To refuse the offer of a bible from local church for dd to commemorate starting school?

[Norfolkbumpkin]

I have just received a round robin email from the school where dd has just started in reception. It says that as per the last few years the local church will be giving each child a bible to commemorate starting school, and to advise the office if for any reason you do not wish for your child to have one. I have replied saying no thanks as feel rather uncomfortable with this, but is this normal practice? I know that the school follows the standard guidelines for R.E. etc, but I am aware that the deputy head (who teaches one of the reception classes) is very active in the local church. She runs bible lessons after school one afternoon a week, and the church have an active presence at the school by doing the gardening in the flower beds and odd maintenance jobs. Am I reading too much into the bible thing or is it a tad pushy?

There seems to be a weird conflation of Catholicism, Anglicanism and other denominational views on this thread. Blimey, if you lot can't understand what each "team" stands for then perhaps you should do a bit more reading before you decide for your children?

I wonder if the Christians who don't believe in hell never got beyond the fluffy edited children's bible version of events. The actual Bible is quite clear on such matters.

Chicken, of course they pick and choose. That's why there are 3 world religions based on one idea, nevermind the myriad of Christian denominations. How many Christians do you know who ACTUALLY believe the Old Testament for example?

Funny that, because there are also Christians who don't believe in the literal idea of Heaven either. Imagine being able to interpret the teachings of a book so freely. They must, of course, be stopped.

I quite like the picking and choosing. Least now we have some Christians treating women and homosexuals as equals.

Blimey, if you lot can't understand what each "team" stands for then perhaps you should do a bit more reading before you decide for your children?

Nobody, but nobody, should be deciding ANYTHING for their children. Should we all be reading the Communist Manifesto to them, just in case they happen to grow up communists? I mean, isn't it a bit arrogant to assume they won't?

And sorry - but Christianity (whichever of the 33,000 denominations we're talking about) is based on the teachings of Christ. Who a) was very clear about Hell and b) was an ardent admirer of the OT & all of it's rules. That most Christians disregard all of this now speaks only to the clear fact that most Christians are more moral than the religion they subscribe too, and don't really believe most of it anyway. So, quite why they still call themselves Christian is anyone's guess.

Many Christians don't go to Church because they don't live near a congregation that share their own views and interpretations of the Bible. Going to church is not compulsory for Christians, although believing in God is (although there is also an allowance for doubt).

I do think its important that you understand these nuances before you make blanket statements about "all Christians."

Crikey, the Communist Manifesto is on my shelf as well as Mein Kampf. They are not very exciting though so it might be a struggle to get my children to read them...

I did History, Clem so they're on mine too.

And you can use the term "interpretation" all you like - it's cherry-picking, pure and simple.

Crikey, I consider myself a socialist but I also "cherry pick"from Marxist ideology. So am I not entitled to be called a socialist?

Chicken, I know you probably know this, but I just wanted to say: If you believe in Jesus he taught about love. Any form of love is a good thing in this world. We need a damn bit more of it, no matter the gender of those who love. If there is a God I doubt he'd be punishing someone for bringing a little more love in the world.

Not quite the same thing, Clem. Marxism is an ideology, Christianity is a religion.

An ideology stems from the word "idea" - it's subjective. A religion is supposed to be based on an objective fact - in this case that God exists & gave his only begotten son, blah, blah. Seems the height of arrogance to say, "Well, yes, I believe in Christ, but I'm going to ignore most of what he said".

Your etymology is not quite accurate. Religion is based on theology which is human interpretation of written and oral ideas. And humans interpret things in different ways. Hence the different denominations of all world religions.

I really do fail to see how it is "arrogant"

Er no. Theology is "the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths". The religion came first & theology is the study of it.

I am not a Christian and don't believe in God so Hell doesn't mean anything to me...

I have a Theology degree. Fuck knows how.

No, that's theology according to Wikipedia (tut, tut). The only way the Bible could be objective fact would be if it were the direct words of Jesus and given that it is a number of books, each giving a different or separate interpretation, written many years apart and then translated, retranslated and translated again, only the very extreme would argue that it is the "word of God"