To get annoyed when dd(6) learns about Christianity?

[MooPointCowsOpinion]

She is at a non-religious, normal state primary. She is the type of kid who remembers everything she's told and parrots it back, so I hear about her entire day every day at school. Almost every day she tells me they sang this song about Jesus, learnt that story about Jesus, learnt this lesson about Christianity. Every assembly they sing a Christian song.

I am an atheist. I don't want her to learn just about Christianity, all religions are important in a 'this is what some people believe' kind of way but I feel like they're indoctrinating her into Christianity by pushing it so much. I try to counter it by teaching her other religious beliefs and telling her my beliefs, but I know the steady drip drip of information could plant a seed that could lead to what I would consider radicalisation.

I've brought it up with her teacher, she's sympathetic and has given us the option to opt-out but I'd hate for her to feel singled out and to miss important things in assemblies.

Does/did it bother you? AIBU to be annoyed?

Ollieplimsoles I would argue that having faith can increase one's intellectual curiosity in the bible stories - one works out what is muddled history, which are more about ideas or concepts than facts, where meaning might have been changed in translation. It a constant questioning, a constant striving for better comprehension. The bible is very, very far from a literal text to be taken at face value.

My kids go to a very c of e school but seems to do the opposite of 'radicalising ' the kids as most kids when stating their religion seem to say 'atheist' by year 4 !? Including my oldest who was also taken to church far more frequently than her younger siblings who Still believe. Personally I think it's good for the positive 'stories' - Good Samaritan etc and for making death less scary and final and brings about a lot of interesting questions .

I would say there is always a gap in human or scientific explanation of the universe in those gaps God can exist.

Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnett is an example of a physicist whose also a Christian.

Christmas is a uniquely Christian celebration - its in the name.
Of course the term 'christmas' can be seen as a Christian celebration. They named it. However, if you look closely at religious history you will find a lot of celebrations are based on the timing/celebrations of previous ppl who held different faith, partly to make it easier (or more palatable) to convert them.

My child objected strongly to the story of Noah's Ark.

I would say there is always a gap in human or scientific explanation of the universe in those gaps God can exist.

The problem with that is every time parts of those gaps get filled in due to the expansion of human or scientific explanation, the size and scope of God is diminished.

As a non-believer I wouldn't mind so much about RE in school if they also taught children about humanism and atheism.

Christmas is achristian, and only incorporates some of the older traditions.

Other mid-winter festivals - such as Yule - could be celebrated by those who don't want the Feast Of Christ's Mass

My child objected strongly to the story of Noah's Ark.

It was Adam & Eve vs Evolution for me. No first humans, therefore no original sin, therefore no need to atonement, therefore whoever died on the Cross it was not for my sins and therefore brought the whole edifice crashing down.

Ollieplimsoles most of the Old Testament is very, very dark! But therefore potentially interesting for children to eventually discover that, no? I don't know how I feel about the softened versions - I guess it's a bit like maths, or science, or history - all of it becomes more complex, more interesting as one gets older and finds out more. But in terms of Christian values, they come from the New Testament. I'm hoping that no school is teaching 'be like Noah.' But I suppose you have to know the back stories (and many of them have some historical fact to them - including the great flood) to be able to see the difference when you get to the New Testament - and then you can see it's impact on history, politics, social anthropology etc. And some might find faith, and others not.

Noahs ark and vegetarianism contributed to me not going to church anymore at 13

By the way Easter and Christmas were non Christian holidays once
Well, no, there were non-Christian festivals which took place at the time at which Christmas and Easter now take place. Christmas and Easter have always been Christian holidays.

Oh come on! They basically took everything from those festivals and called it "Christmas" and "Easter". Didn't the pagan "easter" even sound pretty much the same? Eggs? Oh yeah we just happen to use those eggs to symbolise the stone that was rolled away from Jesus tomb . Tripe. Celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day if you want to, but don't try to claim it has any bearing on the day he was actually born because it doesn't. They've all just been shoehorned in to what was already culturally done anyway.

