Teaching religion in schools...opt out?

[Baldybouncer]

My 5 year old daughter has recently started a new school of which she enjoys very much.

Recently she has started asking me questions and singing religeous songs...

My question is this... As an Atheist I dont feel it is fair to force something onto my daughter who is at an impressionable age.

I could possibly understand it if they presented the case from both sides ie. Darwin etc... but all they are doing is teaching about god and I do not approve. When I was in school I didnt take much notice but the be honest with you I dont remember being told about god at such an early age.

If my school will let my daughter avoid such lessons would she be made to sit on her own - of which I dont want.

Anyone have any thoughts?

[Lawrenzini]

Err send her to a state school where they din't teach religion. If you send her to a religious school and ask for her not to be taught religion then I am sorry but that it about the craziest thing I have ever heard.

[krish]

I'm pretty sure (someone needs to confirm) that you have the right to opt-out these days

unfortunately I never had that choice in the 70s/80s
- Lawrenzini - apart from moving house to change catchment area, parents don't really have that much choice in the matter of state school, and many happen to be 'CofE' schools too, like mine - so I had to listen to my head teacher bang on about what Jesus did for me every friggin week!

[tvbox]

Tell the headteacher to exclude her from RE lessons then.

[krish]

Originally Posted by tvbox

Tell the headteacher to exclude her from RE lessons then.

RE doesn't make you religious it's just supposed to be factual teaching/learning about the world's religions; all useful knowledge imho
- I think the OP is possibly more concerned about the religious indoctrination in school assemblies etc

[Mr Incredible]

Spend time with her explaining why the God botherers have got it wrong and give her a few bits of "ammunition" to throw into the pot in lessons. E.g. Did Sarah Palin have it right to suggest God put fossils in the rocks to explain the dinosaurs? Why do American Christians hate gays? Mormons: why do they believe Jesus visited America? Why are women excluded from reaching the higher levels of church? etct etc It should spice up her RE lessons and that of her friends!

[IronGiant]

I don't mind too much if my impressionable children grow up believing that Santa only brings toys to good children or that God smiles on the righteous. When they are older they can decide what to believe for themselves.

Dave

[nogg]

Originally Posted by Mr Incredible

Spend time with her explaining why the God botherers have got it wrong and give her a few bits of "ammunition" to throw into the pot in lessons. E.g. Did Sarah Palin have it right to suggest God put fossils in the rocks to explain the dinosaurs? Why do American Christians hate gays? Mormons: why do they believe Jesus visited America? Why are women excluded from reaching the higher levels of church? etct etc It should spice up her RE lessons and that of her friends!

Whilst this sounds fair and right, and a good idea to be challenging, I have heard of kids being punished by RS teachers for saying such things in RS lessons. Apparently the teacher though the child was being cheeky and offensive to their religion. There was a big discussion about it on a prominent forum one time.

[majnu]

Originally Posted by Baldybouncer

My 5 year old daughter has recently started a new school of which she enjoys very much.

Recently she has started asking me questions and singing religeous songs...

My question is this... As an Atheist I dont feel it is fair to force something onto my daughter who is at an impressionable age.

I could possibly understand it if they presented the case from both sides ie. Darwin etc... but all they are doing is teaching about god and I do not approve. When I was in school I didnt take much notice but the be honest with you I dont remember being told about god at such an early age.

If my school will let my daughter avoid such lessons would she be made to sit on her own - of which I dont want.

Anyone have any thoughts?

I would like to hear your thoughts on what you would tell your child to do during Christmas nativity plays and whether you celebrate Christmas and Easter?

Whilst I agree that it is a parents responsibility for a child's upbringing and I respect your concerns. At school your child will be subjected to religious indoctrinations but if at home the Christian festival of Christmas is celebrated then the your child will be confused.

[krish]

Originally Posted by nogg

Apparently the teacher though the child was being cheeky and offensive to their religion.

but RS teachers aren't necessarily religious themselves and, whatever their faith or lack thereof, it should not interfere with their teaching of facts about the world's religions
followers of A believe in X
followers of B believe in Y
etc

[nheather]

Err send her to a state school where they din't teach religion.

I thought they all did - part of the National Curriculum.

I'm an atheist too, but I've not had any problems with my son (now 15) and my daughter (now 11) attending RE lessons.

