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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

About Bibles being given out at school.

203 replies

BlingBang · 03/12/2013 22:12

Son has just told me that they have to line up and take a bible and say thank you - seems like some group is coming to the school to distribute them. AIBU to be surprised and think this is strange? My son doesn't believe in God and doesn't particularly want a bible or have to thank someone for it. Is this common practice then?

OP posts:
thereyet · 03/12/2013 22:39

If he already knows he doesn't believe in God, then no harm done. But he might come to believe in English Lit, in which case a Bible is very useful.

ItsIgginningToLookALotLikeXmas · 03/12/2013 22:39

The Gideons fund the bible distribution. We do not know what the school's response to giving out copies of the Qur'an or a Pagan text would be - they would probably say it has never been offered, as it won't have been - I have been offered (and accepted) an individual copy of the Qur'an for school but it costs a lot to give any book out to all students.

The line up and say thank you talk is presumably to make them demonstrate some manners. However, as with any religious assembly I am sure parents can request the child be removed.
I was at school at long long time ago and this certainly happened then. Pretty sure it is a New Testament rather than a full bible.

formerbabe · 03/12/2013 22:39

I don't care if they hand them to adults who can say no, but handing them to children just seems so wrong. Children still haven't gained all their critical thinking skills yet. Many may take one because they would feel rude not to, or maybe scared to say no. I can't see how any religious group has a right to enter a school for this purpose.

Original poster
BlingBang · 03/12/2013 22:41

Just wonder if people would be as relaxed about the Koran or other religious nooks being give not in the same way. I have no issue with the Bible or the Koran (probably be useful t have a copy of both at home) - just surprised it still happens in a non religious school and distributed to children rather than the parents choice to bring it into the home.

OP posts:
Bunbaker · 03/12/2013 22:43

"Wow I have never heard of this. Not normal in my opinion."

I think it is. DD got given one when she was in year 7. The kids on the bus tore the pages out and threw them around. I emailed the headteacher and complained and said they shouldn't give bibles out to children who didn't want them. She replied straight away and told me that Gideons had given them out and she would speak to the pupils about their behaviour.

"I would be fuming....I think its a cheap, horrid little way to try and sign them up young. I would tell them to stick it."

Wow! That's a bit of an over reaction.

MyCarHasBrokenDownAgain · 03/12/2013 22:43

My son got one from school for the Jubilee! I'm totally against it (and what a bloody waste of money!), but tbh it was his book, and making a fuss would have just caused ructions. I just left him to it - it's hard enough getting him to do his school reading, so there was no way on earth he'd read a book with small writing and no pictures off his own back ha ha. It's still on his shelf under a very heavy layer of dust now ...

SantanaLopez · 03/12/2013 22:44

I personally can't think of anything less likely to make a child convert than a Bible, have you seen the size of it? It's not like they're handing out Playstations.

MyCarHasBrokenDownAgain · 03/12/2013 22:45

And his wasn't a Gideons one IIRC, but funded by the local church ...

(I had a Gideons one from school a 'few' years ago Grin )

Sukebind · 03/12/2013 22:46

At my school we were asked to take the Bible but if we did not want it then to hand it back to a teacher afterwards so as not to offend the people giving out the books. This seems fair enough and a courtesy that I feel would be offered to representatives of other faiths.
Most people used them for RS lessons (it was not a faith school).
I do not think that it is sneaky or inappropriate. They are quite open about what they are doing and they do not follow up the gift and do not give other literature (as far as I have ever seen).

formerbabe · 03/12/2013 22:46

Bunbaker....it is not an over reaction. It is an extremely creepy, weird thing to do. Trying to influence impressionable, young minds....why don't they hand them to adults?! Because adults can't be converted so easily and can tell them to sod off!

OutragedFromLeeds · 03/12/2013 22:46

I'd be relaxed about any religious book being given out, it's a reference book and a story book all in one! There is absolutely no pressure to keep it or to read it.

How old are the children? Is it year 7? I think it's good that it's given to the children and not the parents, otherwise many children would only ever see their own (or more accurately, their parents) religious book.

littlebillie · 03/12/2013 22:48

I bet you celebrate Christmas

Just saying

Artandco · 03/12/2013 22:50

England has the Church of England as official faith. The bible is the official book they use. Therefore they give them out as standard. I thought every school/ hotel/ blah blah had to provide for that reason. Sounds logical to me ( and I'm an atheist)

formerbabe · 03/12/2013 22:51

Celebrating Christmas has nothing to do with strangers trying to push religion onto a child at school...there is no comparison there.

Original poster
BlingBang · 03/12/2013 22:51

Some people might not even be religious though. And this is being approached it seems as a done deal, the children are being coached to take one and how to say thank you . Only have my sons side of the story of course.

OP posts:
SantanaLopez · 03/12/2013 22:53

How exactly does giving out a bible mean pushing religion on them? They're not holding them hostage for signatures for a monastery. They're not even forcing them to read it.

I would expect my child to say thank you, even if they weren't particularly pleased. It's called manners.

Original poster
BlingBang · 03/12/2013 22:53

Yes We do celebrate Christmas as a cultural festival rather than a religious one.

OP posts:
littlebillie · 03/12/2013 22:55

I don't think handing a child a bible is going to make them a Christian. They only want people who are genuinely interested and committed.

Christmas religious festival was my understanding.

formerbabe · 03/12/2013 22:57

So why do they do it then?

NoComet · 03/12/2013 22:57

I'm an atheist to the core, but Vision bibles are useful.

Senior school RE is compulsory and (our board at least) is horrifically Christian biased.

Gideon bibles are a very understandable translation, they come in handy for HW even if it is a load of bull.

Original poster
BlingBang · 03/12/2013 22:59

I think Christmas and Easter have moved into cultural rather than religious festivals for many people these days.

OP posts:
Only1scoop · 03/12/2013 23:00

Easter a Cultural festival Sad

Bromdad · 03/12/2013 23:02

The kids in the secondary school where I teach discovered that the super thin pages of a gideon bible make an excellent alternative to a rizla.

Original poster
BlingBang · 03/12/2013 23:02

Well isn't it? How many folk just celebrate Easter for the chocolate and the Easter bunny, it's often jus a fun day for the kids.

OP posts:
WooWooOwl · 03/12/2013 23:03

Being able to receive a gift and politely say thank you is not going to harm your child.

I'm sure it won't be the first unwanted gift your child has ever received, or the last, it's really not that big a deal.

My children have been given them, they both currently consider themselves to be atheists, and I remember getting one too. I'd be more than happy to be given a Koran, and I'd be happy for my children to receive one too.

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