Should kids be taught religion in schools

[Bill Walker]

Nobody lives at the North Pole and rides Red Nosed Reindeers either, but that doesn't mean we should stop telling it to kids.

I dont know any High schools that teach compulsory lessons on Santa Claus

 

[Damocles]

Nobody lives at the North Pole and rides Red Nosed Reindeers either, but that doesn't mean we should stop telling it to kids.

I dont know any High schools that teach compulsory lessons on Santa Claus

Fair point. I think what I was trying to say is that educations in myhts is an important part of understanding your heritage. You can personally educate your children to not believe in God, but in school, the positivies far outweigh the negatives.

Besides, if you're (not you mate, just a general comment) a parent who wants their kid to not believe in God, and they do because of some RE classes, it's probably time to accept that you are a shite parent anyway.

 

[Bill Walker]

I dont know any High schools that teach compulsory lessons on Santa Claus

Fair point. I think what I was trying to say is that educations in myhts is an important part of understanding your heritage. You can personally educate your children to not believe in God, but in school, the positivies far outweigh the negatives.

Besides, if you're (not you mate, just a general comment) a parent who wants their kid to not believe in God, and they do because of some RE classes, it's probably time to accept that you are a shite parent anyway.

yes, of course as long as it is taught as a myth, dont forget there are teachers who are religious nutcases who try to indoctrinate kids with theyre beliefs, I just dont see why these people should be able to do that when next day in Science they are taught Darwinian theories.
Personally I let my kids make their own minds up about people rising from the dead etc

 

[Jay Division]

I think most schools still do... They did when I was there 3 years ago anyway.

When I did it at GCSE I remember getting an A on my written course work and an F on my exam. I'm not an ignoramus, but religious studies doesn't interest or motivevate me in the slightest.

It should be the kids own choice if he/she wants to further study religion, and imo shouldn't be made a compulsory GSCE.

 

[ElanJo]

Good post, I agree with lots of it.

I suppose a problem with religion is the fact that people are indoctrinated with it, instead of using it as a life choice.

That Lemaitre lad was a clever religious bloke. He invented the Big Bang hypothesis.

Are you familiar with Francis Collins' conversion to Christianity btw? If not, you should have a gander. I'm sure you'll facepalm at just how unscientific an excellent scientist can be. He talks about it in his book "The language of God".

Yea, there have been plenty of revolutionary and influential people who were religious. It's basically a truism. Almost every person in history has been religious. Even that bloke who came up with that "monkey theory" was religious when he was formulating it. I wouldn't say that every single person who is religious stops searching. There's always a few who break any trend.

-- Fri Dec 10, 2010 4:50 am --

Nobody lives at the North Pole and rides Red Nosed Reindeers either, but that doesn't mean we should stop telling it to kids.

Do you think we should be teaching kids that a guy called Jesus walked on water (etc. etc.) as fact?

I thought you just meant that you'd want religions to be taught at school? (as in "this is Christianity, this is what it says... this is how it was put together... this is Islam, this is what it says.... This is Hinduism, this is what it says... " etc.)

 

[Damocles]

Good post, I agree with lots of it.

I suppose a problem with religion is the fact that people are indoctrinated with it, instead of using it as a life choice.

That Lemaitre lad was a clever religious bloke. He invented the Big Bang hypothesis.

Are you familiar with Francis Collins' conversion to Christianity btw? If not, you should have a gander. I'm sure you'll facepalm at just how unscientific an excellent scientist can be. He talks about it in his book "The language of God".

Yea, there have been plenty of revolutionary and influential people who were religious. It's basically a truism. Almost every person in history has been religious. Even that bloke who came up with that "monkey theory" was religious when he was formulating it. I wouldn't say that every single person who is religious stops searching. There's always a few who break any trend.

-- Fri Dec 10, 2010 4:50 am --

Nobody lives at the North Pole and rides Red Nosed Reindeers either, but that doesn't mean we should stop telling it to kids.

Do you think we should be teaching kids that a guy called Jesus walked on water (etc. etc.) as fact?

I thought you just meant that you'd want religions to be taught at school?

To answer yourself and nimrod, no I don't believe religion should be taught as fact, but I do believe that it has a place in the current education system, in the same way that the Illiad does.

