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Original poster

"Design your own god" homework

213 replies

AChickenCalledKorma · 06/11/2017 18:35

DD2 is in year 8 and has been asked to design a god/goddess for RS homework. We are an active Christian family and she doesn't want to do it because the Bible says she shouldn't.

I'm interested whether other Christian, Jewish or Muslim parents (or any other faith that has a problem with idols) have had a similar issue arise and how you handled it. Part of me thinks she should just treat the homework as an interesting art project. It's not as if the teacher is asking them to worship what they invent (hopefully!!!). But the other part of me thinks that she has a point and it's good that she's made the connection between what she reads in the Bible and what she's being asked to do.

Allegedly, her older friend refused to do a similar homework and got a detention for it.

OP posts:
DeepAutumn · 12/11/2017 13:35

Well I'd still remind them to respect the ethos of the school just between the hours of 8.30 and 15.50! Good practice for work.

My children are pre-teen and young teenagers so I don't know if they know for certain that they are athiests, yet, they might be. I wouldn't be encouraging them to rush to label that and they haven't announced it to me, orientation style. I never mention it one way or the other.

NedsMissingHead · 12/11/2017 14:04

My yr 8 dd had this homework a couple of weeks ago, and made a statue of Dave Grohl ConfusedGrin

OutwiththeOutCrowd · 12/11/2017 14:51

Apologies to the OP who isn’t asking for a general discussion about religion in schools but I feel I have to make a quick comment.

respect the ethos of the school

Deep that’s sometimes quite hard for an atheist to do when the ethos doesn’t respect atheists!

These words of Robert Runcie, a former Archbishop of Canterbury, are included in the mission statement/RE strategy of many a CofE school to this day.

Nourish those of the faith; Encourage those of other faiths; Challenge those who have no faith.

I have nothing against schools nourishing, encouraging and challenging all students but when stated as above, the tone is discriminatory – as if corrective measures are to be put in place for the hapless atheists whilst believers are assured a warmer and more supportive welcome.

I'm just surprised that the Runcie quote is still being used.

Original poster
AChickenCalledKorma · 12/11/2017 14:58

OutwiththeOutCrowd - it's OK, my original question is pretty much resolved, so feel free to take it whatever direction you like.

And even as a committed Christian, I agree that Runcie quote is fairly breathtaking.

OP posts:
OutwiththeOutCrowd · 12/11/2017 15:02

Thanks ACCK! Flowers

headinhands · 12/11/2017 15:09

you have to respec the ethos of the school, up to a point?!

That’s bizarre.* If there was such a thing as an atheist school would you expect children who self identified as Christians to pretend they weren’t. As an atheist I would be appalled by anyone feeling the need to hide a belief. What do you think would happen if a child did come out and identify as atheist? I’m quite sure the school could cope with that.*

And yy about the Runcie quote.* It sounds like believers don’t need challenging and those without faith don’t need nourishing until they take up a faith.* Can’t they nourish and challenge everyone because, you know, we’re actually all the same?

BertrandRussell · 12/11/2017 15:27

"Well I'd still remind them to respect the ethos of the school just between the hours of 8.30 and 15.50! Good practice for work."

Blimey. So you'd encourage them to be hypocrites for 7 hours a day?

DrSeuss · 12/11/2017 15:41

I work in a C of E school where the RE teachers tell the kids it's fine to not believe but they must always respect the beliefs of others. We NEVER push our faith onto people but open the door for them to find out or participate if they wish. Or not. We study all aspects of the various denominations of Christianity, all the major world faiths and consider the similarities or differences between them. I asked one of our RE staff about this homework. She could see no problem with it from a Christian perspective and said that it would be an interesting way to prompt discussion of topics such as free will. However, she acknowledged that it could offend Muslims.

I love working in a Christian school which is so open to all comers. We have a fair few Sikh and Muslim students and it's just never been an issue.

headinhands · 12/11/2017 15:41

I wouldn't be encouraging them to rush to label that.

Do you feel the same about the possibility of them choosing to label themselves as Christian?

headinhands · 12/11/2017 15:42

Sorry. Quoting fail:

wouldn't be encouraging them to rush to label that.

Do you feel the same about the possibility of them choosing to label themselves as Christian?

DeepAutumn · 12/11/2017 15:49

well, yeh, I guess we're vaguely Christian but the words ''i'm christian'' would only ever come out of my mouth to clarify that we are not Jewish, or Muslim.

My DC have probably never said ''i'm Christian''.

DeepAutumn · 12/11/2017 15:55

''Blimey. So you'd encourage them to be hypocrites for 7 hours a day?''

Is that how you see it BertrandRussell? Wow, I'd see respecting the ethos of the school as demonstrating an ability to allow others to have their opinion and to be respectful of the institute that is providing your education.

I have indeed said to my son not to be 'smart' in class, to keep his own thoughts private but that he's free to think what he likes.

