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Original poster

Daughter made to write 'I believe in god' in school

173 replies

chickensaladagain · 16/09/2013 19:02

Dd was in an ethics, philosophy & religion

She had to write a number of statements then say whether they were fact opinion or belief

One of the sentences was 'I believe in god'

She objected as it wasn't true but was told to stop making a fuss

We are a family of atheists -I don't pull my dcs out of any assemblies etc because I think it's important culturally for them to understand religion but surely having to write 'I believe in god' isn't appropriate?

This is not a church school btw

OP posts:

HavantGuard · 16/09/2013 20:28

She was asked to do an exercise. To copy down statements and put next to each one if they were fact, opinion or belief. It's an exercise, no different to labelling verbs or adjectives. It was nothing to do with what she believes. It was about the the differences between belief, fact and opinion. She may have known this for years, but you don't get exemption from school wrk on the grounds that you've covered this bit at home!

DioneTheDiabolist · 16/09/2013 20:29

I came here all guns blazing to express my outrage at your DD having to write that OP.

Then I read the post. In context, it wasn't inappropriate and she did make a fuss. I probably would have done the same as your DD at that age. But I would have been doing it to make a fuss.

Either your DD missed the point of the exercise or she deliberately made a fuss.

K8Middleton · 16/09/2013 20:29

A discussion does not have to be a debate or a dialogue. Perhaps analyse would have been a better word but I'm still not convinced you'd get the point.

What a load of fuss about nothing. I'm an atheist and I would not consider an evaluation or consideration of a statement to be agreement. I suggest you look up "critical thinking" in the dictionary. Then if your theory holds you will acquire critical thinking. If however you are wrong (and you are) you will hopefully understand critical thinking and be able to apply it.

UniS · 16/09/2013 20:29

Sound much like an exercise my lad did in year 2. on one side he came up with
" god, magic, electricity" while on the other side he had " flowers are pretty , chocolate tastes good , Not sure he understood the exercise either.

worldcitizen · 16/09/2013 20:30

Arrrrrrrgggggghhhh chicken what is it you cannot understand grasp about this exercise???

JakeBullet · 16/09/2013 20:31

It was an exercise...chill out. Your DD made a fuss....WHY?

Is she concerned that writing such a statement down will make her a believer?

HavantGuard · 16/09/2013 20:32

If she has to write j'aime manger des pommes in french lessons it doesn't mean she has to start eating apples.

JakeBullet · 16/09/2013 20:34

Fact, Opinion or Belief.....it was an exercise NOT a command to go against your her beliefs.

Can you truly NOT see the difference?

Original poster

chickensaladagain · 16/09/2013 20:35

K8 how very condescending

Worldcitizen tell me what I'm not grasping?

OP posts:

Original poster

chickensaladagain · 16/09/2013 20:36

Big difference between eating apples and believing in god surely?

OP posts:

Gingerandcocoa · 16/09/2013 20:36

I think that the fact your daughter reacted the way she did is understandable (given that her whole family are atheists etc). And given she's probably young, I don't think people should be attacking her for it.

I think that the problem is that you don't seem to think that she overreacted!

LeoandBoosmum · 16/09/2013 20:37

OP, will you have a problem if you daughter one day decides she does believe in God? Sounds like you're trying to force feed her your beliefs...

Sirzy · 16/09/2013 20:37

but what harm exactly do either of you envisage will happen from writing that sentence?

You have typed it a couple of times on this thread so why is that any different?

Sirzy · 16/09/2013 20:37

but what harm exactly do either of you envisage will happen from writing that sentence?

You have typed it a couple of times on this thread so why is that any different?

worldcitizen · 16/09/2013 20:38

chicken I am sorry, I am off as I am not able to be polite in any way.
Also, there are already 3 pages full of explanations.

Original poster

chickensaladagain · 16/09/2013 20:38

Ginger I don't think she overreacted

She asked if she had to write it as she doesn't believe in god and didn't want to write it as though she did, teacher told her to get on with it and she did

No negative comments or notes in her planner so she obviously didn't disrupt the lesson

OP posts:

Letticetheslug · 16/09/2013 20:39

she was asked to write whether ot was fact, opinion or belief.

She could have answered it was opinion, or maybe it was a belief for some people.

She was not MADE to write " I believe in God" as if it was lines..

MrsOakenshield · 16/09/2013 20:40

but . . . but . . . the class is about religion! In that context, it's a perfectly reasonable statement to discuss! No different to 'I believe in the death penalty for murderers' - an (ethical?) statement to be catagorised, and then possibly discussed later. Nowt to do with what your daughter or you actually believe!

This class is going to be full of emotive subjects, you do realise that, given the class name?

Ireallymustbemad · 16/09/2013 20:40

I think she and you're making a big fuss over nothing tbh. We can all find reason to be offended if we try.

sarascompact · 16/09/2013 20:40

Either your daughter has spectacularly missed the point or she was attention seeking.

Which do you think is more likely?

HavantGuard · 16/09/2013 20:40

No. No difference, because the statements were to be copied down so she could label them. They are not her statements.

DioneTheDiabolist · 16/09/2013 20:41

^Big difference between eating apples and believing in god surely?^

Not when they simply have to be written (not actually done) for the purpose of an academic exercise.

EsTutMirLeid · 16/09/2013 20:42

What havantguard said...

I'm an atheist, always have been. I get offended by religion and religious views easily. This would not offend me in the slightest. This was an exercise 'I believe in god' 'belief' to believe is having belief. It doesn't mean she has belief. 'I believe in Santa' 'belief'.

I think your dd was acting in a way I acted when i was younger and too immature to express my belief (lack thereof). I remember being told at my first RE lesson (about 1989 aged 12) to draw god. I was confused but the rest of my class started drawing jesusy looking pictures of a man with a beard. I didn't draw. my teacher asked loudly 'why aren't you drawing estut?' I told her I can't draw something that doesn't exist. She said I had to draw something but I didn't know what to draw. I kicked up a huge fuss and got detention (I also had a whinge that I thought it was against some religions to 'draw god').

Original poster

chickensaladagain · 16/09/2013 20:44

I have no issue if she decides to believe in god in whatever form

The fact is that she is currently is very firm in her belief that she doesn't believe in god and that is important to her

World citizen-you say there are 3 pages of explanation -well what I see is 3 pages of 'just get on with it, what's the problem' 'well it didn't change her mind did it' 'well you are obviously both too stupid/immature to understand the task'

Would it be ok for a Christian child to write 'I don't believe in Jesus' ?

In my opinion it wouldn't be

OP posts:

K8Middleton · 16/09/2013 20:44

See you say condescending but you haven't actually taken on board any if the points or made any attempt to understand.

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