Calling Atheists / Agnostics / Non-Christians (OK christians are allowed to have a viewpoint)

[Twiglett]

DS has a letter asking for permission to 'visit a church' which is a 'crucial part of our RE topic' and focuses on what 'we can learn about Christianity' by visiting a church

they haven't visited a mosque or a synogogue or a meeting hall when covering other religions

am a little pissed orf and would not like him to go tbh (due to the unfairness not because I have an issue with churches)

what to do?

Guess who's got to go on the piggin' school trip now .. yup ME

I shall be the one grumbling in the back going ooo and in a mosque you'd see blah blah

Religious education is a (un)funny old thing isnt it. . Students in a number of US colleges are suing their colleges for 'curtailing' their 'right' to religious expression. The colleges had set up codes of practice banning mistreatment of gay/lesbians. The students claim the bans are curtailing their 'religious freedom' to discriminate and bully homosexuals. They want to establish religion as a valid reason to discriminate against lesbians and gay men.

Similar arguments have recently been used in the UK to try to 'justify' diecrimination against prospective adoptive parents who are gay/lesbian.

Karl Marx used to take his daughters to the catholic church near their home.

Very fond of it he was, apparantly. Loved hymns.

The thing about churches is that they are all lovely and empty so it isn't a problem for 30 children to charge around.

Whereas mosques and gurdawas are all bustling with people doing busy things so much more trouble to invite 30 people (although I'm sure v. welcoming).

I've never walked into a gurdawa or mosque and it hasn't been HEAVING. I've never walked into a church and found anyone there.

I like Sobernow's suggestion of going along with them - why not just ask if you can come along and help? (If they say no then just turn up with some carnations and busy yourself at the front and mutter darkly about the flower-arranging rota.)

I'd go too.

Waits for half of mumsnet to faint in shock.

No, seriously. Go. After all, I'd not turn down the chance to visit a Greek or Roman temple - equally valid examples of an outdated and irrelevant belief system with no evidence for the existence of their deity, but lovely buildings all the same!