To remove dd from RS

[MossandRoy]

The lack of balance is annoying. There is an assumption that there is a god. There is an assumption that everyone believes in that god. I can remove her. Has anyone done this successfully? I'm concerned she'll be given a hard time...

@indemMUND

So she’d be happy to visit places of worship as long, as they’re not a church?

@Unanananana

My DD attends a Roman Catholic school we got into on distance criteria (I'm Wiccan, DD has no religion as yet). I'll take some religious learning for the best secondary education bar grammar school in this area. If you are happy with the school otherwise, I would just let her stay in class. What damage will it do?

The mantra I have for my DD is that she doesn't have to believe (enter religion here) but she must learn about it and respect it. A lot of her friends are Muslim/Hindu so she is well aware of differences.

I am also Wiccan, and not only did BOTH DSs attend the classes, but I personally hauled them to attend any services that they showed an interest in. We talked afterwards about different beliefs, how they have things in common and things that differ wildly. One DS became an agnostic, the other is Wiccan, but I'd have supported almost any spirituality they were happy with.

Nothing to add to the debate except for the fact that this thread made me think of this article from years ago

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7894563.stm

What people are forgetting is the impact on other topics

Britain was once a Catholic country
Then it became a Protestant Country
Then it became a Puritanical country before going back to Protestant
During the Middle Ages, Jews were persecuted in Britain by order of the monarch
Darwinism caused a massive national outcry
Many of the famous writers and poets of the UK wrote religious poetry and novels

Knowing the historical relevance of religion in British culture is important and you cannot learn the relevance without learning the religion

@Flipflops85

Oh yes, I complained about her to the head teacher but it was him who'd said that my son still had to sit in her classroom and that I had to provide alternative work for him.

We believed that to all intents and purposes he was forcing us to conform to his idea of what subjects should be compulsory, despite the country's rules about school subjects saying that parents had the right to withhold the teaching of RE and/or sex education from our children.

Because of this whole situation, I ultimately reported it to the LEA. Whether this was the cause of (or even a contributing factor towards) the original teacher leaving the school at the end of the year, we'll never know but one thing is for certain, we'll always be grateful to the replacement teacher because she allowed her students to learn about a variety of religions and why some people don't believe at all, whilst giving them a voice to share their opinions in a non-judgemental setting.

My Atheism was born out of a combination of the 'force-feeding' of religion I endured and learning about Darwin's theory of evolution. Being a very logical thinker/learner I could see more 'evidence' in evolution than in some 'all-powerful' being 'creating' earth in 6 days.

I can struggle to erect a piece of flat-pack furniture in 6 days, so I have serious reservations about it being possible to 'create' earth and all the creatures that live upon it in numerous millennia never mind 6 days!

This said, if someone else wants to believe the 6 day creation thing.... each to their own but no-one should try 'forcing' their ideas on others, just let it be known that you believe one theory and I another .... live and let live whatever your beliefs!

It is variable, eldest DC had a "recruiter" teacher for rs in year 7 but she left year or 2 after . currently DC is doing rs for GCSE as new teacher us brilliant

Interesting. I am not a religious person at all. My school was not a religious as such but had a high intake of students who believed in a specific religion.
RE was always quite complex for me, I don’t only believe in religion but I am against many religious beliefs and from a young age was able to debate these.
By secondary school I was definitely old enough to already know where I stood and the teaching didn’t effect my opinions or beliefs. My teacher for RE found it interesting to have me in the class as someone who “ questioned “ things. There was few issues and small arguments but nothing major. My kids are raised atheist just like some are specifically raised Christians/ catholic etc and the children are taught why.
So they learn about religions at school as I do find it it essential so they are understanding and accepting of all people regardless but at home it’s my job to teach them.

It helps them understand other peoples faith and beliefs, your child doesnt have to believe in it, but it's about respecting others point of views a valuable part of life.

Do u want yr daughter to be raised as ignorant? Its great to learn about other cultures and religions and understand people. Itl help in the future to be a better communicator. I loved RS at school doesnt mean i believed all i was taught but it allowed me to understand other people better and why they do what they do.

She’s been annoyed with RS since Year 2? Goodness, that’s early. Is there anyway that you’ve pushed your views onto her, or has she independently come up with her thoughts?
I’m agnostic and my husband is atheist. Our children have been brought up to go to church (by both of us). My husband does not express his views, and we keep comments to ‘Christians believe...’ as well as Jews / Muslims etc believe that....
At some point, they’ll make their own minds up, but for the time being they are being introduced to Christian values, which like other religious values, are pretty good ideals to live your life by (in my opinion).

