to think that some non-religious parents over-react just a teensy-weensy bit when their children are exposed to religion in the most benign form?

[SueBarooeeooeeooooo]

s'ok if I am. But threads complaining about this sort of thing are a regular MN feature, and I can't help thinking that some parents seem tremendously precious about it. We're Christians and it often comes up that not everyone believes the way we do, and I talk to my children about it and they wander off and scribble on the lounge walls again.

I've seen people complaining about Christian mums and tots groups, simple 'thankyou' prayers and christian charities. I am 100% ok with you bringing your children up atheist, theist, or chocolate-worshipping. Honestly, if I whipped myself up into a panic over every mention of different beliefs or none that my children encounter, I'd never get anything done.

(Please note, this is not a church schools whinge, I'm against selection on religious grounds.)

Excuse me? Did I just hear somebody say that the schools have a duty to teach my children that God made the world and that Jesus died to save us because I fail to provide them with a spiritual curriculum?

Of course the Christian faith is a positive model! It's a message of love and relationships. What is wrong with that? Do you not want your children to have loving attitudes to those around them?

I think it is entirely the business of schools to teach children about religion. It is not the business of schools to teach children how to "do" religion.

As I keep saying, why should I be any happier with my child praying to a Christian God in school than Christian parents would be if their child was taught how to inscribe a pentacle and stand in it invoking the Mother Goddess!

You don't need to be happy about it, Seeker. It's a legal requirement for schools to have assemblies, and also to make a provision for spiritual education.

Individual Christians can be hugely positive role models. So can individual Muslims, Pagans, Sikhs, Budddhists and Jeddi Knights.
Christianity as a whole seems to me to have just as dodgy a record as any other organized religion when it comes to the influence it's had in the world.

I've just found the articles in the Guardian Onebat- I'd already read one but thanks for pointing me to them. I still feel that they evade the crucial questions- and obviously cringe when they're asked about anthroposophy. The heavy anthroposophists believe that Steiner education's main purpose is to help the child re incarnate, and be ready spiritually to lead all the autonomons who aren't anthros, when the earth moves into it's next epoch. But I know they aren't all like that- and my kids did get some good stuff from their time there. My main bug bear is their secrecy and refusal to answer a question straight.

Of course individuals can be good role models, regardless of whether htey have faith or not. We were all made in the image of God

So because it's in the legislation it's right?

I think it's right - but not because it's in the legislation.

ExplosiveScienceT - are you perhaps coming on here to tease the atheists?

Like the bit in Brideshead Revisited where Cordelia convinces Rex he can't become a Catholic without believing in the Sacred Monkeys in the Vatican?

well well well
lots of this alreaedy covered in the thread explosive.

most of us know wht the ed act says and don't like it, including many of the very thoughtful christians who have taken part in this thread.

"learn about" does not equal "worship"
"worship" is divisive and exclusive.
Excluding children from faith schools on basis of faith or lack of is divisive and unjust

children can be neither Christian or any other religious postition till old enough to fully comprehend blah blah
atheism doesn't exist? in what way? dyou mean like if you put your fingers in ears and go la la la?

Does it show?

Actually, I'm deadly serious.

Sorry, I'm late to the party as usual, onebat

actually would be interested to know if ed act says 1. must have assemblies and 2. must provide for spiritual education.
ie they can be separate.

note explosive 'education' not 'worship'. ie not indoctrination but access to the facts. Which imo should be the history of religion.

OK, so tell me how I deal with the fact that my children are being taught to follow a religion that we don't follow as a family, and that as a parent I don't want my child to follow (not I say follow, not be taught about)

deadly serious about atheism not existing? about not being able to teach about a philosophical position which holds that god does not exist?

The National Curriculum says that schools must provide academic education (obviously) but also opportunities for physical, social, spiritual, and cultural development. This is what is known as a Broad and Balanced Curriculum.

Is atheism a religion? I would suspect that most atheists would cringe at the notion. Therefore, it should have no place in Religious Studies.

About assemblies:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_Reform_Act_1988 see point 8

i think scary will say too bad, move to US or france!

sorry explosive, fgt abt lol namechange.

not a religion, as i said, a philosophical position regarding religion.

I haven't read more then the op
I haven't complained on mn about anything but I didn't like it when dd1 came home crying because jesus had died on the cross for her.

'Why mummy, what did I do?'

'I don't want anyone to die because of me'

I can't tell her its all bollocks because her teacher told her it was true. Well I don't think she should have.

She believes evcerything her teacher tells her because she trusts her and I don't want to ruin that.

I have recently felt calm about it though as I remeber being taught all that stuff as if were the complete and only truth and I grew up and made my own choice.

luckily my ds's sensible school is prepared to lose ofsted points by not having collective broadly christian worship.
what with the majority being muslim an all ..

trinity you can and must tell her its all bollocks. you must protect your child who is imo being terrorised