We're always being told we should respect other people's beliefs, but....

[Hakluyt]

.....what exactly does "respect" mean in this context? I am an atheist, and I am always happy to be challenged on my lack of belief, and am frequently told that I must have no moral compass and that I have to put up and shut up when Christianity imposes itself on me. I have also been told that I must have no sense of wonder- and, on on particularly memorable occasion, that I couldn't possibly have any charitable impulses!

But if I say anything even remotely "challenging" about faith or people of faith,bi am accused of disrespect. So, what exactly does respecting other people's beliefs mean?

vdb - all children should hear about a variety of religions in schools - though (maybe not VC) faith schools can write their own script and not follow the SACRE and so expose the children only to one religion. A choice of one isn't much of a choice, is it?

It is surely the beliefs of the home that will impact the kids more than what school is saying

Well the religious leaders don't agree with you. If it didn't matter much either way they wouldn't be fighting so hard. Watch how they react to the mere possibility of cutting out the worship part of the school day. Not RE, but the actual worship that is required by law in the UK. Some have actually claimed that it could spell the end of their church if they couldn't force other people's children to pray to their god.

Also note just recently their panic when someone in government suggested that schools be required to teach about more than one religion.

What kind of person would object to kids learning about lots of religions?

"It is surely the beliefs of the home that will impact the kids more than what school is saying."

I agree. So let's instantly drop the requirement for Christian collective worship in schools. Sorted.

If a child was being fostered or adopted, and came from a Catholic, Sikh, Jewish, Satanist, Anglican, Atheist or Moslem background, should it be indoctrinated into some other faith?

so this is more of a balance because at least they then get a real choice

There are about 4000 religions. Shouldn't they all get a look in so that a child can make a true choice out of all the gods. If you really want a fair choice then you would send your child to a Muslim or Sikh school to counteract your own indoctrination.

secular to the extreme in most cases.

What is extreme secularity?

less than 10% of the UK are church going

So your logic is that because so few people follow it, the schools should promote it? Would you say the same about satanism?

How can secularism be extreme?

genuine historic document

Of course much of it is accurate in terms of place names and so on, the issue is there is nothing to back up the supernatural claims. Put it like this, lots of science fiction films are set in places we know are real, it says nothing for the validity of the 'magic'. We have no reason to think that the god was real or the miracles were real and so on.

If atheism is a religion then are you following a different religion for all the gods you see no reason to believe in? For example is my disbelief in Allah and my disbelief in Yahweh two distinct religions? And a Christian who disbelieves in Allah has that as another religion too?

demanding proof is just being argumentative

So we can assume you believe in every religion seeing as proof is so superfluous.

Demanding proof is just being argumentative

Would you like to buy a bridge? I have one for sale, but you'll have to take my word for it.

go and do your own footwork if you honestly want to know.

I did and now I know.

why you hang around religion forums

To help refute the disinformation spread by organisations with a vested interest in acquiring more members. At it's most basic I think just letting people know that some people looked at it and didn't believe it lets them know they have a choice.

How about "the evil leading people away from Shiva through Christianity"? are you not ashamed?

there are ways of protesting peacefully

Ah yes loving gentle pacifist Jesus spent his time preaching about how awful violence was.

Like 12. 47 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

As one third of the worlds population identify as Christian,I guess having a good understanding of that faith is not going to do you any harm.My kids attend a local church school and have learned more about the other major world religions at their school than I ever did at my non church school years ago.
Headinhands, most people know that when Jesus preached,he often used examples of society around him to make his point. Sowing seed, masters and servants, Samaritans and Levites, sheep and shepherds etc. The stories were to make a point that people would understand, so when he tells a story about a servant being beaten for not doing his job well, why would you take that to mean that he approved of the beating?? I would say that Jesus certainly displayed 'righteous anger' when religious people missed the point of what he was teaching, but I personally don't think he would have blown up abortionists with a bomb....I think he would have followed the women home who had had the abortion and held them whilst they wept. That is the Jesus that I follow.

Yep. That's what RE lessons are for. To learn about all the world's main religions. With you there. No problem at all.

God approved of violence, but I suppose there's no reason to suppose the guy who allegedly started the Christian religion had the same opinions.

btw 23% of the people in the world are Muslim so why were the churches recently so against teaching about Islam in addition to Christianity? Surely a good understanding of that faith is not going to do you any harm.

Would you use something you didn't approve of as an illustration? Especially if you knew your words would be immortalised. Christians maintain that we need god to have objective morality but here we have Jesus using a scenario he knew would be offensive at some point. I expect a god to be clever. I want it to wow me with it's morality. I want it to appear advanced. The biblical god doesn't come close.

that is the Jesus that I follow

A Jesus that you have created due to your advanced 21st century morals. A jesus that you have created in your own image and with your own values of love and kindness and acceptance, qualities that I revere wherever I see them. (Many women who have abortions so not feel how you describe, many feel it was right and feel confident that they made the right and yet difficult decision, I appreciate that they may still feel emotional but I would shy from ever assuming how people should feel)

does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows

His words. Do you think it ever acceptable for a boss to hit an employee? Jesus didn't have a problem with this system. It made sense to him, people being hit when they didn't do their job, even if it was an honest mistake. I can't get excited about a god who thinks it appropriate for bosses to hit their staff and to hold that practise up as some shining analogy for god's expectations.

"all children should hear about a variety of religions in schools"

Maybe children should not hear about any religion in schools. Maybe we should let schools teach facts and contemplate on the nature of reality, not fantasy.

I think they should definitely learn about religion. Much history, literature and music is pretty incomprehensible if you don't. It should be a subject like any other.

I didn't learn about Christianity at all in school. It didn't stop me understanding the Crusades, learning about European history, understanding Gregorian calendar, appreciating Bach's music etc.

There is nothing in religion that can't be quickly covered in history class when necessary.

I would also like to know what 'secular to the extreme' means.

www.virtueonline.org/exeter-extreme-secularism-threatens-society-warns-c-e-bishop

Just Googled 'Extreme secularism' as although I used the expression 'secular to the extreme' I was not sure if it was a concept that others have had or just me ranting!
My oldest child has just moved from a church primary to a local secondary school that has no foundation in faith. It is a very good school but I, as a Christian, struggle with how much she has to be exposed to so soon.I am not saying she would not have the same pressure in a church school as much of it is peer pressure but suddenly she is wanting to wear make-up every day.We are having to send books back to school stating that they should not be recommending such books for an 11 year old when they are written for 14 year olds, we know she will have to discuss porn,sexting,how to put on a condom,probably within the next year. Maybe saying secular to the extreme was an overstatement but it seems to me that in an attempt to move away from the prescriptive moralising of Christians,it now seems that you cannot even talk about morals so, for example, on the subject of sex ed, you teach the facts and the how to's and the how not to get pregnant and the 'as long as there is mutual consent' but the 'specialness' and 'commitment' is completely removed as if sex is a recreational activity. Now I know that many people think it is but that does not stop me being sad about that and beind sad that my children are exposed to that teaching.

With regards religious education,it is currently in a bit of a limbo state.It was so inherent in so many schools that it was never made part of the curriculum and so now some schools are choosing to ignore it,many kids get no re at all.Maybe the solution is to remove the compulsory daily worship but make it a mandatory curriculum subject. In an increasingly diverse culture that we live in it is really important that kids understand what part religion plays in that,in the hope that they are able to live harmoniously with others who think differently to them.

I don't understand why you think 'secular' has anything to do with makeup or information about condoms.