I dont think thats what she was saying hamiltoes

Yabvvu, even though yiur an atheist, your child has to know about the various religions. You can't keep him in the dark, if yiu don't like it, than yiur daughter can opt out. You don't get to dictate the curriculum.

Just tell them that it is all a made of story. Like Father Christmas but for adults.

made UP story

Scottishdiem: The universe is infinite and expanding , man!

I would say there is always a gap in human or scientific explanation of the universe in those gaps God can exist.

That is a logical fallacy called god of the gaps- its not appropriate to fill in the gaps that are still in our understanding with 'godidit', because that can make us ok with accepting we don't know certain things, instead of inventing new ways to research things.

puffy interesting, and I have to agree a lot can be learned from the bible, but how to you get passed the cherry picking done by the different factions of christians? I know CofE is generally more accepting, has accepted evolution, and even homosexuality. But there are christians practising who reject these things based on the bible, and will argue that your path to god is ineffective because you don't believe their version of events.

I just find it hard to come to terms with how easily it can be manipulated to fit a certain viewpoint.

I slightly agree with this, but that's a very broad description of Christianity. There are many factions to Christianity, and not all of them are very nice.
There are factions of any belief system (or non belief system) that can be unpleasant.
I dislike radical evangelical beliefs, I dislike Islamic extremist beliefs and I equally dislike extreme anti-religion beliefs. It is perfectly possible to be atheist and respect others beliefs without ridiculing them and being rude like some posters have on this thread. That kind of 'religion is bollocks and I'm superior because I have truth' is no different to 'my reading of 'insert holy book' is the truth and im superior to you because i am right'.
It is perfectly possible to have any faith or none and be entirely tolerant of others.

It's ok Ollie you don't need to convert me i am already an atheist.😉

Your logical fallacy doesn't actually provide anything for me by the way because i don't think whatever the physicists are looking for would ever explain more than physics anyway.

I'm not a philosopher so i cant explain well.

Edmund just because something hasn't been proved doesn't make the opposite "fact". You don't believe there is a God. That is an opinion. It is not a fact there is no God.

It's the idea of heaven (and hell) that kills it for me. It's built up around the idealism that if you're 'good' (which is an extremely broad and complex term in religion), you'll live happily ever after.

Except for who really wants to live with one mind forever? It's based on the fear of 'losing yourself' after death, this selfish need to want to keep existing beyond the physical realm. Eternal bliss - except it's not. A person is more than just happy feelings. You need a whole range of emotions to be human, this idea if you follow the idealisms of religion, you become a floating human Valium doesn't wash with me.

That and the other stuff that makes zero sense (creationism, Noah's ark, Tower of Babel, plagues of Egypt and absolutely everything that has no historical backing what so ever).

My issue with it taught in school, with lines such as 'love thy neighbour' and 'treat others as you would be treated', is that it's basic stuff. You don't need the undertones of religion to push the message of treating others kindly. We don't use stories from 'dead religions' to make a point, why do we still have to use Jesus as an example. It's not radicalisation, but it does have indoctrination undertones to it when presented as fact (or not made clear it is a story from ancient history).

It's less that 'there's no harm' and more a case that 'there's no need' to have religion in assemblies or any school event other than unbiased, educational lessons.

What MaisyPops said..

Wow. A lot of paranoid people here!

Completely agree, do you all think that you can completely control everything that goes in your children's ears? They are going to be told all sorts of nonsense throughout their school years. They are far more likely to believe what you believe at home.

Mine have managed to go through school and come out the other side as atheists. In fact I feel a bit guilty for influencing them. children are quite capable of making their own minds up if they are taught to be critical and question.

What are you all afraid of!! I would be more worried if mine had not come across anything challenging.

It bothers me too

I am happy for ds to learn about religions but not for religion to have influence

I'm all for secular schooling