AIBU to be surprised how few people know all UK state schools include compulsory Christian worship?

[TheMightyMojoceratops]

The law in England and Wales states that ALL state schools "shall on each school day take part in an act of collective worship... wholly or mainly of a Christian character". All UK state schools have to do this: at least 51% of collective worship - often embedded in assemblies - has to be Christian. And this is worship, as distinct from education.

Yet I quite often see threads on here where people are surprised to find their children are coming home saying things like "we said thanks to God today", or "it makes me sad God died for me"... Christian worship is a legal requirement in school, even if it's one I disagree with. Most people I talk to seem unaware of this and express surprise when it's explained to them.

AIBU to be surprised that more parents aren't aware of this?

Good old Oestre!
Poor old Christ.

I've always love the way our supposedly Christian festivals coincide with the Old Ones. Gives one a lot of wiggle room.

The X is from the Greek for the dipthong "CH" It's also a cross.
You're only making things worse you know.

Ruby -I think you'll find that the people who object to school 'acts of worship' fall into two main groups.

(1) non believers who don't get their children baptised, have non-religious marriages and funerals, and who celebrate the midwinter and spring festivals in whatever way they wish - which may be 'cultural christian' to a greater or lesser extent.

(2)religious people who are either not christian or who belong to some sect such as Bretheren or JW

I've always love the way our supposedly Christian festivals coincide with the Old Ones.

Christmas was deliberately superimposed on Saturnalia/Yuletide/Winter solstice. Its no coincidence - it was deliberate policy by the church.

For non-believers, the name 'christmas' is about as relevant as the derivation of the name 'Easter' is to christians.

I'd be interested to find out how many of those who made that vow to have their children brought up as Christians are outraged that a state school in a Christian country enabling them to do that?

Did any of the folk on this thread have their children baptised because it was the "thing to do" not realise the implication of that choice. Given the implicit relationship between the Established Church and State?

I understand that you might wish to not have your child subjected to an act of worship if you did not have your child baptised. But I don't understand why you'd be surprised that a State school in a country with an Established Faith with the Head of that state also being the Head of that Church might carry out an act of worship in that faith.

Tiggytape - very few people think the exclusion option is an acceptable solution. Its usually differently religious people who resort to it.

Of course the serendipity of Festivals is not actually a coincidence! The British have always been a bunch of Pagans ;-)

why it is expected that schools in the UK have a collective worship daily

Nearly all school time is secular, and assemblies can offer just a gentle understanding of how a mild version of liberal religion works, and hopefully increase tolerance between those with faith and those without, just as the rest of school time is non-Christian. Hopefully if young people do think about religion when they're older, then they'll recall this as an example, to counteract anything more extreme they might encounter.

No, of course I didn't have my child baptised because it was 'the thing to do' - it isn't! I wish I'd had a humanist naming ceremony but I didn't know then that was an option.

Of course the serendipity of Festivals is not actually a coincidence! The British have always been a bunch of Pagans ;-)

So why do you seem to have a problem with everyone making merry at the time of year we now generally call Christmas but could call any of the other labels I mentioned?

"there is a difference between understanding how religions work and taking part in act of worship"

Yes. Reading about something and discussing its theory is completely different to actually seeing it for yourself, either taking part or sitting quietly while worship takes place. You'll learn much more about something by being there, whether you agree with it or not.

Christmas was deliberately superimposed on Saturnalia/Yuletide/Winter solstice. Its no coincidence - it was deliberate policy by the church.

This often comes up in Christmas discussions. I'd love to know what the Pagans would like from the present-day Christians who weren't there a few hundred years ago when the dates were chosen. Do they want an apology, just as some people think present-day Brits should make a public apology for slavery? Or can we not live amicably with our winter festivals? They can join in our carols if we can keep the Christmas tree, that sort of thing :o

Would you want your child taking part in Muslim prayers 5 times a day? Praising Allah?

That would be very different to a "broadly Muslim" act of worship once a day at the most, wouldn't it?

I'd love to know what the Pagans would like from the present-day Christians

I'm not a pagan, but I'd imagine ' live amicably with our winter festivals? They can join in our carols if we can keep the Christmas tree, that sort of thing '.

Which is of course what most people do IRL- its just on these discussions where you get christians accusing non-christians of hypocrisy if they do exactly that, while happily putting up their trees and not seeing that their wailing 'but its called *Christmas' like it has to matter is a bit strange when they don't mind calling their most important religious festival after a pagan godess

If you married in an Anglican Church there are two places in the liturgy that refer to the bringing up of children within the faith. It IS part of the vows that are made during the ceremony:

" when it is God's will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore, marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God."

and

Bestow on them, if it is your will, the gift and heritage of
children, and the grace to bring them up to know you, to
love you, and to serve you. Amen.

Therefore you cannot complain that the Established State School system is "helping" you to do what you vowed to do. Because you married under the auspices of the Established Church. The two are one.

Instead of complaining that the School is doing what it is legally bound to do, start campaining for the disestablishment of Church and State.