To those of you claiming not studying religion makes you "ignorant". My husband didn't, because no-one in his home country does. Yet he still knows the basics of world religion because, you know, general knowledge.

He did, however, study compulsory philosophy at high school, covering the pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle, Zhuangzi, Maimonides , WIlliam of Ockham, Spinoza, Locke, Hume, Leibniz, Bachelard, Levinas, Hegel, and Schopenhauer. I guess not being able to debate their ideas would make some of you pretty ignorant in his eyes.

Religious studies degree here. Not religious in the slightest. I thought religious studies these days was largely based on vernacular these days and covering world religions.

My daughter is doing a level Rs its such a valuable skill to have.

To those of you claiming not studying religion makes you "ignorant". My husband didn't, because no-one in his home country does. Yet he still knows the basics of world religion because, you know, general knowledge.

But you are making the assumption that everyone is as intellectually curious as your husband or have parents who are bothered about making sure their children know about all the various religions.

There are a huge number of children and adults who wouldn't know about these things unless they were covered at school.

Not knowing a particular set of things doesn't make you ignorant though, that's my whole point. Do you feel ignorant for (presumably) not knowing about Maimonides and Schopenhauer?

Yes, I do. The definition of ignorant has two meanings:

1. Lacking knowledge (synonyms - untaught/uneducated)
2. Discourteous or rude

You seem to be determined that children should not be taught about different religions in general though. Why?

@Ginfordinner

To those of you claiming not studying religion makes you "ignorant". My husband didn't, because no-one in his home country does. Yet he still knows the basics of world religion because, you know, general knowledge.

But you are making the assumption that everyone is as intellectually curious as your husband or have parents who are bothered about making sure their children know about all the various religions.

There are a huge number of children and adults who wouldn't know about these things unless they were covered at school.

Exactly.

The insular nature of thinking you don’t need to know about any religion other than your own is very dangerous. There is so much about an individual’s life which may be touch upon by their religious beliefs so yes it’s ignorant to not learn about others.

I don't think not knowing something make you ignorant. But to dismiss something as unimportant just because you disagree does imo.

I grew up in a country that doesn't have religious studies as a stand alone subject for primary/secondary education in most state schools. But some of it were incorporated in world history/geography/literature, etc. So I know about it as superficial general knowledge. But looking at what my dc is learning, I think I would have appreciated it if it was. It's a fascinating subject.

I don't think not knowing something make you ignorant

That’s exactly what ignorant means! Still I suppose ignorance is bliss!

I find it fascinating how wound up atheists get about religion. It seems very odd to me.

Xerochrysum
It really is a fascinating subject! Think of the joy of discussing this....
I find a watch on the beach and am amazed. "Must have been a hell of a big bang to produce this!" I say. "And of course,
millions of years to evolve." See a butterfly on a leaf. "Must have been a hell of a big bang to produce this!" I say.....😊

VinylDetective, what I meant was NO.2 of Ginfordinner's description of ignorant.

I'm agnostic (neither believes nor disbelieve) and I think it is really important for children to learn about religions as it gives them understanding for other people and their beliefs.

My daughter hates RE but I have explained that it is not telling her what to believe but telling her what others believe so she can see the world in different lights and understand other people's feelings better. She now doesn't hate it and is more interested in learning about people's culture. She has just lesrnt about Buddha and that he wasn't a god but man who changed his selfish life for a better more caring one - this has really captured her interest as she is a very caring and selfless person and it has really changed her attitude to learning a out other religions.

RS isn't just brainwashing people into believing in God it teaches children beliefs from around the world, the festivals that go with that, the things people of that religion do and how it makes them behave certain ways (set prayer times, no meat, no pork that sort of thing) so it gives children insight into the lives of other children and their families and understanding and empathy for their feelings and beliefs. Hopefully this makes them better more understanding humans as they grow up.

@Xerochrysum

VinylDetective, what I meant was NO.2 of Ginfordinner's description of ignorant.

It’s the dictionary definition 🤷‍♀️

Maybe if it wasn't called Religious Education/Studies people would be more open minded?
Cultural studies perhaps?

Seriously, what is the point of your comment? Sigh.

@Ginfordinner

Maybe if it wasn't called Religious Education/Studies people would be more open minded? Cultural studies perhaps?

But then some parents would still complain that their children are being taught about religions!

Sadly too many parents still seem to want to keep their child in a bubble of the beliefs of the home

I was "excused" RE at school. Was awful, had to sit outside the classroom reading, all the teachers and other kids would pass comment as it looked like I was being punished.

I would have been happy to sit quietly at the back of class, or even take part in debates etc, but my dad wasn't.

I'm 56 and still remember the feeling in my stomach on RE day.