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?

On the subject of “mocking” (which usually seems to mean any criticism at all) Christianity and not other religions.

I am more likely to be critical of Christianity than other faiths because living in the UK means it is the faith that impacts most on me in my day to day life. is also the faith that I know most about so I can criticize/challenge from a position of knowledge. However, should other faiths come up on here or in real life, I have pretty strong views on them too!
And it is bizarre to say that other faiths are treated with “respect”in this country. I can only assume that the people who say that don’t read newspapers or talk to people when they are out and about. The way Islam and Judaism are represented in the media and in the public discourse is appalling. Christianity retains its privileged position to an extraordinary degree.

all you non believers will not enter into the kingdom of god and will face eternal darkness. The second coming is near . prepare yourselves, soften your hearts and pray to god. god bless

And shit like this is why a lot of people mock. Believe what you want to believe, that's your prerogative, but when you start pushing your god bothering, fear mongering shit onto others - that's when there's a problem.

I am more likely to be critical of Christianity than other faiths because living in the UK means it is the faith that impacts most on me in my day to day life. is also the faith that I know most about so I can criticize/challenge from a position of knowledge. However, should other faiths come up on here or in real life, I have pretty strong views on them too!

So the threat of a terror sttack linked to Islamic fundamentalism not only in the UK but across Europe hasn't ever concerned you?

I'm surprised we haven't had 'sky fairies' yet.
If people focused on the teachings of Jesus then the world would be a better place.

Derxa - the world is like it is now because of religion. If people weren't so bothered about pleasing something that doesn't exist, and concentrated on their actual lives rather than where they are going to go when they die (hint - nowhere) then the world would be a better place.

“If people focused on the teachings of Jesus then the world would be a better place.”
I agree. That goes for most Christians too.

“So the threat of a terror sttack linked to Islamic fundamentalism not only in the UK but across Europe hasn't ever concerned you?”

The threat of terrorism does concern me. And Muslims who use Islam as a justification for terrorism are obviously evil bastards. What did you expect me to say?

everyone is very respectful towards Muslims,

There might be a reason for that veneer of respect!

This may be of interest.

and concentrated on their actual lives rather than where they are going to go when they die (hint - nowhere) then the world would be a better place. Well that's what I mean. Concentrating on your actual life and how you treat other people and yourself.

That has nothing to do with jesus, derxa. That has everything to do with being a decent human being.

You might want to look st Humanism.

the world is like it is now because of religion. If people weren't so bothered about pleasing something that doesn't exist

I’m afraid the history of communism proves that isn’t right. Millions of people died in Soviet Russia and in China.

“ everyone is very respectful towards Muslims,

There might be a reason for that veneer of respect!”

Anyone who believes this must never read the papers or talk to people.

I never understood why the paganism argument is used to diminish Christmas. It's completely redundant.

The early Church partly 'adopted' and christianised the mid-winter festival because of relentless persecution for the fact not celebrate pagan gods. It was a bit of a stroke of genius to be honest. Light overcoming darkness is on both festivals.

In terms of the date, who knows? He most likely wasn't born on 25th December exactly (I think it was the spring personally) - does it actually matter? It's His 'official' birthday. The early Church would have been very hard pushed to find a date that wasn't already taken with another religious festival. We also don't hold the patent on the Truth and God may have revealed some of the Truth through other religious customs.

I expect people from Pagan beliefs disagree but it is undeniable that Christmas has succeeded the paganism festival in the minds of most people for a very very long time.

Very interesting article by Richard Morrison in The Times today pointing out that if schools don’t teach the religious knowledge behind the Nativity and Easter, future generations of poorer children in particular with have no clue what many great pieces of art and music mean. They don’t have as many art and music lessons at school and religious ‘knowledge’ lessons, assemblies and nativity plays at least gave them access to the sometimes complex ideas. Children from some poorer or less educated backgrounds have now been deprived of the chance to understand their own culture.

The idea of a perfect (sinless) woman whose body is the vessel through which the entire world is saved.

Powerful? Creepy and mysogynistic, more like.

Religion is banned from schools in France Abra1de and they study philosophy instead. Yet somehow France still manages to keep some vague semblance of cultural life alive

And the obvious retort to that article is use the time spent on religion to teach art and music instead then, duh.

The point is that the National Curriculum has downgraded arts and humanities in schools at the same time.

Or did you not read that far?

The threat of terrorism does concern me. And Muslims who use Islam as a justification for terrorism are obviously evil bastards. What did you expect me to say?

I just thought your thought process “I am more likely to be critical of Christianity than other faiths because living in the uk is the faith that impacts most on me in my day to day life” was a bit odd given that we live under a constant islamic fundamentalist terror attack. I would therefore have thought Islam to be more worthy of criticism.

“ everyone is very respectful towards Muslims,

There might be a reason for that veneer of respect!

Oh yeah, like blowing kids up at pop concerts really merits respect.

I read your whole comment, thanks. My two points are a) other places manage very nicely without teaching religion at all and b) if you want pupils to understand art and music, then you'd be better off teaching them art and music than religion.

Several points to be made here. Firstly, I do not think that Muslims are terrorists any more than I think Christians are paedophiles. Secondly, my day to day life in this county is not affected by Islam. It is affected by Christianity.

I understood that French schools teach
secular teaching of religious facts. I’m sure a friend in France told me they did.

Which is what is meant by ‘religious knowledge’.

Nope. No religion in schools at all (with a few exceptions of private faith schools). No nativity plays, nothing.