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).

Capsicum- do you ever think "hmm- this thing that suits me- I wonder if it suits other people as well? I wonder if I might need let go of a little bit of my privilege to make life better for other people?" Or do you genuinely not care- because after all, anyone could be a Christian too?

Yes because you are happy with the status quo and quite happy that kids are being force fed religion- because you see it as the truth.

You don't actually want to see freedoms- because what's happening suits you just fine.

The privilege I have Hak- is, on the face if it, questionable. I am a SAHM, with a child with additional needs.

Going back to work would have been difficult, if not impossible, especially ad my child wad only offered part time schooling for a significant proportion of his early school career and then I was 'required' to volunteer in trips or anything out of the ordinary to covet risk assessments. We live away from family so there was no family support either.

However we have come through this. Not easy but my DC had progressed so much the Statement has ceased. No walk in the park. My Faith I can say with surety, helped keep me hopeful, kept me sane. The outcomes were not looking good at all at the start of my DC's school career, although he was highly intelligent and could read at 2 yrs. There was lots to do, that was left to me, and my Faith gave me tremendous strength and direction. I can't physically or emotionally just drop it. I hate the secular world view and the lack of hope it offers. Sorry.

"I hate the secular world view and the lack of hope it offers. Sorry."

If you think the secular world offers no hope then you have an extremely shallow world view.

I really don't know why you keep bringing your son into the discussion capsium- it's a cheap trick that doesn't wash.

Capsicum-I am delighted your faith supported you in difficult times.

When I refer to your privilege, I am talking about the specific privileged position you have in British society as a Christian.

Have you ever thought- there are lots of people in this country who aren't Christians. More than 50%. Do I have a right to impose my faith on them?

And I think you mean the atheist word view. Many secularists are Christians. The sort of a Christian who don't feel they have a right to impose their beliefs on others.

Cheap trick or not, I am attempting you tell you something of hoe my Faith has helped me. Tell me how the world is different, and children falling into a narrow band of developmental guidelines, that is not even backed up by truly empirical research, are not pigeon holed into a second class education.

This is my experience, and a defining one at that, but my Faith did give me,hope, focus and essentially the ammunition to fight for a better future for my DC.

Sorry it's a bit raw but I'm not a neat and tidy sort of person.

But you don't really care about my individual experiences or what I think is valuable in my life do you?

Do you really expect me to be impartial?

"But you don't really care about my individual experiences or what I think is valuable in my life do you?"

Of course I do. But I honestly don't see what they have to do with collective Christian worship in schools...........

It's the whole caboodle. I feel God did really save me and my DS. He was doomed by professionals to only ever live life with lots of support and I was doomed to be heartbroken over it- that bit is how I honestly felt over the waste of my lovely DS, who had so much more potential. I really did end up going to the top and had my prayers answered.

There was no other place to turn. I welcome others at least knowing God is an option.

And I sort of feel it is relevant because you cannot divorce people's experiences from their beliefs.

But you can- the idea of god may give people an emotional crutch but he doesn't really help in any concrete way.

Did me.

I did not really know where to start. I have never been really being able to write without being terribly blocked, it took me 8 hours to write an essay for GCSEs, suddenly I could write detailed 20 page reports which turned the head of a NHS paediatrician, and which seemed to be the catalyst for numerous staff restructuring at the school (comments made personally to me and overheard phone conversations). Also legislation changed, just in time, which I was able to follow, happened to come across the right public minutes of the right meetings, to make a difference.

At one point I used to wake in the middle of the night to write. I kept a note book my bed...

Does god help you specifically just because you are a christian( unlike the staving heathen children)

capsium though that is no evidence at all.

Didn't say it was. However as individuals we don't have evidence, just our lives.

My faith, the things I learnt, helped me. The study of the Bible, making analogies helped me, comforted me and spurred me on.

But it's nothing that couldm't have been done without NLP, hypnosis, advice from a friend, support from a family, a good counsellor ot tutor, a change of mindset. These things happen all the time to atheists, I just don't need to ascribe it to some old guy in a beard.

I can't see anything supernatural about it.

I was crap at art at school. Failed with a D mark several years running and jacked it in. In my 20s I started to draw and paint, my confidence grew and I started producing enough work to have a samll exhibition and sold a couple of paintings for a small sum.

No god there though- and I can't see much difference in your writing story and mine. But I had no god - if you want to use this as "personal evidence " of god then I just don't buy it at all. Or do you think god is lowering himself to help atheists, not just the elite few?

But it's nothing that couldm't have been done without NLP, hypnosis, advice from a friend, support from a family, a good counsellor ot tutor

I did not have any of those things combust and I wouldn't have trusted them either. I am not a member of any elite group.

I like painting too...

Yes you are a member of an elite group, both in social terms and your own universal view.
Socially christians are favoured, and by your own reckoning you are going to the promised land. Unlike us non-believers. We have to have your religion forced down our throat and we are damned in the afterlife.

But what has any of that got to do with compulsory Christian worship in state schools?

I believe certain things concerning my own end of life on this earth combust, but how is that different from you?

If you believe according to your own beliefs, and not mine, are you really less privileged, according to your own beliefs?

Do your beliefs offer you a hope beyond what others may do against you, do they offer you hope to counteract this?

If so why do you feel less privileged?

I will always feel blessed according to my own faith, faith is rewarded, which is a form of privilege. Singling out what is somehow unfair and not a just blessing is somewhat difficult. I do what I can, with the resources I have, to help others.

But what has any of that got to do with compulsory Christian worship in state schools?