Do you feel it is important to share your views on faith or atheism?

[gingerdodger]

This is a genuine question, I am not asking to promote a faith vs atheism debate as we have plenty of those.

My question is whether people feel that it is part of their faith to share those beliefs with others? How far do you take this and how do you approach it? Similarly for those who are atheist, do you feel it is important to share your opinions and in what ways do you do this?

I know some faith groups see this as absaloutely fundamental to their faith whilst others are more relaxed. I also see that those who do not believe in God(s) also often wish to share their opinions widely. It interests me to think about what this achieves in terms of sharing opinions, understanding of each other etc.

From my point of view I strive to be open about my faith, I like to listen to other's perspectives as this makes me think (providing they are listening, I tend to bow out when it starts to feel adversarial and not inquisitorial). I don't feel compelled to actively knock on doors (metaphorically or otherwise) to share my faith but rather subscribe to the view that I hope my approach to life and openness about faith allows me to discuss my faith openly and honestly. I do believe actions speak louder than words and the best form of 'preaching' is to live Christian values of love (not saying I am good at this).

Contributers on MN are the vocal few. The majority are the compliant nominal christian/agnostic/athesit.

It is only in towns and cities that you have to jump through hoops to get in a faith school. If you live in a village you are quite likely to have only CofE schools in a 10 mile radius and so they take all in the catchment.

Exactly combust - or it would have stopped long ago! The other reason is that a lot of parents still fondly imagine their child is at a secular school when it is an impossibility.

Or if not secular they don't understand non denominational.

They only need to go around the playground and canvass parents for a mass removal from collective worship. I doubt they would get far.

I was one of those parents who thought I was sending my child to a secular school. How wrong was that!!!
But it's as secular as I could get. I had to simply counteract the brainwashing that my children were subject to- and it's not pleasant telling your child that teachers are telling them stuff that is untrue.

They only need to go around the playground and canvass parents for a mass removal from collective worship. I doubt they would get far.

And why do you think that is, Delphinium?

Reinforcing religion is done at such basic levels. I did a primary school teaching diploma. Competition to get into the course was very high, one place for every 10 applications.
It was very obvious that a religious background was one of the factors which enhanced a student's acceptance. If you were a practicing christian or had experience teaching at Sunday school then your chances were dramatically increased.
Eighty per cent of the students were attending scripture Union meetings at lunch times. The dean of the faculty was a practicing church of Scotland minister.

One way of making sure that state run non denominational schools are staffed by christian teachers.

combust there are teaching degrees without such requirements, I attended one.

THese were not official requirements as such capsium. THe teacher training college I attended was non-denominational, but the selection process obviously favoured christians. It was unspoken, underhand and insidious.

^Sorry that should say I did one, not attended. Typo. Although baptised C of E, not that they would have known, and I did not attend church regularly at all. People on our course had differing beliefs Wicca, Catholic, Atheist, Agnostic. I learnt at lot about Paganism, folklore and folk belief on my course (English) - there was a whole module devoted to the influences on literature.

Combust, I'm confused. Did you not learn about the legal requirement for collective worship when you did your Primary Teaching Diploma. I would have thought that a course so heavily weighted towards religion would have made a big of a thing of collective worship. Even one where religion was not taken into consideration at all would have to mention it as a legal requirement, no?

I don't think it's fair to demand Christian worship. I think it's shocking, actually. But I've always lived in a place where state funded schools are secular.

I talk to my children about my beliefs at home and at church. That's the place for it IMO.

Not demanding worship Cheerful, just ensuring there is provision for it. People can opt their children out of worship if they wish. In Secular State schools collected worship is not allowed, even if the whole school community wanted it, which I think is wrong as I believe in religious freedom.

So. Assembly has a moment of quiet reflection- which is obviously good for everyone.

But if I do not want my child to pray, then they have to be taken out, making themselves conspicuous,which many children hate- and also missing the moment of collective quiet reflection.

Capsicum- you keep on saying "if that's what the school community wants" but it's not a choice. You get what you want in every single state school in the country. I get what I want in none.

Perhaps you should suggest to the school governors that Assembly and Collective Worship be separated Hak.

Dione- yes, because there is soooooo much time in the school day for that......

Hak it is a choice because parents can opt their child out of worship. If you believe the school community does not want worship, or a significant proportion of them don't, you engage with them and then they all know they can opt their child out, and will if this is what they want to do.

If you however are in a minority you have to make the choice. However I believe the school should make this as painless as possible. It can be as simple as saying 'For those who want to pray, you can join in and repeat these words. For those who don't please remain quiet.' Unless you object your child to witnessing prayer, in which case they would have to leave the room, although this still could be structured sensitively.

How much time do you think it takes to say a prayer Hak? DS's school do it 5 minutes before the bell to go into school. Therefore no one has to leave a room. I think it's a great and easy solution.

I couldn't care less how much time it takes to say a prayer. I don't want my children taught how to pray. Not do I want their heads filled with rubbish and untruths from the bible.

combust guess you'll have a hard time of it then, sorry, but there are Christians in our society and have been for a long time. Christianity forms part of our culture. You can't just eradicate it. Just as Christians believe we have to be 'in this world', so do you.

They tried that with Communism, for example,....Christianity didn't disappear.

Combust, did you not learn about collective worship on your course? What do you do wrt your DCs and collective worship at the minute?

The legislation says "collective worship" and means whole
school. So separating assembly and worship would
Mean getting the whole school together twice. When the problem could be solved simply by removing the prayer element from the moment of quiet reflection so the whole school could share it all together. I genuinely can't understand why this is even remotely an issue.

Hak in the school my DC attends there are prayers and hymns and church services. I doubt you'd be happy with it. However, legally, you can opt your child out of worship, and if a significant proportion of the parents did this, the whole school would not be worshipping, would they?