Live webchat with Richard Dawkins, Wed 23 June, 10am-11am

[GeraldineMumsnet]

We're pleased to welcome Richard Dawkins for a webchat on Wednesday 23 June from 10am-11am. Richard is a celebrated evolutionary biologist and atheist, and author of the best-selling God Delusion.

He has presented programmes on Channel Four that range from enthusing about the Genius of Charles Darwin to arguing against religion in Root of All Evil?

His latest project is taking a long hard look at education and the role religion continues to play in it.

He wants to hear first-hand from Mumsnetters what faith and church schools are really like. How successful are they? Are they selection by another means? Are they divisive? And are they making hypocrites out of non-believing parents who go to church just to send their children to them?

If you can't make the discussion but want to contribute, please post your views here.

Thanks and hope you can join us.

Thank you Richard.

Oh buggeration, missed him.

Hour long webchats are not enough.

Great webchat - thanks, Mumsnet, for having RD on.

I am ridiculously thrilled that RD thought my idea for critical thinking in schools was a goer!!

I know as a grown up I have come to critical thinking a bit late - would have loved it at school.

Because, slug, they do not want to alienate churches in developing countries right now! They are trying to work subtley towards progression - they do not want to abandon churches in Africa elsewhere - it is a very difficult situation, can you not see that? Gawd if you ever went to Lambeth Palace - the whole institution is run by, er, umarried men....

I am extremely upset that Christianity has become such a dirty word and associated with misogyny and bigotry. But Christians and Atheists are equally to blame for that.

So, pofaced, you think that if faith schools weren't allowed to discriminate on the religion of prospective pupils' parents, but kept the same heads/teachers/buildings, they would plummet down the league tables?
Interesting....

Of course it is wrong Lenin, but I can see the impossibe situation Rowan Williams is in. I was v angry with him when he fudged the issue, but I do see how tricky it is, he does not want to abandon the churches in Africa, even if he thinks they are very wrong on the issue.

No I don't Heathen. What do you suggest they would then use as selection criteria? Catchment? Another reason for house prices to shoot up further.

lal123, 'many of our communities'? We live in Britain, interesting though Diwali might be, it doesn't play any significant part in the history or culture of Britain, it doesn't inform Shakespeare, or our legal system. Christianity has been shaping our society for 1400 years

What slug says at 11.03 - absolutely spot on.

The chruch has used religion to hide behind for centuries. Why stop now?
It's all about power and control. Wrapped up in pretty stories about wine & fish.

pofaced i like your angle

One thing I didn't get time to say, during the brief hour of my official chat, is how weird it is that we all happily use phrases like 'Catholic child' 'Protestant child', 'Muslim child' etc. Presumptuous, isn't it? How dare you presume that a child will automatically inherit the beliefs of the parents. Maybe they will, but to LABEL a child with the religion of the parents presumes too much. You would never talk of a 'socialist child' of a 'Secular humanist child' or a 'Conservative child', just because of the parents views. So why does our entire society make an exception of religion, where it comes to labelling children?

Was just referring to your 11.02.02 post, pofaced, but the thread had moved on. Oops.

more like the state has used religion for power and control. And it worked pretty well, TBH.

Surely if it can be shown that Faith schools produce better results and that is due to their being Faith schools we should be moving to make ALL schools Faith schools as quickly as possible?

Or is it possible that if all schools were Faith schools we would still see the same inequalities in the education system?

I agree entirely Richard about labelling children.

If you ever set up your school, we'll be first in the que!

I am so sad I got here just too late. An interesting last point there. I don't really believe anyone can have a "faith" until they are an adult and have been given the opportunity to question their beliefs.

Plenty to think about here, I've only skimmed it so far, off to have a proper read.

Spot on Richard.
Thank you very much for coming on today.
I hope you are enjoying your biscuit.
What are you having? A Hob nob or Oat cake