Final phase of atheist bus campaign

[RockinSockBunnies]

So, I've just read this latest installment about the atheist bus campaign here.

Now, I'm a Christian, we go to church, DD is baptised, so obviously I'm not going to be impartial. But there point of the poster campaign seems somewhat flawed. How are children going to grow up and suddenly decide which (if any) religion they adhere to, if they've had no real exposure to any of the various religions during their upbringing?

Unless you have parents who are willing to learn the fundamental points of each and every faith, take the children to the places of worship of these faiths, whilst also discussing the concepts of atheism, then how on earth is a child going to be able to decide for themselves what they believe in once they're older?

I was an atheist for around fifteen years, but when I went back to Christianity I had the basic knowledge and understanding of the faith from attending church and Sunday School as a child. How can anyone make a real decision about religion if they're denied the opportunity to learn as a child?

where can I donate to no faith schools?

It's not unreasonable to suggest "no faith schools" in the same way that we don't have schools affiliated with particular football teams, TV programmes, films or political parties...

All of which can mean as much to people as a religion and be as deeply ingrained in their lifestyle - but school affiliation to which would be equally irrelevant in the process of a rounded education.

batism is a label, don't get your babies baptised let them choose when they are older

Yep I just picked up my children from a faith school and looked around the playground at the people of varying faiths and basically wondered WTF???!?!?

I'd love to have no state faith schools, as I think they are a bad thing, as a matter of basic principle. That doesn't automatically mean they are bad schools, or the teaching in them. But as an overall principle, I think all state schools should be non-religious.

Well, that's it - some faith schools are very good indeed, as are some non-faith schools. As it would seem to have no bearing on how "good" a school is (merely on the parents' perception of it being the "right" kind of school), what harm could it do to have a secular education system?

Yep - I'm sure it will be no problem at all

I think that most of the CofE school buildings are owned by the church and the church pays 10% of the budgets towards them, but I'm sure it'll pose no problems at all

Why don't these sorts of atheists (Sorry - not sure what to 'label' them - just know that none of the atheists I know feel like this) just set up their own schools / nurseries / pre-schools / political parties / shelters etc? It's such a shame they don't do some sort of positive action IMO. It seems like they want to take action AGAINST the freedoms we have in this country, rather than making the most of them themselves.

And btw how does the 'don't label my child' fit in with the Dawkin's endorsed "Atheist summer camps" for children?

I don't think there is any 'credibility' to the supernatural elements of the bible, or the hagiographical elements.

Up here we have the issue that the state took over all the Roman Catholic schools, but gave a guarantee that there would continue to be provision for separate education. But in any case, the non-RC state schools are generally aligned with the Church of Scotland anyway, so like you we don't actually have an option of secular schools.

I am about the "atheist summer camps" but feel there may just have been a teensy bit of sensationalist reporting going on there.

I said what harm could it do to have a secular education system? That's not an "atheist" education system.

People who ask "why don't atheists set up their own schools?" have missed the point so spectacularly that they are running down the road in the opposite direction from the way the point is travelling.

It's as if we had Manchester United schools for which the child's parents had to be a paid-up Man U fan to get them in - season ticket, attendance every Saturday, no slacking - and those who thought this was a bit off were told in a grumpy fashion "Why don't you anti-footballists go and set up your own schools rather than trying to take ours away?"

(Hmm checking the articles about this, about half of them think it is about faith schools, and half think it's advising parents not to nurture their children in their faiths. So it's not being very clear what the message is.)

Ah UQD so it is actually not NO FAITH SCHOOLS but LET'S CAMPAIGN TO REVISE THE ADMISSIONS CRITERIA?

I would completely agree with you on the latter

Well, revise the admissions criteria and everything else. Just don't have god in schools except as a myth system explored in History or Cultural Studies or wherever it is they learn about Greek Mythology and Egyptian gods.

Why would it be a problem any more than the Greek and Egyptian gods being taught as a myth? As they already are?

"How can anyone make a real decision about religion if they're denied the opportunity to learn as a child"

by reading up and learning about it themselves if they want to when they are older maybe? Or is that too difficult a concept?

Are you saying that people who come to religion as an adult aren't making a real decision?

Shrieking Harpy...how about just introducing atheists as the one's who don't believe in religion/supernatural - I suppose the nature of atheism has become that it is descriptive of a stance 'against' something else...if there were no religions we would not be talking about atheism.

Apologies for errant apostrophe

Wouldn't it be better to deal with one thing at a time rather than screaming NO FAITH SCHOOLS from billboards? I'm sure that there are plenty of people who would suppport the reform of admissions criteria, including church goers and other religious-affiliated stakeholders.

BTW if I'm missing the point, it would be perhaps politer to clarify your point rather than just telling me I'm thick. Just an idea.