to be upset school taught my 4 year old about the crucifixion

[littlemslazybones]

It's a CoE school, so I knew that this would come up at some point.

But he's 4!! And he is understandably upset and a little confused that someone would be tortured and nailed to a cross. In the bath, he was pointing at the palm of his hand and saying "and mummy, they just hammered it in, right through here".

And if they are going to do it, shouldn't they attempt to do it in an age appropriate way? My son came home with the impression that the crucifixion was some elaborate terrifying naughty corner. He was telling me how, once nailed to the cross, Jesus decided to be good. (Even as an atheist, I'm baulking at the blasphemy). At the very least, they should allow them to ask questions afterwards, right?

I'm dreading what might come today. My Dad died this time last year and I don't want to spend the Easter hols explaining how people can not come back to life. AIBU to ask the school to be more gentle with this stuff?

Can one of you saying "don't send your ds to a church school then" please give me the name of a school in the UK where the only religion that is taught is of the 'some people believe...' type please? A school with no assemblies, no prayers, no religious teaching at all? No? Would that be because there aren't any?

There are some. and there is always the chance to opt out.
the thing is that C of E bent aside most just go along wiht the Golden rule of all religious traditions to " treat others as you would wish to eb treated"
and that comes from the Judeo Chrsitan tradition.

assemblies are NOT supposed to promote one type of religion in non faith schools

The last school I worked in was like that Amandine, mainly because practically the entire student body was muslim/Sikh/Hindu. There were never any prayers at assembly (because no one would participate) and all RE lessons were along the lines of "some people believe..."

You are SO NBU. This happened to my DD in a non-religious-affiliated nursery last year, she was traumatised by the graphic descriptions of 'nails being hammered in and his bones being smashed'. The sword going right into his tummy and pouring all his blood out was a highlight also. Lovely story for a 4yo when given in graphic detail isn't it . She had nightmares for WEEKS that someone was going to murder one of us. And she then came home bursting with excitement after being taught the resurrection because "Maybe we could ask God to bring back all the children who have died of cancer, Mummy!". What a great time I had explaining that wasn't going to happen. She wept her heart out. Really, it's time they stopped telling kids this kind of thing as fact, outside of a church anyway, especially in the kind of violent gory detail you wouldn't let a child of the same age read or watch in any other context.

MsNorbury Yes they are. The law calls for a "Daily Act of Worship, to be broadly Christian in nature." How schools interpret them is up to them.

Golden rule well predates the Judeo-Christian lot.

From what I can gather from DS, his school has gone about it all in the "it's a story/some people believe" way.
Thinking about it, I've actually said to DS that such a person probably DID exist (as I do think he did), and that he DID say a lot of what's attributed to him, but over time it's been embellished and edited and a religion has grown up around it because people didn't have camera phones, Internet and peer reviewed scientific papers back then!

I'm sure JC was a lovely guy....but was he the son of god? No. Did he die for our sins? No, he was the victim of that era's version of getting sent to the back benches.

I thought they had to participate in a daily act of worship by law?

gosh, so everyone thinks its OK to teach small children about execution and torture then!!!!

Also, MsNorbury the "chance to opt out" is not a chance at all, to my mind, since I would have to attend, remove the children and provide alternative activities.

Lovely. Only SAHMs can have the courage of their convictions, then!

Actually, the kids' school has made a major concession - they are going to allow a Humanist Celebrant in to do an assembly. Once a year. Seeing as the other 37 weeks of the year they have a vicar, priest or pastor, and the children get 2.5 hours a week of RE/ RI, this is small potatoes, but it's a start

DS is opted out, but a bit of RE seems to be getting through nonetheless.
I'm not too bothered, really, as I thought long and hard about what to tell him at home.

I think the op is Christian, bug has had a tough year and got caught out.

OK, so its a religion bashing thread now. surprise, bloody, suprise

amandine, come to London. we look at all faiths as my DS school

SodoffBaldrick,:)Where do you live?.

I grew up in Ireland and am Catholic. In Easter week we went to church almost everyday. Nothing was explained to us in grapic detail. However, there were many statues of Jesus on the cross and we probably learned in a visual way.

OP, just say that 'what the teacher means in the 'story' is that Jesus was 'magical ' or had special powers or something' and that's why the resurrection is meant to be so special: because only he could do it , and that's why there's such a fuss about it by the Christians....because that's what they believe......but everyone doesn't have to believe it.

Personally I wish they would tone down the crucifixion, raising from the dead stuff for KS1 DCs. It's a very confusing, somewhat frightening story.

I think schools feel they need to counteract the commercial chocolate festival and not let end of term silliness break out too early.

DD2 goes to a smallish CofE school and they always do assemblies and church services as a whole school, sometimes with the nursery as well. This makes it very difficult to keep everything totally reception friendly.

Porca how is it religion bashing?

I have no problem with people being religious in appropriate venues, e.g. their homes, places of worship, or inside their own head. I have no problem with my children learning about religion. What I have a massive problem with is Christianity presented as literal truth while my children are supposed to be being educated. Religious privilege.

porcamiseria

The last acceptable prejudice. Can't do blacks, gays, women or gypsies any more so we attack the religious.

Yes, that poor religious minority with no money, power, influence or enshrined-in-law privilege... oh wait...

dreaming you sound very rude there. Suggesting that those of us who support a secular state might really want to attack "blacks, gays, women or gypsies." Do you really think that's true?

I haven't seen anyone bashing religion here.

Crunchy Not saying you want to, but if the comments made about religious people were made about other "minorities" they'd be classed as intolerant at best and illegal at worst. For example, from your last post ...

"I have no problem with people being religious in appropriate venues, e.g. their homes, places of worship, or inside their own head."

Change "religious" to "gay" and see how that reads.

Well, Porca, religion is an idea, so it would be a very unhappy state of affairs if we weren't allowed to attack ideas. What next, telling people they can't attack Conservative or socialist ideas? That would do away with half the threads on here instantly.

Porca.....I think gingers are still fair game.......

Gays don't send out worldwide missions to recruit young minds though!
Bum now aching from fence!

Attacking isn't on....challenging and questioning, maybe.