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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

in telling DS that God didn't make him, actually, I did.

173 replies

bintofbohemia · 06/04/2011 17:44

(With some input from DH, obviously.) He's at a C of E school because we've recently moved and it was Hobsons Choice, C of E or Catholic. He's 4 and a half and started school at a really good, diverse, secular school, then we moved and he is now being taught that God is a man who made everything and he has to pray 3 times a day and is being taught god knows what else.

It just really irks me. What worries me the most is that yes, when he gets older he'll probably make his own mind up but that if he's being taught all this stuff as fact alongside his abc and numbers (which actually are real things) he's liable to find that he absorbs all this stuff and it becomes his default setting, IYSWIM. I'm not an atheist or anti Christian but I do have problems with faith schools and children being taught this stuff at such an impressionable age.

I'm tempted to pull him out of assemblies etc but I don't know if it's the right thing to do, and they'd still get him in classes anyway no doubt.

Anyone else have this?

OP posts:
Roseflower · 07/04/2011 13:18

Well said Edward

SpringchickenGoldBrass · 07/04/2011 14:22

I have no intention of speaking respectfully about bullshit just because some people think it's true.
As to good and bad faith schools, well you get good and bad Christians - if someone labels him/herself a Christian you don't know from just that label whether the person means that s/he is a well-meaning woolly Anglican who does charity work and is all-round nice - or whether s/he thinks the Wesboro Baptists are a bit too liberal. So some faith schools will be lovely warm all-welcoming hub-of=-the-community type places that give a good sound education, and others will be overrun with creationist nutjobs who are too busy scaring the crap out of the DC with tales of hell and damnation to teach them to read and write.

EdwardorEricCantDecide · 07/04/2011 14:31

Springchicken your obviously extremely ignorant to others views.
And still a hypocrite to celebrate bullshit with your children

Hides thread as can't stand ignorant intolerant arseholes

summershereatlast · 07/04/2011 14:59

Agree Edwardo

There seems to be a lot of intolerance for others views across the forum. When you have to resort to name calling and slagging individuals off, you've really lost any argument that you might have had.

Roseflower · 07/04/2011 15:00

I agree too.

Spero · 07/04/2011 15:07

I might not express myself as strongly as SCGB but I would certainly defend her right to have whatever views she wanted about religion, and if that offends the religious, boo hoo.

There are lots of things that disgust me which are apparently culturally and religiously endorsed. I don't see why I have to profess respect for practices and religions I detest. I am not trying to stop anyone believing or worshipping. But they have no right to stop me having a view or expressing it. Their God can always smite me down if I get out of line.

Roseflower · 07/04/2011 15:09

We don't care what her views are

Its the manner in which they are said.

Spero · 07/04/2011 15:09

and summershere, that presumably means Ed has lost her own argument by her charming use of 'ignorant intolerant arseholes'??

Spero · 07/04/2011 15:10

Roseflower, and I don't care if you care about the way views are expressed. Provided I am not inciting anyone to hurt you or burn down your temple, I can express myself in any way I like. Its called freedom of speech. It is fundamental to any fair and free society.

summershereatlast · 07/04/2011 15:16

You are not free though on here to post comments that are obscene or which amount to personal attacks. Just checked the rules (being a newbie).

Freedom of speech also does not include that right.

SpringchickenGoldBrass · 07/04/2011 16:05

Calling people's opinions bullshit is not a personal attack. The fact that some people deeply, sincerely and genuinely believe something doesn't stop what they believe being bullshit. There are people who sincerely and genuinely believe that women are inferior to men, that gay people should be killed and that The Da Vinci Code is a work of non-fiction. I respect their right to believe bullshit, I just don't respect the bullshit.

seeker · 07/04/2011 16:36

You're happy doling out the personal attacks, though aren't you, summershereatlast!

GabbyLoggon · 07/04/2011 16:51

My beardred bro had a religosio at the door. The geezer mentioned GOD. My bro said "I AM GOD" and the religious one galloped off at a pace

knittedbreast · 07/04/2011 16:55

i dont think you can complain if you send your child to a religious school. what did you expect they would say?

Pykel · 07/04/2011 18:22

have you read the thread knittedbreast? What if you have NO CHOICE

GrimmaTheNome · 07/04/2011 18:59

slagging individuals off, you've really lost any argument that you might have had.

You know, SGB never (as far as I've ever noticed) slags off an individual. Her entirely generalised criticism frequently generates personal attacks on her though. Woe unto ye, hypocrites Grin

kaid100 · 07/04/2011 20:23

Pulling him out of assembly would just unnecessarily "set him apart" from his classmates and invite questions from them that he can't answer. Also, there might be other messages in assembly he needs to hear, and who is going to look after him while the other children are at assembly?

LoveLeonardCohen · 07/04/2011 20:29

OP I'm with you and totally agree...

But...when I was little I went to a state C of E and had to do assemblies, hyms, prayers, church etc etc as part of school life. At the time I think just accepted it as it was what I knew, but I don't think it adversly affected me, and it hasn't impacted on my adult life in any negative way. I went to a state comp for secondary which was not religious and we did RE. Now I'n well on my way to becoming an atheist, but I understand what you mean about it becoming a default setting...it has taken a while to let go of the idea of God.
Also I understand that it must be difficult if at school your DS is being taught one thing and then at home you're teaching him another. What about as others have suggested...saying that some people believe it and others (such as yourself) don't....sorry can't help more

Gooseberrybushes · 07/04/2011 20:34

I've only read the op. Why do you need to ask the question? Obviously, you aren't. Do you want to start a row?

GrimmaTheNome · 07/04/2011 21:36

Well, you know, most of us feel we'd rather not undermine the authority of teachers. In this case, certainly its reasonable to do so but isn't it regrettable that the OP is put in the position where she may have to?

Gooseberrybushes · 07/04/2011 21:42

At least her child is at a half decent school. People always have to have something to moan about.

Spero · 07/04/2011 21:58

Summershere, I trust you have done your duty, having checked the mumsnet rules and reported Ed's comment of 14:31?

MrBloomEatsVeggies · 07/04/2011 22:03

God will be shaking his head at you lot. I'm not kidding.

Original poster
bintofbohemia · 07/04/2011 22:16

Gooseberry, maybe read the thread?

OP posts:
Gooseberrybushes · 07/04/2011 22:29

No. But let me guess. SGB said something about crap and shit.