To wonder how much longer school will do nativity plays?

[GreatestShowUnicorn]

As there is no biblical scripture to show Jesus was born at the time of the winter solstice. Surely it’s just teaching creationism or that the world is flat?

@Walkingdeadfangirl if you don’t want your children to take part I guess you can take them out of it and they can do other work while the nativity is going on?

I think people who aren’t religious respect our Christian heritage and that doing the nativity in schools is part of British tradition and as it is Christmas time it’s a nice way to celebrate it.

Shrove Tuesday is pancake day.

Do you celebrate Christmas?

@53rdWay agree, I think OP and @walkingdeadfangirl are taking it all a bit too seriously.

Walkingdeadfangirl

Why should my, tax payer funded, child's education suffer because a minority want to practise their religion/culture?

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Eh.. You do realise that your tax is also used to fund schools of other religions too don't you?

Are you going to have a tantrum about that as well?
Or do you expect every penny you are taxed should be redirected back towards teachings and beliefs that only you approve of?

Perhaps you ought to have a stab at being the first non religious cults where every penny spent is applicable only to the cults beliefs and teachings.

If you're not up for that then the only other option is to suck it up.

As well as holding church services and celebrating Christian festivals such as Christmas and Easter, those who run the churches do much for local communities and for many charities as do other religions. They give support to the homeless and provide food banks and are there to help others in times of need or a crisis. They offer emotional support, counselling and help through bereavement. They also perform baptisms, weddings and funerals. They are often the centre of other traditions and festivals in many areas. They bring many people together during times of mourning such as Remembrance Sunday. There is loads more they do. I think it will be sad when all this finally comes to an end.

It won't come to an end. Because the public won't allow it.
How else would the victims of atrocities such as the Manchester bombing mourn their loss?
It'll always be by way of peaceful expression through religious services which just so happen to be predominantly Christian.
And alot of the people that attend are most likely not religious, but try removing the option and I would be very surprised if the very same people didn't demand the services be reinstated.
Hypocritical? Not really. Non religious can appreciate the spectacle just the same.
Just like kids that don't believe but have to sit through a nativity.

How else would the victims of atrocities such as the Manchester bombing mourn their loss? It'll always be by way of peaceful expression through religious services

Earthmover

How else would the victims of atrocities such as the Manchester bombing mourn their loss?

Is that even a serious question?

And the "public won't allow it"

The percentage of marriages in church has been declining for decades, only 20% of couples now get married in church, with many rejecting the institution altogether and live together, have children as a stable couple.

So far from "not allowing" the decline in church function, it seems the public are embracing it, in fact steering the move away from church altogether.

I hope I'm wrong but I think it is possible that it will come to end. Congregation numbers in many churches are small and whereas in the past, one rector would provide ministry to one church, one rector is now having to provide ministry to multiple churches because the plate collections aren't enough to fund the cost of running a church and providing ministry. Many churches are closing. There are not enough children attending services and so over time existing congregations won't be replaced . So maybe in a couple of generations, it will possibly die out. Within the church of England anyway

If you wrote this about Islam you'd have it taken down by Mumsnet.

doing the nativity in schools is part of British tradition
But no Christian has yet explained why it isn't carried out in church, where it was traditionally performed, rather than in school where it is forced on people who don't agree with it? The only reason I can think of is to indoctrinate people when they are young and vulnerable.

I celebrate Xmas and tell my DC the stories of Santa, elves, flying reindeer etc, I celebrate Easter and tell my DC stories about the Easter bunny, I make pancakes on pancake day and teach my children to cook. There is no religious aspect to these holidays, but they are still magical, for me & everyone I know. I realise I have probably been self selecting with my friends, as I imagine Christian believers are.

You do realise that your tax is also used to fund schools of other religions too don't you? And the problem with that is that you are not allowed to have a secular or atheist school in England, the best you can hope for is the least forceful religious school. And because of the inbuilt Christian privilege in the system a lot of people are forced given no choice but to go to a C of E school.

Unfortunately the C of E school my DC were forced to go to was not very tolerant of others beliefs. Halloween was banned and my suggestion about May the 4th was ignored. Christianity was 'semi secretly' taught as fact and because it was integrated into other lessons I was not allowed to withdraw them. The nativity was just the cherry on the cake, and guess which favourites children where picked for that!

As for the comment about mourning the loss of the atrocities such as the Manchester bombing. FFS what an ignorant comment, do you think humanists, atheists, non/religious etc aren't able to mourn?

I just wonder that with the chipping away of our traditions and culture and religious festivals, the gradual disappearance of our churches, the decline in our town centres, pubs and social clubs closing down, libraries closing, families living far from each other, more people living on their own, that we are possibly over time going to find ourselves living in isolated and lonely circumstances with no real meaning to our lives. I hope I am wrong and that if things disappear that they are replaced with other meaningful and supportive things.

The only reason I can think of is to indoctrinate people when they are young and vulnerable.

So what's your explanation for the umpteen posts upthread by people saying "I'm an atheist/not religious/don't care but I'm happy with nativity plays in primary"? Undercover Christian special agents?

The only reason I can think of is to indoctrinate people when they are young and vulnerable.

Nativity plays are just a fun tradition that tells about the birth of Jesus. It is not some brainwashing exercise.

GirlsBlouse17

You think atheists have no meaning to their lives?

Do you mean to be so rude?

The only reason I can think of is to indoctrinate people when they are young and vulnerable.
I never get this conspiracy hysteria.
If a few churchy songs about his loving the world and a nativity play as a child was all that's required for mass mind control then churches would be full.

I'm very happy for you if you have but I think many people dont

It's not the Middle Ages

GirlsBlouse17

But why do you think christians do?

Such an arrogant stance.

You may have it all wrong and building this "meaning" on a piece of fluff..

The atheists on here who call religion a load of rubbish, and fairy tails etc are much more arrogant and rude. If you don't want nativity plays at schools then campaign against it or something. I hope it makes life so much better for you and your children. My point earlier was that there are many things that keep communities together that seem to be disappearing and many people don't see their lives as meaningful

Sadly I have been to a number of funerals over the last few years, and for the first time have been to funerals that were totally non religious with no religious celebrant in sight.

I have organised a humanist funeral (I am not a humanist, but it fitted the wishes of the deceased relative). It was beautifully done but the celebrant wanted to have a whole speech in there about how humanist ceremonies worked, with several lines about how much better/more sensible they were than their religious equivalents, which we as family said no to. Was a bit odd to be asking a humanist celebrant of all people to tone down the evangelising.

So what's your explanation for the umpteen posts upthread by people saying "I'm an atheist/not religious/don't care but I'm happy with nativity plays in primary"? Some people dont care, myself and many others do.

If a few churchy songs about his loving the world and a nativity play as a child was all that's required for mass mind control then churches would be full That doesn't stop it being offensive that religious people try. And I am sure it doesn't help the perception of teachers when parents have to tell their DC that the teachers are wrong/deluded or lying.

Perhaps you would care to sign the petition to End evangelism in schools ?

It's more than 'some people don't care' though, isn't it? It's clear from a lot of posts on this thread that many people who actively like nativity plays in schools aren't themselves religious. Which would suggest the plays are probably not staying because the minority of religious families want to stealthily convert others, but rather because a much bigger proportion of non-religious families like them, for whatever reason.

“I find it abhorrent when people are so derogatory about the Christian faith”

What is derogatory about saying that religion needs to lose it’s privileged position in British society and should become a private, not a public matter?

Maybe you should campaign for a referendum on this BertrandRussell. Be careful what you wish for though!