religious education in schools

[kryptic]

A letter in my local paper tonight, laments that the government are proposing to delete RE from the school curriculum. The correspondent believes that RE gives children an insight into other belief systems and cultures and can give children a 'moral backbone.' He also believes that teaching religion can be harmonious to all, regardless of race, colour or creed.
I was just wondering what other ABers thought about the teaching of RE in school.
Good thing or bad thing?
Thanks.

[chakka35]

There is nothing wrong with religious <education>, that is, telling children that many religious beliefs exist in this world (much as some of us might regret it). It amounts to teaching them undisputed facts, no different from teaching them about the world's pollitical systems.

It is becomes undesirable brain-washing when one particular belief is promulgated, which is what happens in faith schools.

[RATTER15]

As Chakka said^^^^
What I'm totally against is educating children with lies!! teaching children about this God like its a fact, It just isn't factual, its just a very strange belief system.

Talking, snakes, growing a woman from a mans rib, a 600 year old man building a boat to house 2 of every kind of creature in the world and then having to commit incest to repopulate the world!! and that's just the start....... C'mon guys, we have moved on from Hocus Pocus haven't we?!!

[Ankou]

teaching about religion is a good thing, along with education around culture, geography and history.

if re teaching is based solely on one religion, then that is where it all goes wrong.

[annie0000]

^^^^ what they said!!!! Our kids do RME - Religious and Moral education designed to teach about different faiths and cultures and social responsibility - I am not religious and I think that this is fine.

[Old_Geezer]

As long as it is not indoctrination of one religion, but a study of human belief systems, then I think it is a valid and useful subject.

[RATTER15]

I agree Ankou, give the children facts, not stories, teach them about religions around the world but don't teach them that they are anything more than stories, let them make up their own minds.

[Huderon]

chakka35 my youngest daughter is at a faith school, and is taught about all the major faiths - though they do tend to emphasise the faith associated with the school.

I don't have a problem with that, and it does give the children an insight into other faiths and cultures.

As for the brainwashing bit - dream on ! Most of the children at the school do NOT practice the faith they are nominally associated with, and while I'm sure there are some believers there, I'd say the majority either do not believe or see their faith as an add on rather than the core of their lives.

[Huderon]

ummm ... For add on in that last sentence, read optional extra

[chakka35]

That's fine, Huderon. As I said, telling children that many faiths exist is merely to state a fact (provided, of course, that the children are not told that what those faiths teach are facts). But many faith schools, particularly RC establishments, do indoctrinate the children with their particular faith, even to the extent of telling them that all Protestants burn in hell for ever.

[Ankou]

"even to the extent of telling them that all Protestants burn in hell for ever"

is that from your own personal experience ?

[chakka35]

No, ankou, from the reports of others. I have never been to an RC school. There is one poignant example of it in Richard Dawkins' book, The God Delusion.

[jason.p]

Teaching comparative religions as their place in history and in our present day society to my mind is a good thing, so long as there is no bias towards any one particular belief system. I'm not a believer myself but I do think we should give kids the credit for being able to make up their own minds, provided they are given the facts in an unbiased way.

[beso]

I believe the religious books should be studied in an objective way. Show how they promote circular logic and bigotry so that children are aware of the way the religious try to pollute their mind.

[Ankou]

"from the reports of others"

probably as accurate and reliable as the bible then.

[Answerprancer]

IMO religion/spirituality is akin to sexuality ie. a sensitive and personal area - no type of religion should be promoted or de-moted in any way in schools. For this reason, I think religion should become a small part of 'humanities' just as sexuality is included in biology.

[Huderon]

chakka35 I went to RC schools, as did my wife and both my daughters, and I can tell you that at no time were any of us taught that Protestants (and those of other faiths) would burn in hell forever. I can also assure you that none of my brothers or my sister (who went to different RC schools than the ones I attended) were ever taught any such thing.

Now I have no idea who you have spoken to, nor how old they are nor where they went to school, but in RE classes at primary school we were taught that heaven is open to everyone regardless of their faith. I doubt that any school I attended was atypical, so from my experience, that attitude has been around since the late 50's or early 60's.

Times change, as do attitudes. You're more than welcome to believe that RC schools are places where children are indoctrinated, but I, for one, know better.

[chakka35]

OK, Huderon, if you know better, then who am I to argue with you?

Ankou, do you ever progress from one-liners? The reports of real people can hardly be equated with the contents of the bible because such people exist now and can be identified.
The only author in the bible who can be identified is Paul (Saul of Tarsus) who wrote at least some of the epistles attributed to him. All the rrest is anonymous and therefore of little value.

1.

[Ankou]

"because such people exist now and can be identified"

but i'm hearing that 3rd hand via you, i don't know they exist any more than jesus did. and thats before we get on to fabricaiton, embellishment and miracles. i can question that can't i ?

[mibn2cweus]

Hell is a key tenet of Christianity. If RE doesn't present these as part of a comprehensive overview of Christianity, then perhaps it's time they start. Perhaps a review is on order - http://192.220.96.202...hristian_beliefs.html

If children do not adopt these beliefs in spite of having been introduced to them, then good for them . . . and no thanks to their 'teachers'. Anyone who espouses the teaching of Christianity to children as anything other than insanity needs to be moved to another institution. Perhaps those who do have been indoctrinated without even knowing it. That's the only explanation I can conceive of for their ongoing attempts to whitewash this evil for which refusing to expose the mind numbing absurdity of it all is all the more evil still. To bad there is no god to have mercy upon their soul . . . or is it?

[Huderon]

mibn2cweus if you care to read what I wrote, I was specifically referring to Catholic teaching of which I have some experience, as a pupil, as a parent and as a member of a family who all went to RC schools. My responses were made specifically in the light of chakka's comments about brain washing and RC schools.


Now, as it happens I am fully aware of the kind of beliefs the fundamentalist Christians hold, just as I'm aware that there are a lot of them around - just not as many of them as there are moderates. There are extremes in all religions, and in all political and social groups.

You are more than welcome to believe that the people who espouse the fundamentalist view in any religion represent the majority, and to view all members of that religion in that light. I'll stick to getting on with the people I meet in the real world, without demonising them because of their religious beliefs.