace before eating.

I taught in a non-religious state primary in 1999-2000. We had daily worship, including hymns and prayers.

My daughter left a non-religious state primary in 2014. She had daily worship, including hymns and prayers.

“Back in the day”, in “normal” state schools, i.e. not RC or C of E, was there much praying and stuff?

I went to a “normal” state primary and secondary school in Scotland (circa 1980 to mid-1990s)

As far as I know both were non-denominational (though Scotland being what it was the primary was generally regarded as a proddy one, because all the Catholics went to St Josephs).

My memory is that we had “assembly” once a week (I think.. maybe it was daily), where we all sat on the floor of the gym, a few boring announcements were made (“please stop setting fire to the janitors cat” etc) then we sang a few hymns and finished with the Lord’s Prayer.

How would you suggest kids should be taught about how to live in a multicultural society?

Or don’t you think that’s important.

RE lessons aren’t indoctrination to one religion, they are to educate about all of them

I was about to post same as Neal, RE is about understanding different religious beliefs, festivals etc and being understanding of others. It doesn’t make you believe in God of any kind.

I think you are missing my point here chaps, I don’t think school is a place to learn about any religion. Don’t get me wrong, I agree with the teaching of historical events that were religiously motivated (the english reformation for instance). Teaching tolerance of others beliefs can be done at home,

Teaching tolerance of others beliefs can be done at home,

Sadly, my mam knows bot all about Sikhs. Luckily, I was taught about them at school.

Why is teaching facts about dead people acceptable to you, but not facts about living people?

Fancy forcing your children to fast, honestly it’s beyond belief, literally.

You learn how to live in a multicultural society by being given the opportunity to live in a multicultural society.

You don’t have to be specifically taught not to be a knob to those of other faiths.
Just being taught not to be a knob is enough.

Signalling out religious diffence as something special is unhelpful.
Pointing out the benefits of accepting difference is not.

I don’t think school is a place to learn about any religion.

I’m quite happy for my kids to learn about their own and other cultures, and that includes learning about religions which are often a central or formative part of those cultures.

I’m quite pleased when I hear my daughter say “Some people believe…”. That’s all good.

I’m much less happy when she follows it with “But I know it was God because Mrs [X] told us.” 👿

This thread was all about Islaam and Ramadan. And then a few Christians waded into it waving the “it’s a Christian Country” flag. And were called on their accuracy and charity.

So rather deploying the knee-jerk lazy “millitant atheist” name-calling, those Christian posters might like to look back and see what actually happened here. The whiff of self-torching martyr is rather strong 😉

Yep, they should be like good christians and buy their kids lots of chocolate at Christmas and Easter. I wonder which options is worse for their kids health?

Teaching kids about all religions is also a really good way to create atheists.

Out of the mouths of babes, real religious truth: http://gu.com/p/4fdpb

As is not bringing the subject into schools in the first place.

Gives it a prominence it does not deserve.

.

This article seems relevant too:

Schools do not have to teach non-religious world views and should let students know Britain is “in the main Christian”, the Government has said.

Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary, has sidestepped a High Court ruling which found she unlawfully excluded atheism from the school curriculum.

A two year commission which found the UK is no longer a Christian country is also absent from the department’s new guidance.

The new document says religious education should “reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are, in the main, Christian.”

— Independent, 28 Dec 2015

Why is teaching facts about dead people acceptable to you, but not facts about living people

I think most people agree that teaching facts about dead and living people is ok, not quite sure why you made that sweeping generalisation about my point; which is purely, for the last time tonight folks, I don’t think religion has a place in school. History yes, multiculturalism (why does this intrinsically need to be linked to religion??) yes. Just not god of any particular flavour.

Have to love you and leave you as I’m off to cricket practice (now THAT should be taught in schools :D)

I’m not really sure what planet Nicky Morgan is on.

You don’t think teaching facts about what religions believe is suitable for in school? Even Dawkins would disagree with that.

No, not as a separate subject Mike.
Incorporate it into sociology, it’s at home there.

Giving it a prominence it doesn’t deserve legitimises the belief.
We can still acknowledge it’s importance and impact without doing that.

Modern RE is essentially a philosophy and ethics course.