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.

KateF
are you really saying that in a state funded system where the choice (where available) is between

a CofE/other religiously controlled school or

a "secular" school that is required by law to provide an act of Christian religious observance,

that Christians have an equivalent lack of choice to non-believers?

I am sorry but I am having difficulty in seeing the logic in that argument.

No I'm not saying that (as I said earlier I do see where you are coming from) but there are shades of grey here, not just black and white. You are not the only one to feel that faith in education is an issue that you cannot perfectly resolve.
I am sympathetic to your strong feelings but I and other Christians 9and I am sure those of other faiths) have issues too.

Oh what have i missed - haven't had time to read since I left.

Wasn't it a jesuit priest who said "give me a child and I will give you the man". They believed in the first seven years of ones life as being the time when all the important impressions are made.

KateF I must say that you are a very courteous and thoughtful poster
it is a pleasure to exchange views with you

Thanks harpsi - I have so far stuck to "safe" threads but felt adventurous today

Thank you custy and QoQ for being open about the fact that you feel uncomfortable / will not take part in aspects of education to which you cannot subscribe, and understanding, therfore, why people who do not believe in the christtian god are in a dilemma about thier children taking part in observance / acts of worship.

Nobody has said they object to education including the 'mores of our society' - many non-Christians have said specifically that they welcome education about religion, and the roots of our society which are based in the development of christiantity.

And IME, not many people on MN have pro-actively sought to get thier child into a religious school and then baulked at it - but many have found that amongst the bazarr of educational choice, the only village schools for miles around are CoE, or their local community state school is very vigourous in providing religious OBSERVANCE and that the national curriculum decrees trhat this take place.

KateF, I sympathise with and respect your position. There was a brilliant statement from a prominent church leader in one of the Sunday papers a couple of weeks ago, saying that the national Curriculum should be altered, as no-one could possible be expected to take part in COMPULSORY worship, as worship can only be undertaken by people who truly believe.

For those of you who are Christians, how can you want Christianity reduced to a part of the educational institutional wallpaper to be forgotten/ignored at the school gate/ if it matters, surely it MATTERS?

That's an excellent point Blu. There is only one thing that can make your child a Christian and that is not learnt in school, it is a true faith acquired through personal experience. However, that does not mean that we should say "oh well it doesn't matter then" because I certainly do not wish to see Christianity as a sort of default religion.

Moondog - you read the Telegraph?

QoQ - your post of 8.58: that's exactly how I think religion should be taught, so I guess we agree.

Moondog: "BB ogling hamburger munching mobile phone twiddling dullard".. is that how you'd describe yourself? Then, no, perhaps I should prefer to emphasise my difference from you!

...or perhaps that's just what you think of everyone else. Have you been drinking?

Yes MOM.
It is possible to do so and b/feed simultaneously y'kow.....

No,I'm not pissed Wordsmith.
Drink very little these days.

"God,QofQ,how refreshing to hear from someone who is proud to be a Christian!
We're all so busy falling over ourselves to be multi cultural and understanding (from the safety of our largely white MC enclaves I suspect."

So now you can't be multi cultural, understanding and Christian?

"BB ogling hamburger munching mobile phone twiddling dullard"

Priceless. You are a modern Chaucer, Moondog

.. so what's your exuse for your ignorance, then?

Ooooh fightin' talk!

(What are you on about? Clarification puhleeeze.)

Actually QofQs family is both multicultural and Christian. Culture and faith are not the same thing.

QOQ - "we have 2 practising muslim children at our CoE school -... It was explained to them that they could remove their children from assmebly/prayers etc but they declined saying they were confident that what they were being taught at home would 'stick' with them rather than what they hear at school. "

Can I ask you (openly - no 'agenda' why you feel differently about your boys visiting a mosque?

oooo - people have been talking about me behind my back .

That is interseting.
C'mon qoq.
(Although they'd be lucky to get in a mosque at all..most don't admit non Muslims.)

because I have no issues with them visiting a mosque per se - it's the fact that they would actulaly have to do something (take off their shoes) which I believe to be an 'important' part of visiting a muslim place of worship.

As far as I'm aware there's nothing relating "to" Christianity that one actually has to do to visit a church. (does that make any sense??)

removing shoes is surely just a mark of respect?
like taking off your hat in church
nothing to do with worship

Hmmm,I think this could be something practical that stuck.Muslims don't wear shoes indoors.I wouldn't dream of keeping mine on when we visit people's homes in Turkey.It is common courtesy,not deference to a higher being imho.

Apparently a major source of tension in Iraq-oafish American soldiers striding into moswues in muddy boots. And they're surprised that people despise them?????

It's a cultural point of ettiquette in most moslem countries isn't it? It applies to people's homes. It isn't Islamic per se. It seems a bit of a strange reason, just on its own.

mmm, but the muslim kids in your school presumably do things like put their hands together and say the Lord's prayer in assembly? That's 'doing something'.