Does anyone remove their children from the religious bits at school?

[WigWamBam]

I am Pagan (for want of a better description), and although I would like to bring dd up to have an understanding of world religions, I don't really intend to bring her up with any sort of God in our lives. When she is old enough to make up her own mind then that's fine, but she's only 4 at the moment.

I'm getting a bit concerned about the amount of overtly religious stuff that she's getting at school. It's not a faith school, just a bog standard ordinary state primary. As well as the daily prayer and so on, she's now telling me about other things that have been happening and it seems that twice a week they have visitors from local churches, and the indoctrination has started. Yesterday they were being taught about the promises that God makes to us, and at one point she was asked to make a promise to God. I have no problem with her learning about what some people believe God is and what they believe he does, but from what she tells me this is being presented as undisputed truth, and it makes me uneasy.

I've talked to her before about God and about what certain other religions believe, but from an angle that this is what some people believe, but Mummy and Daddy don't believe that. Now she's being told (by people she believes only teach things that are true) that God is categorically real, and that she has to make promises to him.

I considered taking her out of the religious aspects right from the start, but was assured that it was only a daily prayer ... which is obviously not the case. I'm now considering it again, but I'm not sure whether it would single her out as being different if she wasn't taking part.

I'm not interested in getting into a debate about religion, or whether I'm wrong to feel the way I feel; I just wondered if there's anyone out there who removes their child from the religious aspects, and what the upshot from it has been. I don't want my child taught that things we don't believe in are the truth, but then again I don't want her bullied if I take her away from it.

I thought Buddhism was still pretty common out there (I knew lots of buddhist in Zim - it was the 'in' religion when I was there ) and you'd never have known most of the time!

well my Muslim friends and colleague's must have mis-informed me then. As they were adamant that they HAD to pray without shoes on (regardless of where they were) (mind you one of them was a very strange man - don't think it would have matter what he believed in - or didn't - he'd still have been wierd LOL).

"it is a common practice to remove your shoes whenever you enter a mosque. This also applies in some households. Malaysians and Indonesians will always remove their shoes upon entering other peoples homes on the basis that the house is also used for prayer. People from other communities don't tend to be so strict. Of course, it is always good manners to offer to remove your shoes, especially if they're dirty."

But, it is also, at the same time, completely cultural and not religious at all, just good manners and a pov about household hygeine, that shoes are removed indoors.

It's hardly surprising that people observe different interpretations - yes, you do clean your feet to pray, and you remove shoes to go into a mosque - AND your neighbours house to borrow some milk even if she is an athiest. Likewise, Moondogs Turkish muslims don't allow non-musllims into their mosques, i have been in...3, i think. I have to put on long sleeves when visiting Christian churches in Greece, not in rural England. Cultural and religious are alwat=ys inter-twangled.

Go into a building, not to pray, without shoes?

anyhow - as interesting as this debate is (I hope I haven't offended anyone BTW......) I'm supposed to be doing some route planning for DH's job (he does my ironing in return ). And I've been up here an hr and not done any

WEll, IME anyone of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Mauritian, extraction will always remove shoes going into houses - including mone unless i specifically say no, and even if they or the house they are visiting, is lived in by Chritians, atheists, etc.

Been in loads of mosques on holiday in Turkey. Took shoes off, just as wore proper clothes in the Vatican, and wear a frock over a swimsuit in a beach restaurant.
Well, this has travelled a long way from original post, but agree 100% with Harpsi.
I can hear Big Brother shouting now so want to know what's up!

Oooh, you hamburger munching mobile phone twiddling dullard, you, Aloha!

Hey, that's me! I love a twiddle I do.

How DID Harpy's vulva get into this?

It gets everywhere. It ha a mind of its own.

It'll be turning to Christianity of it's own accord next! (or Islam, or Dialectical Materialism or Shiatsu, or shopping at Ocado, oh how am i going to dig myself out of this one..)

No. It's a Hairy Krishna

That's the funniest thing I've read this week.
Will go to bed now, happy.

