To want the Gideons to get the #### out of my child's school

[PatriarchyPersonified]

As I have made clear on threads on here in the past, I am an atheist (I'm actually a strong anti-theist) and I believe in the secularisation of society. (i.e religion can be there for people who want it but it should be irrelevant to anybodies day to day life unless they want to make it relevant.)

I believe that children should be taught about religions in school, as part of a comprehensive RE syllabus, and particularly about Christianity, as I believe from a cultural and historical perspective, it is impossible to fully understand the history and culture of the UK without reference to the bible. I would feel the same way about the Qu'ran if I lived in an Arab country btw.

What I am not happy about is that my oldest DC (12) has just had the bloody Gideon Society hosting an assembly in their school and dishing out Bibles! School is not the place for this. There is a reason why religious groups always target schools and prisons, its where the easy targets are.

the object of the excercise isn't to give them a higher education level overview of comparitive religion. It's to make them aware of the beliefs and practices of their fellow citizens.

I think ideas about which religion is the 'default' or 'best' one are sown very early and very young. One religious bunch coming to school and giving away books, while others don't, could quite easily bias children.

I don't disagree with you about political bias.

*I am kind of wondering what people feel is so dangerous about the teachings of Christ, which was basically to love your fellow man whatever their religion or race.

It's not dangerous, it's not real. It annoys me that teachers are using a position of power to teach children something that is not necessary as part of their education and clearly made up bollocks*

In your opinion it is not real.In a believers opinion it clearly is real.But even it it isn't- how is telling someone to love their fellow man in any way a bad message.
I am an agnostic- I ido not know one way or the other.i do know that there is no doubt that Jesus (as a man at least existed).I do think it is pretty remarkable that someone of peasant birth, who never travelled far, could neither read nor write and preached something as basic and wholesome as love, kindness and acceptance is still inspring millions of followers all over the world today.Perhaps that is in itself a miracle?

The law requires a daily act of collective Christian worship

From which you are fully at liberty to withdraw your child.

My DD has no sort of daily Christian worship at school. They have assemblies in which they talk about various issues. Then at the end they have “a moment of quiet” where those who want to pray can and those that don’t, spend the time thinking.

If I knew the Gideon-tribe were coming in she would not be participating in that assembly

But even it it isn't- how is telling someone to love their fellow man in any way a bad message

That isn’t a solely Christian message.

The problem is that a huge percentage (can't remember if its a half or a third) of state schools in England were bequested to the public sector on the express condition that they retain their religious character.The task of finding land and funds to rebuild a fraction of this number would bankrupt the country.So separation of religion and education is a non-starter on purely financial grounds

Totally agree, OP.

I am kind of wondering what people feel is so dangerous about the teachings of Christ

For some of us the worry isn't so much the teachings of Christ, but those of contemporary church leaders

Faith and organised religion are not the same thing

I would have absolutely no issue with prominent athiest thought and thinkers being taught.

I'm not hugely terrified with biases children pick up vis a vis religion, or culture for that matter. We are all going to pick up cultural biases (of which religion is but one facet) and in fact that is essential to building strong communities.

I know it is popular and in vogue to blame religion for a lot of the world's ills, but ideology has a far far bigger death toll in the 20th century than religion does.

My Gideon bible is 39 years old however I can't remember anything about the assembly and I've never read it either.

Surely your child will make their own mind up about religion as they get older.

Roffle at beliefs of atheists.

ESP at teaching their children about Santa, the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy.

Surely your child will make their own mind up about religion as they get older

Surly by that logic you would be happy with pro drug groups giving assemblies in school and handing out books on the joy of cannabis. Or anti abortion groups giving out books on the evils of abortion. Or Political parties, homeopathy practitioners, pacifists, Scientologists, modelling agencies ... or any other random group.

after all your child will make their own mind up as they get older.

*Roffle at beliefs of atheists.

ESP at teaching their children about Santa, the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy*

What? Teaching your children to be good because of imaginary beings? Now WHERE have I heard that.

I’m quite fond of Easter and Yule; with their origins in pagan beliefs.

My school has said no to the Gideon assemblies for the last couple of years and the new GCSE specs contain Humanist/atheist views. The Humanist society went to court to ensure it was included.

We also had SPUC asking to come in and said no to them too - but that's a whole other topic.

5PlusMeandHim

In your opinion it is not true

Yes but my opinion is supported by science and evidence. The religious opinion is supported by.... What exactly?

5plus

I'm also sorry to tell you this, but you are an atheist.

Being agnostic means you don't know there is no God or Gods.

Being an Atheist means you don't believe in God or Gods.

You are like most of us, an Agnostic Atheist.

The thing is op, by saying no religious material should be given to children, I gather that might be copies of the Koran, Torah, or other materials. You are imposing your views on others, and not giving others the choice, as not everyone parent will agree with you.

Aeroflotgirl*

I haven't said that. I'm quite happy for my child to have access to the Bible, the Quran or any other book in RE. I have copies of the Bible at home.

I'm objecting to the students being given religious material (any religious material) in an attempt to convert them. I'm also objecting to religious groups being allowed to run assemblies in schools where they talk about their specific beliefs as fact.

Aeroflotgirl

And parents do have a choice. They can expose their children to any superstitions they like in their own time.

Religious opinion is supported by faith. I would have thought that was obvious?

Yabu, we have had many assemblies from all different faiths talking about stories from their holy books and what they believe. They don’t tell the children it’s what they should believe.
What an over reaction

“Yabu, we have had many assemblies from all different faiths talking about stories from their holy books and what they believe“

FYI- most schools don’t do this.

CritEqual

Religious opinion is supported by faith

So not actual evidence then? Which is the standard we demand from everything else in the entire world.

A large number of religious people have the opinion (backed by faith) that the earth is 6000 years old and every animal on the planet is descended from those that were put inside a giant boat to save them from a huge flood.

Shall we teach that to children as fact as well?

I'm a deist and an totally anti organised religion. I think religion causes more problems than it solves.

I heard a good religious joke the other day, Jews recognise God but don't recognise Jesus as the Messiah, Muslims recognise God, But don't recognise Jesus as the son of God, Evangelical Christians recognise God but don't recognise each other in step clubs

Strip clubs,I hate being censored by auto correct