But then, I chose an all girls catholic school for my daughter because they push them hard and that suits her and I have chosen CofE for my son. He is the one who can't keep his mouth shut. He needs to learn that other people don't always need to know what he's thinking.

There was a community school on my road and I didn't pick it so therefore I need to show a bit of of respect for the ethos of the schools I did pick.

I don't in any small way feel hypocritical. It's easy enough to show respect.

BertrandRussell · 12/11/2017 15:58

You said you would tell your child not to say he was an atheist even if he was.

BertrandRussell · 12/11/2017 16:01

But then, I think it's hypocritical to send your child to a faith school if you don't hold that faith. I would hate my child not to be able to express their beliefs-or lack of them-at school.

DeepAutumn · 12/11/2017 16:02

Yes! Because he's been reprimanded in primary school for being rude to a minister. Personally I thought that the minister must have had a small ego to require an apology from a 10 year old boy. But whatever he said, it's not because I'm filling his head with anti-Christian thoughts. He's just very logical. But having chosen a faith school for him when I could send him to a local community school I think that a minimum level of respect / gratitude towards that school and its ethos is appropriate. My son is free to disagree if he likes. He rolled his eyes when I asked him what he'd said to the minister. I know he wouldn't want to go to the community school.

DeepAutumn · 12/11/2017 16:07

I don't mind that accusation.

I think it's a very small price to pay for getting the right fit for your child's academic needs. My eldest understands this! She went to knock on a school trip and we had a laugh about it. I said to her ''was there a gift shop?'' and she said ''oh you bet there was''. We have a strong sense of ourselves though so we can be ''vaguely Christian'' with one child at a catholic school and one child at an anglican school with no unbearable conflicts to grapple with.

Anyway, namaste Brew

FlaviaAlbia · 12/11/2017 16:15

DeepAutumn did you find out what your son said in the end? Because if he was rude, I'd expect him to apologise no matter who he was rude to.

Hauntedlobster · 12/11/2017 16:27

I think it sounds like you’rebeing v sensible and striking the right balance.

FWIW I taught English for a bit and had a Muslim child very quietly and politely tell me he couldn’t do the homework of drawing out a poem scene by scene. I just came up with something else for him. Some Muslims believe you shouldn’t draw anything with s soul. It’s not that different and it’s easy enough to adapt.

By year 8 I had formed my own opinions on God based on what I had learned.

BertrandRussell · 12/11/2017 17:00

If he was rude then he should have apologised-minister, teacher or cleaner.

If he questioned a minister about his faith then provided the context and question were appropriate then why should he apologise?

MaisyPops · 12/11/2017 17:02

But then, I think it's hypocritical to send your child to a faith school if you don't hold that faith.
I'm fairly similar.
I think it is a shame that children of faith can't get into some faith schools because people of no faith have taken the places. (But considering some parents for oversubscribed primaries start attending with a few yeara to go yo 'prove' their link yo a church i'm not sure how you gt around it. I find ithypocritical and immoral just like people who havr yhe money to rent houses in catchmeny for a year or so before secondary applications open)

FlaviaAlbia · 12/11/2017 17:10

That's why I asked if she found our what he said Bert but if I'd been told a teacher had made a child apologise, I'd probably assume they had good cause.

BertrandRussell · 12/11/2017 17:16

Don't get me wrong-I think it's outrageous that faith schools exist at all.......

speakout · 12/11/2017 17:28

But remember that "non faith " schools don't really exist in the UK. The best we have is " non dom".

And that varies between schools. And their jesus pushing is protected in law.

My kids went to a state "non dom" primary school. The head was a fervent christian. He chose staff partly on their faith, so religion was pushed hard. Lots of Hillsong, local clergy brought in for assemblies, prayers in class. "Jesus is my superhero " stuff.
I served on the board of governors for several years.
The head would not even discuss the indoctrination.
His right was protected in law.

Julie8008 · 12/11/2017 17:41

"If pushed I'd say I was agnostic but I'd feel it was a bit disrespectful if my children were labelling themselves athiests at school".
Atheist is not a label one gives oneself, 'theist' is the label for people who believe in a particular god, everyone else is by default, an atheist. At a Catholic school 100% of the staff and pupils will be an atheist with respect to approx 10,000 gods, some people just add another name to that pile and are atheist with respect to approx 10,001 gods.

I think it's a very small price to pay for getting the right fit for your child's academic needs.
If a child is at a school where they have to lie hide their beliefs, I would question if it is indeed the right fit for them.

OutwiththeOutCrowd · 12/11/2017 17:48

Deep I’m curious to know the manner in which DS was rude to the minister too!

Did he shout out ‘God doesn’t exist!’ in an assembly the minister was leading, comment on the minister's bad comb over or simply ask a difficult theological question that left him nonplussed?

I also think it’s important to point out that being openly atheist in a C of E school doesn’t inexorably lead to being rude to members of the clergy or other believers. As an atheist, you can be candid and dignified in your stance, have the self-discipline to remain steadfastly polite in discussions and acknowledge graciously the rights of others to hold different views to your own!

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