To think schools shouldn't teach religion as absolute fact?

[PoesyCherish]

DSD is 6 and is learning about Christianity in school. They're teaching her Jesus is the Son of God rather than "some people believe he is". Everything about the religion is taught as fact. They've also failed to mention anything about any other religion.

AIBU to think they shouldn't be teaching it as absolute fact? How are children supposed to be understanding and tolerant of other people's beliefs if they're taught one world view as fact?

Prefix

Why, exactly, do you not want your children to have the freedom to make up their own minds? Is it because you know they'll laugh at your stories of burning bushes, talking snakes and petty gods who sacrifice themselves to themselves for no sensible reason?

exactly!

Atheist doesn’t have the prefix ‘ae’

It’s atheist
Like asexual

CantankerousCamel

Or a-nal.

What I find horrible about this thread is the readiness of so many posters to send their children to schools that are founded on beliefs that they not only don't share, but are actively prepared to denigrate. It's disgusting.

‘Readiness’

We don’t have a CHOICE. That’s what the thread is about.

What I find horrible about this thread is the readiness of so many posters to send their children to schools that are founded on beliefs that they not only don't share, but are actively prepared to denigrate. It's disgusting

What is disgusting is that people are allocated faith schools when they don’t want them.

Religion is all about belief. Why doesn't anyone seem to understand this? If you send your child to a religious school then yes they will be taught the beliefs pertaining to that religion. How can that come as a surprise to you?

CantankerousCamel

You have a choice not to be an arsehole when utilising services designed for people whose beliefs you don't share.

How aren't CofE faith schools? My own experience of working in one is prayers twice a day, vicar chair of governors, crosses in classrooms, Christianity taught as fact etc. Some may be more secular but some have church attendance as main criteria and will fill from other areas rather than take local non-churchgoers.

JacquesHammer

I agree with that. It doesn't mean it is okay to sit there insulting the faith of a group of people whilst using their facilities. Some would call that rude.

It doesn't mean it is okay to sit there insulting the faith of a group of people whilst using their facilities

Indeed. Like posters insulting atheists?

catherine a faith school is funded by the church.

All CofE schools in this country are government funded state schools.

JacquesHammer

I have not insulted atheists.

pen
The GOVERNMENT FUNDED state schools of which I am in catchment are there for ME and every other child in that catchment. They are not ‘designed’ for Christians.

I have not insulted atheists

And I haven’t insulted people’s faith

Nor, as far as I am aware, are there schools built and owned by groups of atheists.

JacquesHammer

Then my comment wasn't directed at you. I'm not sure of the relevance of yours to mine.

It’s really hard to insult atheists when you can’t spell atheist. I’ll give you that Pen

However belligerently Insisting we are choosing to send our children to schools against our beliefs despite us endlessly telling you it’s not a choice, is absolutely insulting.

Your problem is with the government, not with me.

Indeed. That’s why lobbying them, not you. I’m just pointing out to you that you enjoy privileges in accessing state services based on your faith.

Again, not my responsibility.

That ethos of service is coming along nicely.

Catholic schools were not historically within the purview of state education.

Nobody has been disadvantaged, only helped, by these schools (notwithstanding the many issues regarding discipline, abuse, etc, which are horrifying but nothing to do with this).

I have pointed out to you the many ways that their presence in the state sector, and especially their ability to select on faith, does disadvantage people who aren’t of that faith. I include all faith schools in this.

This situation and its history does not give people the right to demand access to faith schools irrespective of faith.

It does, actually. The quid pro quo for taking the state’s money is that the school is required to educate all comers if the school is not oversubscribed.

These schools were built for a purpose and are fulfilling that purpose.

And without state funding over the last 70 years wild either have crumbled or cost their churches a fortune. They have chosen to be part of the state sector.

Speak to your MP if you feel a new school needs to be built to meet your needs.
I have explained to you why the presence of faith schools in my area makes that vanishingly unlikely to happen. I think your faith in individual MPs is touching, though.

By the way, I went along as a helper when the school my DD goes to visited the local church (they also visit the mosque). I had to write to the school afterwards as when we visited the church the priest was telling the children that it is not too late to find God and they can still go to heaven if they find God! They were 7! Outrageous behaviour by the priest.

I'm not sure of the relevance of yours to mine

Oh come on.

Much as I agree that criticism of faith isn’t on, neither is criticism of atheism.

Pen

Again. The church do not fund or build schools.

Atheist is not ‘a faith’ or a group.

I don’t believe in the tooth fairy

I’m sure you don’t either

That doesn’t make us part of the same faith. Quite the opposite

Some parents don't always get the choice though. My dp's ex wife moved away to her parents which is 50 miles away when their ds was 2.

She's not religious and my dp is very anti (all) religions. When it came to applying for a school place she choose a CoE school, which my dp was angry about. The CoE school was around the corner whereas the regular state school was a mile away so his ex, despite my dp's wishes, sent him to the religious school (there's a whole back story of her being spiteful and controlling.)

So he has to endure his son coming to him talking about god and Jesus as though it is fact. My dp can hardly say "no he's not real" because how confusing would that be to a 7 year old! So he just listens, says that's what Christians believes and leaves it at that at the moment.

It's very dangerous to teach children this stuff as fact. I understand teaching the story as long as it's on the understanding that it's what Christians believe not what is a fact. I imagine that's a massive head fuck when you're older and come to the realisation that it's not fact, it's certain people's beliefs.