That DS2 was sent home from school with

[Peachy]

a book about sin, one of the subsections is titled (in bold print and very large)

'the dark colour is for sin'

and then goes on to state how Satan brogt Sin?

Now my dissertation is on slavery and loads of it relates to how Blackness of skin was associated with Sin because well.... darkness is for sin!

I attended a lecture by the school Vicar yesterday in which he managed to cause the only blaxck lady in our group to walk out after he just pointed at her and demanded if she was Muslim ..... so i may be on an automatic downer with this guy anyhow (was also rude about catholics, Mormomns and jehovah's Witnesses) but I really dont feel comfy with my 6 year old being given this!

Sounds like Vicar is way out of order. And I'd be unhappy with a child being given a book about 'sin'. Totally unecessary concept to burden a small innocent child with.

However, I'm not sure if we can - or should - remove figurative references to 'dark' and 'light'. DD (yr 4) brought her RE exercise book home yesterday. This term so far they have apparently been exploring 'light' and 'darkness' in figurative terms ... 'it dawned on me', 'bright spark'; dark as in 'dark mood' , 'keeping someone in the dark' .... its part of our language and a reflection of the physical world. I was a bit when I saw the topic but pondering on it I think that the language needs reclaiming in these terms and the bad, ridiculous equation of dark skin with badness should be laid to rest. I'm sure it didn't occur to any of DDs class while doing this work.

I'm not sure I've expressed myself well...

Emsmum you are right - expressions about darkness and light aren't necessarily related to skin colour, but more likely come from humans' natural fear of darknes ie NIGHT TIME. When you can't see, you are in danger, whereas when there is lots of light (SUNLIGHT) you are safer. This vicar is bang out of order and should be reported to his bishop. The Church of England is a catholic church which believes in acceptance of others, not being rude about them.

!

I agree about in relation to colour and say, looking at representations of colour in art or whatever- - maybe if you'd seen some of the stuff I have seen quoting it about the slavery industry though (quite aware I am in my little box and a bit up my arse- but then have spent last 6 months immersed in this stuff as well)

QoQ- I know you're a Christian, I also know you;'re very anti-racism.... would be interested to hear mroe of your opinion (anything I say goes into the 'its just her non church way'.... if they asked I'd tell them I DO beleive but anyway thats not the point is it....)

there was also a load of stuff int here about well, creationism which is a battle i've had before with them. and lost. but Ic ant raise that again- life's too short!

Booklet in the bin now, btw

'the dark colour is for sin' sounds very barking, frankly. We aren't living in the 18th century.

Agree with Emsmum re figurative references to light and dark but the wording in this book is just stupid.

I would have my child out of that school immediately. How dare they. That is racist and the vicar's behavior is completely unacceptable. How on earth do they expect to teach children to grow up tolerant and non-judgemental, when the vicar is judging a woman by the color of her skin and sending home books that imply that your worth is measured by the color of your skin.

No other school they can access sadly, and the vicar was at my Uni rather than the school fortunately

Ok, that's a little better. I thought the book came from the Vicar. If it didn't then it's probably just someone sending out the same thing they have sent out for years and never bothered to read carefully themselves. Just write a short polite note to the school suggesting that perhaps they might consider finding more appropriate and less dated materials in the future as the current book could be considered offensive to some. I would also complain to your Uni about the vicar...he sounds truly awful. But at least Uni aged kids are more likely to have their minds already made up about race and tolerance.

A booklet for 6 year olds about sin and creationism???? Who exactly is handing this out - sounds pretty weird, hardly standard CofE fare surely?

your son was given this at school by a vicar? Is that right? I don't quite understand

He pointed at the only black person in the room and demanded to know if she was a muslim??? and was then rude about other faiths?

The book sounds awful, the fact that this vicar is allowed to be anywhere near a schoool sounds awful. I don't suppose you would get anywhere with the governors - but I wonder what the LEA would say?

i know some religions that base this on Noah's son Ham who was meant to be the dark skinned one and whose grandson was condemned in the Bible, they then view this as the basis for condemning all dark skinned people

Do you live in the Outer Hebredies?
Sounds like that vicar is very old fashioned and totally out of touch with the real world.
AB

Sadly not Outer Hebrides- 3 miles outside a major city!

OK: school set up- Vicar is school Head of governors, and the organisation that funds part of the school (which was set up in 1749 iirc- quite!) handed this booklet, at the request of the Vicar, to every child from nursery age up through the school until yr2.

This sounds bloody Victorian. That vicar sounds like poison. I grew up a Christian (Calvinist) so sin and redemtion and having to deserve it and so on was very strong in CHURCH AND SUNDAY SCHOOL....AND it was in apartheid South Africa.... and we never got THAT definition of black!!!. I am so cross I think I had better not write any more

Well ds2 has gone into school all angry and ready to tell his teacher 9Head of RE so appropriate target, and dep head too) that it says nasty things and his friend is Black and he's not hapy- a little Peachy in the making !

Hoping something happens as a result of complaining to head of Uni dept

What a prick. Get him nailed and out of there... although then you'll have to put up withg people whinging about him being forced out for not being politically correct.

Ah now that whinging would have F all effect on me I am afraid! PC by name (sort of), PC by nature and quite happy that way!

I'm forgetting something else here as well- if I eraise it, as committee member of the PA (Secretary) AND Re undergrad, there's adamn site mroe chance than most other poeple i'll be listened to, isn't there?

No. YANBU. Poisonous!