RE Help please

[crazygracieuk]

Ds1 is in Y5. He has volunteered me to be a guest speaker at his RE lesson to talk about being an atheist.

Problem is, I don't have a clue what I'm supposed to say apart from I don't believe in God and I'm happy to answer any questions about it.

The school is a non-faith one and the other speakers will be a Christian, Hindu and Muslim.

Is atheism a religion?

[Chaotica]

How about saying that you think that it's up to people to be nice to other people, and you don't think that there needs to be a God or a special religious book to tell people what to do. Also, that everyone is the same regardless of whether they have a religion or no religion.

(If you do believe that, that is.)

[Chaotica]

BTW I certainly wouldn't say that atheism is a religion.

[TheFlyingOnion]

If you can't describe why you are an atheist or what atheism actually entails, I wonder if you are the best person to give this tslk? It sounds as if, rather than choosing to be atheist you have simply chosen not to make any decision.

The absense of knowledge does not = atheism.

[tigana]

atheism means 'no religion' - effectively.

be ready for questions like 'do you have xmas? why? if you don't believe in it' ditto easter...

(be ready with something about the festivals being nicked form paganism anyway...plus their cultural value rather than religiosity)

[Kewcumber]

atheism can be described as a "belief" but not IMO a religion. I agree you need to think carefully about why you are an atheist and what you DO beleive in rather than about what you don;t.

I recently explained to DS (5) that I didn't beleive in a god, that I beleive all teh good and bad things that happen are because of people and that we can all add to good things happening in the world by being decent people and making good choices.

[BristolJim]

Well, the Christian doesn't believe in the Muslim or Hindu Gods. The Muslim doesn't believe in the Hindu or Christian Gods and the Christian doesn't believe in the Muslim or Hindu Gods, so you're in agreement with the majority view on all three Gods!

I've had to explain my atheism to quite a few of DD's classmates since she outed me. Some phrases I've found helpful are:

• no I don't believe in heaven, but I believe that as long as remember our loved ones after they have died, they are always with us.
  
• yes, we do celebtate Christmas - it is a time for remembering how much we love spending time with our family
  
• Yes I still try to be good even though I don't believe God is watching me, because I believe if you are good to other people, they will be good too (best not describe this as karma on the day though!).
  
• mention that not all religions believe in God. Buddhism for example has no deity figures.
  

Good luck!

[BristolJim]

Don't get preachy, or argue with the children. You don't want all the wee Christians going home and telling their parents they're atheists now ...

Of course you do!

[posadas]

Bristol -- Christians and Muslims believe in the same God as do Jews.

Atheists deny the existence of any supreme being and ascribe the universe and our place in it to a natural accident without any design.
If the teacher has organised a discussion to encourage children to understand different religions, I'm not sure there's a place in the discussion for someone who does not have a religion. It's like having a discussion about different forms of music and including someone who simply says "I don't like music and don't need music in my life".
I think the teacher could acknowledge the fact that some people do not believe in any supreme being (ie don't have a religious belief) but, as the discussion of the absence of a belief is pretty short, I'm not sure your presence in the panel would add much to the children's knowledge.

[turqoise]

I think your presence is important. Just as there are many who believe, there are many who do not. If they just had believers in God speaking to these children, they may come away with a one sided view. The posters so far have covered some good points.

Have you read David Yallop's in God's name about the terrible scams and scandals the Catholic church got caught up in and the vast waste of money. And that many people have trouble in accepting a church that can do such terrible things. You could mention that some people believe in their own personal God, but do not believe in organised religion.

You could say that many people have trouble accepting a God, when he/she lets such terrible things happen to people such as in Japan at the moment. That no God could take the life of a baby, or of a new mother etc etc.

[Michaelahpurple]

But please don't suggest that only atheists believe in evolution....

[Kewcumber]

"I'm not sure your presence in the panel would add much to the children's knowledge." I disagree. CHildrne in state schools get plenty of exposure to religions of various sorts and very little exposure to atheism. Having the teacher dismiss it as "some people don't beleive anything" does not reflect the reality of the 15% -50% (depending on which of the surveys you beleive!) of the population.

Atheism is my beleif structure and it wasn't something I fell into as a default by not beleiving in any of the organised religions.

And anyway since 2004 it has been recommended that schools cover atheism and non-religious beliefs in RE.