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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Bible from school

409 replies

user7755 · 14/12/2015 17:51

DS goes to a standard secondary (not a religious school), he came home last week with a bible.

I remember we got them when we were kids but I had forgotten thought we had moved on since then

DS doesn't believe in God, his choice and nothing to do with us. But I'm just really shocked and irritated at this act, presumably an attempt to spread the word and indoctrinate kids into organised religion.

I am very, very anti organised religion right now, following a historical abuse case involving our family which has just been through the court and involved a vicar, so very aware that I'm probably oversensitive.

Is it me? AIBU?

OP posts:
fidel1ne · 15/12/2015 01:17

Of course it's normalised. The C of E is the established church of the UK. That may or not be a desirable state of affairs, but it's a constitutional one. It's not surprising or sinister that Christianity is 'privileged' in a Christian Monarchy, it's inevitable.

DioneTheDiabolist · 15/12/2015 01:40

I've had a look and the only studies I can find on believing scientists vary from around 35%-50%. I can't one that gives a 5% figure.

RogerScrutonRocks · 15/12/2015 02:06

Shock! Horror! Bibles given out at school in Christian country!

MyFriendsCallMeOh · 15/12/2015 02:18

YABU. It's only a book, it's been around for years and no-one is forcing anyone to read it. Furthermore, if you do read it, you don't have to believe it. I've read Harry Potter and it hasn't indoctrinated me to think there are people flying around on broomsticks.

Green18 · 15/12/2015 07:47

I wish you all a happy and holy Christmas! God bless.

myotherusernameisbetter · 15/12/2015 08:09

See, it's stuff like that that gets on folks tits. It's entirely inappropriate for the thread and is arrogant and inflammatory. However from your pov I guess you'll just claim that you are genuinely wishing people well. I'm not buying it.

LurkingHusband · 15/12/2015 08:24

Treat it like a bumper book of fairy stories ? Put it on the shelves with Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson ? And Greek and Roman stories ?

Mistigri · 15/12/2015 08:31

I don't think there is any real "danger" in giving a secondary school student a religious book (though I do wonder if this thread would have had a different outcome if he'd been given a different religious book ...).

The more pertinent question is who funded this, and why, and do they have any business being involved in disseminating material to secondary school students.

Flashbangandgone · 15/12/2015 08:38

I am sick and tired of Christianity or any religion being pushed down my childrens' throats

😕. Bit of an over-reaction... Being given a book is hardly having something rammed down your throat...

originalmavis · 15/12/2015 08:57

Possibly because it is constantly rammed down our throats, because it is the root of most conflict in the world and it continues to occupy a place in society that it doesn't deserve

Ummm, Stalin, Mao... Just for starters. Not forgetting oil, land, other natural resources, slavery, money (the love of being the foot of all evil)...

It's not religion that sucks, just men in power... And we don't see any ramming these days. It's not like the old days when there would be much gossip and rumour if someone didn't go to church.

BertrandRussell · 15/12/2015 09:36

Can I just ask the Christians on this thread- do you think a) that Christianity has a privileged position in British society and if you do, do you think it is a good thing or a bad thing or b) do you think Christianity does not have a privileged etc etc......

Champagneformyrealfriends · 15/12/2015 09:39

I am very interested in religion. I am an atheist. I've read quite a lot of the bible. Still an atheist. It's just a book-it's not going to recruit him!

DioneTheDiabolist · 15/12/2015 09:43

Sound like an interesting question Bert, why don't you start a thread on it?

Dipankrispaneven · 15/12/2015 09:44

It's amazing how quick people are to slate Christianity. The same people wouldn't dare to voice such derogatory remarks about Islam or Judaism

Really? Tell you what, thebestfurchinchilla, try donating a load of Korans to your local school for distribution to all the children and stand back for the reaction of Mail and Express commenters. I think you'll discover there is no reluctance to express derogatory remarks whatsoever.

Original poster
user7755 · 15/12/2015 10:06

Somewhat naively I didn't expect this level of response. Can I just say again that I don't think he is suddenly going to be convinced that God is real, and even if he does, it wouldn't bother me at all.

My issue is the presumption that it's OK that people can go into schools and spread the word by sharing bibles. I get that people are saying that he didn't have to take it, but I think that is a bit naive, surely my son isn't the only kid who just does what he's told at school without actually processing what it is or why he has been asked to do it? Then there are the people who may not want it but feel unable to say no for whatever reason.