In my view they don't teach religion but teach you about other religions - so that you know they exist. I view it as a hope that younger generations can learn to understand that other religions exist and whilst they may favour a particular one they won't hate anyone who follows a different religion.

At it doesn't conflict with my atheisim either - I don't beleive in god\s (of any flavour) but I do beleive that religions exist.

My only issue with such lessons, is that when so many children are failings in the 3Rs then timeand effort such lessons (along with music, art, citizenship) could be better spent elsewhere.

Cheers,

Nigel

[Singh400]

I attended a CoE primary school. And yeah I remember singing hymns and all kind of crap back then. It was never "pushed" on to me. If anything was my parents who were doing the pushing - "You believe in God!" not "Do you believe in God?"

As I grew older and attended secondary school and was taught about other religion and stuff, I slowly realised that I didn't actually believe in God at all.

I think that fact that your daugther is asking questions is fantastic (I distinctly remember doing the "aeroplane" around the playground at that age). Something that you both should strive to answer together

I think it is a bad idea for her to be excluded from RE/RS lessons, simply because she will be missing out on her education.

[jezzer256]

Originally Posted by Baldybouncer

As an Atheist I dont feel it is fair to force something onto my daughter who is at an impressionable age.

I wonder how much of your atheism has been forced upon your daughter. Is that fair?

Don't get me wrong, it's not good for kids to be 'taught' religion... but to be honest I don't think that's what's happening.

Jez

[BISHI]

Originally Posted by majnu

I would like to hear your thoughts on what you would tell your child to do during Christmas nativity plays and whether you celebrate Christmas and Easter?
.

Firstly, Christmas are Easter are completely pagan fesivals hijacked by the Romans to make the adoption of Christianity in its empire more palatable to their subjects. Christmas is based completely on the Roman festival of Saturnalia and Easter is based on the Roman spring festival (can't remember the name of it ).
Secondly, I would suggest that it is important to have a basic understanding of A- Christianity as it is an enormous part of this countries history and to understand contemporary Britain you must understand its compliance to and struggles against the established Christian religion. And B- other religions as this will give you child a better understanding of the wider world .
I am assuming your child is in primary school and RE is one of the few obligatory subjects that must be taught. You as a parent must insist that she is removed from these lessons as you do not agree with the doctrines being taught. I would suggest that this may stigmatise your child somewhat as she will be removed from her peers and be taught something boring instead in a room on her own.
Finally, I think you should give your daughter the opportunity to decide for herself once her brain is sufficiently developed and she has adequate experience to make a reasoned choice. By removing her from RE you are effectively taking that choice from her and may inadvertantly make her turn to religion as it has been denied her by her parents. I am myself no fan of religion but it took science O and A levels and several books by Dawkins, Darwin, Hawkins and Feynman to convince me that God is a human construct. Let your daughter find out in the same way and in good time and leave her to be a child until she is ready .

[majnu]

Originally Posted by BISHI

Firstly, Christmas are Easter are completely pagan fesivals hijacked by the Romans to make the adoption of Christianity in its empire more palatable to their subjects. Christmas is based completely on the Roman festival of Saturnalia and Easter is based on the Roman spring festival (can't remember the name of it ).
Secondly, I would suggest that it is important to have a basic understanding of A- Christianity as it is an enormous part of this countries history and to understand contemporary Britain you must understand its compliance to and struggles against the established Christian religion. And B- other religions as this will give you child a better understanding of the wider world .
I am assuming your child is in primary school and RE is one of the few obligatory subjects that must be taught. You as a parent must insist that she is removed from these lessons as you do not agree with the doctrines being taught. I would suggest that this may stigmatise your child somewhat as she will be removed from her peers and be taught something boring instead in a room on her own.
Finally, I think you should give your daughter the opportunity to decide for herself once her brain is sufficiently developed and she has adequate experience to make a reasoned choice. By removing her from RE you are effectively taking that choice from her and may inadvertantly make her turn to religion as it has been denied her by her parents. I am myself no fan of religion but it took science O and A levels and several books by Dawkins, Darwin, Hawkins and Feynman to convince me that God is a human construct. Let your daughter find out in the same way and in good time and leave her to be a child until she is ready .

I hope your not trying to give me a lesson on comparitive religion?
Regardless of the roots of Christmas it is still celebrated in today's day and age as a celebration of the birth of Christ aka Jesus. I'd still like to hear the OP's views on this.