Lots of buddhists yes, but not in the sense that religion exists here. Buddhist priests are usually the eldest son of a buddhist priest (and I attended a meeting of theirs and drank beer in front of their altar or whatever buddhists have). My Japanese friends treated religion much in the way that I treat christianity- as a tradition-not as something active- that view seemed to be the general one It was a definite difference. The only religious approaches I received were from American missionaries (honestly you would have thought they would have given up by now there have been missionaries in Japan since the 17the century- they haven't got very far).

I'll tell you this for nothing
if my vulva gets religion I shall disown it forthwith
(note to self: must try and get remembered on MN for something other than my obsession with the correct term for lady's front bottoms...)

Actually, Hindus believe that the feet are dirty- the untouchables originate from the feet of Brahma, this is mentioned in the ancient Law of Manu. Howeve, yes it is also a respect thing in a place where many opeople have no carpets or vaccuums cleaners. I'll ask my Professor (he is a Dr of religion specialising in Islam) abvout
the shoes. Forgive typing, just got in, fingers frozen solid!

I am in the process of deciding whether to convet to Buddhism. I am visiting a Buddhist monastery next thursday, actually, to talk to some Monks. One of my main concerns is that I do not want to bring my boys up with a religion I would not choose, yet i do not wish them to stand out at a school that is C of W (I know I've said it before but can I reiterate I did not select a religios school, only one in my catchment- just before I get lynched )

It's a hard ethical dilemma, one that bothers me a lot.

There appear to be mosques in Turkey that do allow non Muslims to enter in the more touristy parts of Turkey Aloha,yes.
However as there are about 12 tourists a year to Van and the East in general,we aren't allowed to go in.
Talking to the student who teaches me Turkish recently,she told me that her and her friends had gone into the university campus mosque (the fact that there was one at all amazed me) with no scarves on,and a group of men had chastised them. Then the imam came out and told them off,telling my friend and her crowd that what was important was their presence. He then invited them to have tea with them.
Lovely!

I have been bollocked by an Orthodox priest in Russia for allowing my scarf to slip off my head slightly in a church.
It was in the middle of a service too.

So-o-o-o (and I promised that it wouldn't be me who reveived this thread today )
QoQ, if my MIL invited you into her house, would you take your shoes off? (everyone where she lives does, it's a social norm) She does pray (hindu) in the house - she has a little shrine above the washing machine in the utility room - but would probably be unable to say whether shoe removal is social good manners or religious in basis.
Would you cover your head in the vatican, or Greek orthodox, even though it isn't necessary in your CoE worship?.

I am perfectly happy to answer reciprocal q's about how we negotiate religious boundaries - like why I was happy for DS to be Joseph in nursery nativity, but not that they were taughht to say grace 'because God needs prayers every day'

I was thinking about this thread in the bath. It reminded me of something. My dad used to teach English in different air forces/army bases/colleges around the world and has met a great range of people. I remember when I was a teenager he was telling me about being in one staff room which contained teachers and lecturers from Vietnam, Turkey, Nigeria, UK, Canada, US, Germany - all over the place. I said that it must have been a really exciting buzz and they must have had so many different ideas and methods and philosophies to share - how fascinating it must have been. He said no - it was one of the most terse and stultifying environments he had ever worked in. Cultural sensitivity and intolerance were so exaggerated that nobody dared to say anything for fear of offending somebody else's culture. He said it used to amaze him that intelligent, literate people were reduced to using stock platitutes like "How're you doing?" and "Some day, ain't it" just to make absolutely sure of not treading on anybody's toes. I thought it was horribly sad. This thread reminds me of it in some places.

my son declared himself bhuddist. he's 12. so i contacted a temple in brighton - they were great.

i am catholic but i was very very happy that he is intelligent enough to give it some thought and challenge his status quo.

thats completely irrelevent to anything mentioned on this thread!

I agree TGITM,hence attempt to liven it up a bit.
I really enjoy it when people want to argue a point with me,as happens often on the b/feeding threads (you hear me GDG???)

I feel it only fair to point out that I am in fact Meanoldmummy

Oh right!
Did see the thread re name change earlier during first log on (only brief or would have contributed-I actually has an RL today!)

I noted your absence you missed a corker of a fannyfest...and a veritable humdinger of an "is it OK to be gay" thread...