To think all schools should teach children the old traditional hymns

[Staringintothevoid616]

Just switching between channels and Songs of Praise came on. It was a run down of the most popular school hymns.complete with recorders It brought back many memories and how important communal singing is. It doesn’t matter what your religion is, everyone should know the most popular hymns as a way of uniting society.

But the whole point is for kids across the country to know the same songs, so they can join in singing at events in both local and national events throughout their lives

So brainwashing then.

Refreshing that you admit it, I guess. Most don’t.

Non-religious schools should be completely secular. Your posts evidence why that is.

Hahahahahaha
Add it to the list of all the other things people want us to teach at school!

Or alternatively if you want your child to know how to sing hymns then take them to church

Christianity didn't shape our holidays. It adopted pre Christian celebrations such as Ostera which became Easter

Islamic influences can be seen all over our architecture e.g. gothic arches, Brighton pavillion etc

Different faiths have been represented in Britain for more than a couple of decades. The first mosque was built over 100 years ago and the first synagogue in the early 1700s. As for Stonehenge etc, not sure what but definitely not Christian.

You're looking at this with blinkers on.

Turn it round.

Name ten songs/hymns you’re suggesting schools must teach. So far we have “All things bright and beautiful” - what else? At present you’re just being vague - actually name some.

I remember that.
"Old Farmer Bunn He Bought Him A Gun". I bet that would be inspiring stuff these days.

What is the benefit of being able to sing a song about something the majority of the population don’t believe though?

we are not “culturally Christian” - what does that even mean?

616 - biblical precursor to 666.

I grew up singing hymns and have never been to an event other than a funeral where I have used this knowledge. You make it sound like it's an essential skill that all children will need on the off chance they attend a coronation or something which is just daft.

Why? I never did that. Did you?
We sang hymns in assembly. Nowhere else.
Hymns were dated when I was at school.

Not these days. For many the “daily act of Christian worship” is some form of grace at lunchtime. And I’d argue even that is overstepping.

Do you genuinely only know hymns? Is that why you keep asking for examples? I can imagine parties are brilliant at your house!

My girls are 3 and 1 so we are very much at the nursery rhyme stage. There are absolutely tonnes, so zero reason for them to be singing hymns. Can’t comment on school as we haven’t got to that stage of parenting yet, the limit of none religious songs is surely endless given there are millions of songs though.

I am not of the opinion they should be banned. Each to their own and all that, especially in religious schools. I just wouldn’t appreciate specifically selecting a none religious school for my children to then be taught all of it anyway via song.

Absolutely not brainwashing at all, do you have an issue with hickory dickory dock and suggesting to kids it’s ok for pests to run round your house.

Your post makes zero sense.

It's a nice add on to the "Christmas is offensive" thread.

Indeed some of the more modern Christian songs are totally crap. Better to sing the traditional hymns which at least have some musical quality.

Less than half the UK population are Christian nowadays, so I think hymns are an irrelevance to the majority and have no place being taught in schools.

I'd bet that most children knew the words to My Old Man's a Dustman or It's A Long Way To Tipperary too.

Hymns in religious schools sure, what specific benefit are you thinking from teaching songs about a god that people don't believe in outside of religious settings?

All Things Bright and Beautiful has a chorus that's often left out because it's a direct example of religion keeping people in their place.

The rich man in his castle,
The poor man at his gate,
God made them, high or lowly,
And ordered their estate.

The less of this kind of stuff children are taught the better.

Other than the National Anthem, what songs regularly at local/national events are you thinking of? Sweet Caroline? Football’s Coming Home?

YANBU in the slightest. But it's not inclusive for the non-Christian and atheist folk, so it will go down like a bucket of cold sick, unfortunately.

My DD attends a Welsh-medium school. Will all
kids be learning the songs sung on this side of the border too?

(Celts predated Christians on this island……..)

Bit early on a Sunday to have cracked open your 4th bottle of sherry, surely?

I bet many people advocating forced hymn singing at school seldom set foot in a church. How often do you go to church @Staringintothevoid616 ?

It's not hokum at all. All successful societies are cohesive, and the cohesion is based on shared rituals, a degree of shared understanding, and some form of shared culture. This doesn't have to be Christianity but that is our current tradition and binning off traditions leads to people feeling lost and isolated until new traditions bed in (which can take generations).

Of course a certain type of person has always wanted to tear it all down and start again, and those people have had power on both the right and left of politics for a long time. The one thing I hate is how they invoke race and other cultures to support their point. A lot of the worshippers at my church are black, as is our minister. We have good relations with the local mosque. I find people of any religion (and many of none) often understand the need for these shared rituals and the importance of tradition, and are often keen to adopt British traditions whilst also sharing their own.

I know lots of different songs, my favorite are Probably Starblind by Iron Maiden and Christmas Truce by Sabaton. Although Ghost Love Score by Nightwish comes a v close third. Do you like those songs?

I have asked others to suggest Folk songs they think would be good to sing in schools, as they suggested doing so