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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:
SomethingkindaOod · 04/12/2013 09:40

That would be great crescentmoon thanks. It really is just to educate myself and it would be handy to have something to help the DC's with RS at school if it's needed.
I can't stand seeing any books mistreated so I was pretty shocked when DS told me what his classmates did.

sandfrog · 04/12/2013 09:43

TBH I would be more alarmed if people were going into schools saying it's alright to destroy books you don't agree with.

Yes, I agree.

SomethingkindaOod · 04/12/2013 09:47

I do think though that it would be better to give the children a choice of whether they want to receive one or not rather than telling them they have to take one. If nothing else it could teach them to refuse something politely.
On the other hand I would imagine that some parents would then be upset with their children if they chose to take one to look at.

SilverApples · 04/12/2013 09:54

It would never occur to me that copies of the Qu'ran would be given out randomly in schools.
I worked in a school where all the children were Muslim, and they were all very clear that you treated the book with respect, had to wash your hands before touching it, that it was either on a bookstand or a cloth when read, and that for all of them, if they had a copy in their home it had to be the physically highest book in the house.
Granted that they were a very traditional community, but I've never met a Muslim that would be happy with their holy text being treated with the same casual attitude as the Bible.

curlew · 04/12/2013 09:56

"TBH I would be more alarmed if people were going into schools saying it's alright to destroy books you don't agree with"

I agree. But it's not one or the other, is it?

TeamJavert · 04/12/2013 10:00

MissMarple.i went to a Catholic school,and I can assure you that I received a Gideon bible while there. It wasn't given out by a member of staff,but by a member of The Gideons while staff were present.

curlew · 04/12/2013 10:07

TeamJavert- how very odd. I wonder how that slipped through?

Floggingmolly · 04/12/2013 10:09

Just say no thanks Hmm. It's perfectly simple, no need for soap box ranting, ffs

MrsMook · 04/12/2013 10:11

We were given Gideon Bibles at school. They were used for RE homework a few times as the teachers knew we'd each been given a copy.

You're not likely to be given copies of many other holy texts from other religions as their values on revering them and treating them in a certain way are much higher. Most pupils would struggle with Hebrew or Arabic because of the beliefs about translation altering meanings.

Being given a small book doesn't mean that anyone's being converted. It is useful for reference for study or culture. You don't have to believe what's in it.

Saying thank you is just politeness at being given anything. You'd expect them to say thank you for a Christmas present from a relative regardless of how welcome the item really is.

sonlypuppyfat · 04/12/2013 10:17

Gideons have always done this you will find them in hotels as well if you don't want one say no thank you why make an issue of it. Jesus is a gentleman he won't push himself on you if you don't want him too.

curlew · 04/12/2013 10:19

Isn't it weird that the slightest questioning of the position of Christiantity in society brings out accusations of "soap box ranting"?

"My child was given a New Testament at school today by an outside religious organisation- just checking, is that normal practice in non faith state schools?"

"Oh, ffs, you book burner, he's not going to get converted by touching it, and don't be so bloody rude, of course you should say thank you for a gift"

sadsometimes · 04/12/2013 10:19

dd3 was given a bible at school and was delighted with it, it was a children's one and for a while she was obsessed with reading the stories, some of them are great, a rollicking good read. Any books are good IMO.

sadsometimes · 04/12/2013 10:21

The Gideons didnt give our bibles, it is a c of e state primary with close links to the church

bleedingheart · 04/12/2013 10:22

Year 7 children will take the book, put it in their bag and either forget about it or have a little flick through it in their own time.

I'm an atheist. I remember getting my New Testament from the Gideons in school. I kept it for reference/homework purposes. Some of the stories are interesting. Other children left theirs in their drawer all year, most did the same as me.

My DS is a believer at present, I support him in that and explain that different people believe different things. It's good to learn about all religions because of the cultural references and increased understanding.

I cannot for the life of me remember one classmate who became born again because they received a little book in assembly one day.

flaquark · 04/12/2013 10:23

We got given gideons in school (normal state school)
They were given out at registration, I never got one though, the teacher 'skipped' you if she knew you had an actual 'othe'r faith (but if you didnt have one at all you had to take it, it wasnt optional at all)

I got given a bible by one of my A level teachers when we left. Everyone in the class got one (he was very religious) he asked if he knew you had another religion but he had bought them and every one of them had a individual message written in them, no one said they didnt want one. I still have it. It was more a gift from a teacher that we all really liked

redexpat · 04/12/2013 10:23

Do people really not realise that we do not have the separation of Church and State in the UK? There are no secular schools. So yes, Christian groups CAN come in and distribute material.

And yes they are very useful for English Literature.

Snowbility · 04/12/2013 10:26

I went to a catholic school, we came into the class one day and it was sitting on our desks, no idea who put them there.

bleedingheart · 04/12/2013 10:27

That's a bit disingenuous Curlew as there were plenty of OTT reactions here, not from the OP but from others. She wasn't rounded on with accusations of book burning.

flaquark · 04/12/2013 10:28

@redexpat
True
However there is no established church in Scotland or Wales or N.Ireland so they do have seperation of church and state
My DH still got a gideon in school

redshifter · 04/12/2013 10:34

i went to a Catholic school,and I can assure you that I received a Gideon bible while there

So did I. More than once.

shil0846 · 04/12/2013 10:36

I'm not convinced that a child of 10 / 11 is not simply parroting his parent's beliefs when he says he doesn't believe in God. Does he even know what it is he doesn't believe in - I'm guessing not if there are no religious books in your house.

I'm uncomfortable with parents imposing their religion / atheism on their children. He'll now be starting religious studies classes at school, why not encourage him to take the Bible for now and allow him to make an informed decision when he's old enough?

ABitterPIL · 04/12/2013 11:07

I am fairly dismissive of organised religion. I still think being given ANY religious book should be seen as a good thing. Someone is sharing part of their identity. Something incredibly important to them. Sharing information and understanding is a beautiful thing to do. But only if there are no conditions attached to it and people/ children arent told they will go to hell or whatever if they dont believe the same things in the same way. Just a "here is a book of what I believe" is more than acceptable. "Here is a book of what ypu have to believe" I would rage against.

So yes l, if given in good will and understanding, I think it should be greatfully accepted and respected, as we shoud accept and respect people of all or no faith.

On another note. As I understand it it would be difficult to hand out copies of the Quran as thwre are rules about how the book should be kept. I imagine seeing a bin full of them would be unimaginably offensive.

redshifter · 04/12/2013 11:12

Does he even know what it is he doesn't believe in

Illogical arguement. My son doesn't believe in the Norse or Roman gods. He knows nothing about them. He doesn't have to. Should I teach him about every nonsense religious belief or mistaken scientific beliefs of the past just so he knows what he doesn't believe in? Ridiculous.

I don't know anything about Hinduism, I still don't believe in though. I don't have to.

SomethingkindaOod · 04/12/2013 11:14

shil I agree. I'm Pagan but grew up going to church every week. DS did decide on his own but I have an interest in religion in general so he could ask me questions and made up his own mind. Having a vicar as a family friend also helped I think!
Children are influenced by their parents, I went to church because my parents did and believed because they did for a long time until I was mature enough to make my own decision. DS has not become Pagan, he's interested in it in a detached way (he also likes to tell his friends his Mother is a witch Hmm) just as he is with Christianity.

SilverApples · 04/12/2013 11:19

It would have been easy enough for the school to have put up a box, where children who had been given a Bible and didn't want one could have returned it though.
'The Bible is free. If you don't want to take it home, put it in this box. Don't bin it, that is disrespectful and wasteful. The books will be reused elsewhere.'