I'll read up on Collins and Christianity, must admit that I've never done so before.

 

[ElanJo]

Are you familiar with Francis Collins' conversion to Christianity btw? If not, you should have a gander. I'm sure you'll facepalm at just how unscientific an excellent scientist can be. He talks about it in his book "The language of God".

Yea, there have been plenty of revolutionary and influential people who were religious. It's basically a truism. Almost every person in history has been religious. Even that bloke who came up with that "monkey theory" was religious when he was formulating it. I wouldn't say that every single person who is religious stops searching. There's always a few who break any trend.

-- Fri Dec 10, 2010 4:50 am --



Do you think we should be teaching kids that a guy called Jesus walked on water (etc. etc.) as fact?

I thought you just meant that you'd want religions to be taught at school?

To answer yourself and nimrod, no I don't believe religion should be taught as fact, but I do believe that it has a place in the current education system, in the same way that the Illiad does.

I'll read up on Collins and Christianity, must admit that I've never done so before.

Here's a little tidbit

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—- on a level with the man who says He is a poached egg—- or else He would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to
(CS LEWIS)


Lewis was right. I had to make a choice. A full year had passed since I decided to believe in some sort of God, and now I was being called to account. On a beautiful fall day, as I was hiking in the Cascade Mountains during my first trip west of the Mississippi, the majesty and beauty of God’s creation overwhelmed my resistance. As I rounded a corner and saw a beautiful and unexpected frozen waterfall, hundreds of feet high, I knew the search was over. The next morning, I knelt in the dewy grass as the sun rose and surrendered to Jesus Christ. (Ibid, p. 225)
(FRANCIS COLLINS)

wtf???

 

[Damocles]

Who's he calling a poached egg? Cheeky fucker.

 

[goatboy]

i'll use an example from a comedian as quite often they have a habit of constructing greatly logical and simple arguments when involving social issues. if anyone is familiar with doug stanhope then consider this. look at what you know of the bible today and decide if thats the kind of thing you should be filling a kids head with, knowing that they are likely to carry that mindset of shame and fear (particularly catholics) with them throughout their lives.

the ONLY reason it has the following it does and the reverence that endures to this day is due to the indoctrination of kids. if you'd never even heard of the bible and found it when you were 25 for example. would you suddenly fall down on your knees and say "this is what's been missing from my life all there years"? most likely no. unless proven fact or HARMLESS fantasy then these kind of life changing subjects should be left to the adult mind.

i personally believe their is a vague and veiled truth in religions of the world that permeate cultures throughout history and survive the cultural and technological advances, though in more allegorical terms the further from the source of the story we are. look deeper into the messages perveyed within the different holy writings and a greater understanding of life, love, spiritualism and the nature of reality itsself can be attained.

religions have been greatly corrupted by the hand of man which is why they are not fit to be forced upon children who dont know any better. they best way to defeat your enemy is to divide them and turn them against themselves and mans development of certain religions have shown some of the greatest examples of divide and conquer in history.

as i broughtt up comedians, also check out joe rogans take on explaining the story of noahs ark to a "special" child

 

[pominoz]

Fair point. I think what I was trying to say is that educations in myhts is an important part of understanding your heritage. You can personally educate your children to not believe in God, but in school, the positivies far outweigh the negatives.

Besides, if you're (not you mate, just a general comment) a parent who wants their kid to not believe in God, and they do because of some RE classes, it's probably time to accept that you are a shite parent anyway.

yes, of course as long as it is taught as a myth, dont forget there are teachers who are religious nutcases who try to indoctrinate kids with theyre beliefs, I just dont see why these people should be able to do that when next day in Science they are taught Darwinian theories.
Personally I let my kids make their own minds up about people rising from the dead etc

I am in the process of trying to change my Daughters primary school policy on RE.
At the moment if you do not want your child take RE (taught by Christians only),you have to go to the school office and fill out a form withdrawing them from the class during that lesson.This is at a "secular" State school.
My view is they should have an "opt in" policy,not an "opt out" one.

I see it as recruitment by stealth,as many parents cannot be bothered or do not have the time to go into school to withdraw their child.As it stands ,my Daughter is one of four kids in her class of 25 that is withdrawn from RE.I would love to see the numbers for RE,if you had to go to the school and sign up for it.