I don't have anything against any religion, what I take issue with is the people who hide behind it to do terrible things and an institution which colludes with this but is then being promoted widely because 'we are a Christian country'. That doesn't mean that I don't agree with the 10 commandments, or don't want to live here because I disagree with the laws, most of them come down to treating people the way you want to be treated which is my motto in life and is reflected in a number of other faiths.

I understand that this is ostensibly a Christian country and perhaps that's what I disagree with. I thought we had moved on, to become much more of a cultural mosaic, so to come back to a non faith school spreading the word this seems quite old fashioned to me.

I do agree with Dipan, about the Koran though.

OP posts:
EastMidsMummy · 15/12/2015 10:53

We got given Gideon bibles at school. I tried to burn mine in a Chemistry lesson when the teacher wasn't looking. I put it in the heart of a Bunsen burner AND IT WAS BARELY SCORCHED! (Proof of divine intervention or inevitable reaction to lots of thin pages wedged together? You decide.)

And then later that day I was struck three times by lightning.

myotherusernameisbetter · 15/12/2015 11:51

EastMids that did make me laugh :o Although I am definitely not in the book burning camp.

Sallyingforth · 15/12/2015 11:56

Like it or not, religion plays such a huge part in the world today, just as it has always done.
So its as well for us to understand something about the various teachings and books that guide billions of peoples' lives, even if we don't agree with them ourselves.

OldBeanbagz · 15/12/2015 12:03

At least it was school he got it from. One of my DCs was given a bible by a school friend. Presumably he hadn't noticed we're a family of agnostics!

Personally i wouldn't throw any book away. Better to pass it on to a charity shop. Or you could put it in the bedside drawer in your guest room and pretend you're running a hotel Grin

knobblyknee · 15/12/2015 12:11

No, IMHO. How do the Gideons still get access to schools in this day and age? Its no more relevant than allowing the Vegan Society to indoctrinate them.

Original poster
user7755 · 15/12/2015 12:23

EastMidsMummy - you have won the thread!

OP posts:
fidel1ne · 15/12/2015 12:27

surely my son isn't the only kid who just does what he's told at school without actually processing what it is or why he has been asked to do it? Then there are the people who may not want it but feel unable to say no for whatever reason.

You've told us that he's highly opinionated about religion though, so he could have done the perfectly normal thing and ditched his copy if he was offended. I guarantee you are thinking about this far more deeply than most (any?) of the students are.

There is a wider issue about special interest groups being given access to the student body, but I can't find it in me to single out the Gideons for particular concern.

LarrytheCucumber · 15/12/2015 12:35

If it is a Gideon Bible then it is standard to give them out in Secondary schools, usually a New Testament and Psalms. I've still got mine somewhere (it would be over 50 years old). The Bible is an important part of our history and if your son doesn't want to believe it is still interesting to see how much influence it had on our culture in the past.
fidel1ne I don't think they have much contact with individual students, they just do an assembly, hand out the books and go.

MetalMidget · 15/12/2015 12:37

I don't think you're being hugely unreasonable, tbh - if they're handing out Bibles, they should also hand out copies of the Torah, the Qu'ran, the Vedas, the Sutras, etc. If it's the Gideons coming in and chatting to the kids, I hope they give equal time to other faith groups, and also let the parents know (so they can discuss it with their kids).

That said, I became atheist as a child after repeated exposure to evangelists and the Bible. So, gays are bad, evolution is a lie, rape and forced marriage is ok, killing babies is righteous, women are subservient to men, and when I have a period I have to burn a couple of pigeons? Nah, I'll pass, thanks!

I wouldn't throw the book out though, at least recycle it or donate it to charity.

Original poster
user7755 · 15/12/2015 12:38

You are absolutely right that I'm thinking about it more than him, he didn't even realise that it was a bible, just took that and the booklet about puberty when it was thrust at him and shoved it in his bag! I've definitely got more perspective since reading the replies on here so not pissed off about it any more, but I do still disagree with a group with an agenda being given free rein to share their publicity / reading materials / whatever you want to call it with kids, particularly when other groups aren't afforded the same opportunities. (although that doesn't mean that I want to open the floodgates!)

I have never experienced any other special interest group coming into schools I don't think. Police etc giving safety talks and someone went in from the paralympics basketball team to talk about disability sports but I genuinely can't think of any others.

OP posts: