Are you in favour of religion in state schools?

[seeker]

On the highly unscientific poll currently running, so far it's 50 posters in favour of secular schools and 4 against.

Would any of the people who are in favour like to tell me why?

We're not talking about learning ABOUT religion - Christian and other. I think most people are agreed that a knowledge of world religions is an essential part of a balanced education. We're talking about actually taking part in Christian worship during the school day. Asking non- Christian children to pray, for example.

Ticking a box on the census form doesn't really make you a Christian.

Nope, but praying in school does .

Nope, but praying in school does

If it did, thats exactly why it shouldn't happen. If it doesn't, its a phenomenal cumulative waste of school time.

I think it takes rather more than the odd prayer to become and indeed be a Chrsitian. Don't you have to believe that Jesus really was the Son of God, that He died for our sins, and was resurrected to live in Heaven? I mean, surely those are the basics?

Mumbling a few unheard words hardly counts.

People tick "Christian" on the census form because it asks you for a religion, not if you have a religion (at least it did before 2001 - think it may have finally been phrased differently). So they think they have to tick something and tick the one they feel most culturally attuned to. Which of course, in the UK, is Christian.

Regular church attendance in the UK is 1-2 million. It's a lot of people, maybe, but still a minority interest.

I got into a protracted argument on here last year with some people really quite vehemently insisting that I should read and understand theology before coming out as an atheist. The more I insisted that I did not need to, the crosser they got. For some reason, these 42 million (approx.) people who tick "Christian" on the census form don't appear to have to do this. Why's that, then?

I wish the census people could come up with an alternative option which was comfortable for the vaguely superstitious, fuzzily god-believing (after all those school assemblies) to tick. 'Apatheists' is my term for them.

They don't have any 'other'. 'None' sounds too negative and the god might not like that - Pascal's wager for these folk so they wouldn't want to officially commit themselves t'other way, would they?

I am not in favour of selection according to religion.

I live in a city where the selection for senior level schooling is an absolute joke.

For dd there are (these are all state schools, btw):
2 x excellent grammer schools. She has passed the entrance criteria, however there are >40 on the waiting list for her year group in both schools, so she has no chance of getting in.

1 catholic school (rated well on Ofsted) - chances of getting in nil as we are not practising catholic (or any other Christian denomination which is further down the selection list). I have to write a letter to the chair of governers to 'beg' consideration for a place.

Choice of 3 very bad schools which I would not want to send dd to for love nor money.

So, she goes to school 14 miles away (luckily lived in a village in catchment of very good school - that is where she is going to have to stay).

I feel very annoyed that state funded schools are selective at all, let alone on the basis of religion. I wish they had the lottery system here, or at least something else.

As good as the catholic school is, also, i would be unnerved at the thought of sending her there tbh, as I understand that RE/PSHE is taught from a catholic viewpoint. Which is not necessarily the viewpoint which I would like dd have.

I am very frustrated by the selection system here, as you can probably tell.

UQD "I got into a protracted argument on here last year with some people really quite vehemently insisting that I should read and understand theology before coming out as an atheist"

Ahem - it may have been a different discussion entirely, so apologies if so - but if it was the one I was involved in, there was no objection whatsoever to you being an atheist and not reading theology. That would be crazy.

The objection was that you were making generalisations about Christian belief that many Christians would not recognise, which suggested that some reading around the subject might not go amiss.

I'm against them; I am a Chrstian (in the non Church attending usually ense), I ahve a degree in a related field and have raised my boys loosely in a CHristian way (non dictattorial being important to me ) BUT I think state education should be secular, not just ebcuase of some of the crap my children have experienced- creationism at age 5 anyone?- but becuase education is not about indoctrination. BIG fan of RE proeprly delivered though. Important.

I do not think religion should be part of schooling.

I dont see the point.

Now Dr Who worshiping i could be persuaded.

At least we know Doctor Who exists. Half the work is done. All we'd need to do then is argue that it is worthy of worship!

Actually, he has a lot in common with Jesus.

Gnomic utterances: check.

Slightly scruffy appearance: check.

Can save the day with minimal everyday objects: check.

Large team of slightly bemused followers who keep having to ask what it all means: check.

Pisses off the Forces Of Evil, so much that they want to hunt him down and kill him: check.

Occasional bursts of righteous anger: check.

Helps poor and underprivileged: check.

Can come back from the dead: Jury's still out on that one.

He couldn't be more Jesus if he had a beard and sandals.

We can't seem to do without saviours one way or another. (Incidentally dd thought Obama was Jesus for a while.)

UQD - you may have hit upon something there. Before we know it, media studies students everywhere will be turning in dissertations entitled "Christian Imagery in Popular Saturday Night Family Drama". It will become the new "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe".

I'm not sure how Captain Jack will fit into that thesis

Just found this thread as I was searching for some views on assemblies and praying in state primary schools. DS has just started Y1 and told me today that they have assembly everyday where they are told a story and then pray (though he said he didn't). I am a little in shock as I clearly haven't been paying attention to something as I had no idea that they had Christian assemblies. I've now done some research and caught up a bit and am doubly in shock to find out it's the law.

I like the idea of an assembly and encouraging them to have quiet / thinking time. I am not at all happy with it being all Christian and with him being asked to pray.

So my question is - has anyone felt similarly and done anything about it? And with any success?

Have a look here, Rudy.

I joined the Humanist Society in response to my child being force fed religious indoctrination at school. We need a bigger lobbying force/voice and I can't see anyone else taking it up. The churches are well armed for the fight to keep things as they are.