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?

It's a Christmassy story.

I watched Corrie last night and there was a very good nativity play at the local school (with some drama!), it was fun and sweet. There was no hard sell religion.

My dd (7) attends the same catholic primary that I went to (I'm 40) and her nativity was at the parish church this week. Juniors only.
Infants play is in the school hall.

The same songs that I sang as a child were in dd's play and it was lovely.
"Little donkey" and "we three kings" were the ones I remembered.

I can't see catholic schools in particular stopping doing this. It's a very important date in our school calendar and the parents who have sent our children there do what we can to help and support this.

DGRossetti, you think the Countries that are now Muslim have always been Muslim?

You haven't come across any Muslims forcing beliefs or way of life on anyone?

Which planet do you live on, Btw?

Bartholin you are very rude and narrow minded.

Faith schools teach it as the truth. Other schools do not.

My kids' school never did a nativity play - and it's about ten years since they were in primary school. We live in a very multi-faith, multi-ethnic community. They always did some sort of play/performance at Christmas time, though.

DGRossetti, you think the Countries that are now Muslim have always been Muslim?

They may have been. They may not have been. But the OP was talking about this country. As was I.

You haven't come across any Muslims forcing beliefs or way of life on anyone?

I refer you to my previous comment. Not in the UK I haven't

Which planet do you live on, Btw?

Same as you. Same as us all - so it's nice to share.

Schools teach & present lots of stories. Ashanti, Finn the Giant, fairy tales. Schools love a bit of fiction.

Bartholin, of course you do.

Oh fgs. I'm a massive atheist but Christmas is a cultural tradition in the country I grew up in. It is perfectly normal for these kinds of traditions to outlast majority belief in an actual religion itself. The majority of people in Britain who celebrate Christmas are not religious. Besides, everybody with any sense knows that there has never been any real basis for claiming Jesus was born on the 25th December.

How on earth can you equate nativity plays with creationism and flat earthism?

The schools around you really don't teach it as fact OP.
Not even my local Catholic church does. In Italy.

People who claim not to understand why it's 'ok to bash Christianity but not Islam etc'. Do you really not understand? It's because being anti-Muslim is often just thinly-veiled racism from people who actually know bugger all about Islam. Whereas people who have grown up in a country where Christianity still pervades institutions, when few people actually believe in it any more, have a much more legitimate reason to be angrily anti.

Our state primary school celebrates the nativity just as they celebrate Diwali - as different belief systems. Everyone enters into the spirit, hears the different stories and learns about the traditional food, music etc.

Neither are taught as “truth”. That’s left the the local private boarding school which has just been hauled over the coals for teaching their own proprietary version of creationism.

I don't practise a religion but it MN's attitude to religions puzzles me. I once asked why it was OK to have as a thread title Oh my fucking Gxd (without the X, God spelled out) but not Oh my fucking [INSERT OTHER DEITY].

Nobody could tell me. The best answer was that it was 'acceptable' for Christians to have their deity used in this way. But not for other religions.

MN messaged me in response to my asking them and said that they don't delete 'for blasphemy' but I think they meant for Christian blasphemy.

It’s just a story.

I do t see it as any different from any other fictional school play.

If a school was telling them that any biblical stories are facts I’d withdrew my DC.

I suspect if there had been a history of Jews, Hindus or Muslims forcing their beliefs on all and sundry throughout the past 1,000+ years (with some horrific consequences)...

Are you aware that the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions that are now Muslim were once Christian? Do you know what happened in Bulgaria in the 1870s and in Armenia in 1915? What Hindus and Muslims did to each other in India and Pakistan in 1947? What the Taliban have done and ISIS are currently doing, to the point where it is defined as genocide?

Bad things have been done in the name of Christianity, but claiming that other equally violent acts haven't been carried out in the names of other faiths shows a shocking lack of knowledge of past and current events.

[Awaiting the 'Yes, but...' response]

In parts of the Middle East, including Iraq, Christians have been systematically ethnically cleansed over the last three or four years. The EU has recognised the persecution of Christians by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant as genocide.

But what is there to be angry about? I'm not religious but I couldn't care less if my dc is taught about Christianity, Islam, Hinduism or anything else. I don't care whether they do a nativity at Christmas or whether they celebrate Diwali in school. My dc is quite capable of deciding for herself in the future whether she wants to follow a religion or not. I'm not going to force it down her throat or tell she she can't believe in something.

A lot of people seem terribly threatened by schools teaching about religions but particularly when it comes to teaching Christianity. Unless your child goes to a church school it is never spoken about as fact, and even in church schools a lot of the staff aren't actually believers themselves and won't teach it as fact. Nobody is trying to indoctrinate your kids.

Are you aware that the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions that are now Muslim were once Christian?

If you knew where my DF came from, you'd know I know a lot about the Mediterranean and it's history. And when there's a thread where someone asks why things are the way they are in those countries, it might prove useful. as it is my response to the PP asking about Christianity bashing was predicated on MN being primarily a UK forum, and the OP about an event in the UK.

[Awaiting the 'Yes, but...' response]

In which case, sorry for your wait.

Yes Marta and Abra.

Literally never known a school present the nativity as truth, as if it were a science lesson.

How do you know what schools around you do? Have you been on a tour of local nativities?

My DC’s school does nativity plays AND teaches them songs about a certain flying reindeer with a red nose. Am shocked and appalled I tell you.

Completely agree with Woooman. Slate any other religion it’s bigotry, slate Christianity and it’s fine. Many religions are taught in school. Not just Christianity. But if you’re celebrating Christmas why would the nativity play offend you?

I call Christianity made up nonsense and I get called 'rude and narrow-minded', so obviously it isn't 'fine'.
I'd rather hoped I would have been forgiven.