Atheism to be Included in UK RE Classes

[AtariLegend]

My RE class each week consisted of our RE teacher telling us about her son's charity work and travels around the world. I'm being serious, not sure what the point of it was. When it came to the tests, none of the questions had anything to do with what she taught us in class!

While I understand the need to teach people about the concept of religion at that age, it's not something people should be tested on at GCSE level. 

[Len Cnut]

9 minutes ago, AtariLegend said:

My RE class each week consisted of our RE teacher telling us about her son's charity work and travels around the world. I'm being serious, not sure what the point of it was. When it came to the tests, none of the questions had anything to do with what she taught us in class!

While I understand the need to teach people about the concept of religion at that age, it's not something people should be tested on at GCSE level. 

I dunno man, I'd say it is of a lot of benefit in terms of understanding the world around you, billions of people across the world follow the major religions.  To me its almost like cultural studies.  It becomes problematic I think when you begin teaching one as fact over and above others.

[soon]

I honestly dont remember having religious studies at public school. I think we learned about religion and atheism in a class that I think was called "society and change" and also in some history courses. I dont see how a proper education would avoid either subject? Also surprised this is only now happening in England. I love learning about religions when they are properly brought to life and a cultural dimension is conveyed. Helps bring the poetry alive, gives meaning to things as simple as textiles and trains our ears to hear deeper meaning in the music related to religions. But mostly its important to make sense of humanity and the daily news.

[DieselDaisy]

I always pondered where the Jehovah's Witnesses went? They would get up and leave when RE started. 

[soon]

23 minutes ago, DieselDaisy said:

I always pondered where the Jehovah's Witnesses went? They would get up and leave when RE started. 

Maybe thats when they do their door knocking, doing their own RE to the people

[janrichmond]

9 hours ago, DieselDaisy said:

I always pondered where the Jehovah's Witnesses went? They would get up and leave when RE started. 

I was a teaching assistant for a while and we had a Jehovah kid that would come and do arts n crafts with my class when any religious things were happening (mainly Christmas time)

[BlueJean Baby]

1 hour ago, janrichmond said:

I was a teaching assistant for a while and we had a Jehovah kid that would come and do arts n crafts with my class when any religious things were happening (mainly Christmas time)

Years ago when I was in elementary school, a girl in my class was a Jehovah's Witness and had to go to the library during Christmas parties. 😏

[janrichmond]

Just now, BlueJean Baby said:

Years ago when I was in elementary school, a girl in my class was a Jehovah's Witness and had to go to the library during Christmas parties.

i taught one to tie-dye a t-shirt . I wonder if he ever did anything with that skill 

[DieselDaisy]

1 hour ago, Oldest Goat said:

And now he's going to burn in hell. 

More like, build hell out of toilet roll holders. 

[SoulMonster]

Obviously, Jehovah's Witnesses shouldn't be allowed to have kids.

Edited September 14, 2018 by SoulMonster

[DieselDaisy]

3 hours ago, SoulMonster said:

Obviously, Jehovah's Witnesses shouldn't be allowed to have kids.

And rob us of all of that wonderful music from Michael Jackson (and siblings)?

[Len Cnut]

1 hour ago, DieselDaisy said:

And rob us of all of that wonderful music from Michael Jackson (and siblings)?

Jermaine and Janet are muslims I'm pretty sure.

I used to know a Jehovahs Witness kid in school.  Nobody wanted to be his mate.  Made me feel rotten.  Actually nobody wanted to be my fuckin' mate either being one of the two darkies in the school, not until I started getting into trouble (which to be fair was within the first 4 weeks).  Funny how people start liking you when you're a cunt.  I used to hang out with him sometimes though and he's was alright, I mean they don't have fuckin' horns or something, I figure folks are just folks the world over, we all have our little ways about us.  But he was a nice guy and thats all I ask of anyone, just used to wish he'd stand up for himself though.  But in a way I guess he was a better man than me, more well adjusted, he genuinely didn't seem to care if someone took the mickey out of him or said something and I was the complete opposite but like...whats it worth end of the day?  He went home not giving a fuck and I got into a rage and got into fights and trouble and kicked peoples heads in and got my head kicked in in return...and what goods it do?  So yeah, whatever they teach em can't be all bad.  He used to always bollock me about the fact I swore all the time and I was like who cares whats the problem and he explained it to me like, when you curse something like...I dunno, that fuckin' computer monitor, gimme the fuckin' glass, where's my fuckin' pencil, what you're doing, since God created everything, is cursing the works of God, cursing the world around you and that life and all the things in it are a blessing so why would you curse them?  Which is a nice little outlook really. 

[Len Cnut]

15 minutes ago, lukepowell1988 said:

Was singing baggy trousers to myself while reading this

Embarassment might've been more fitting, though thinking about it its about an interracial marriage so perhaps not

[action]

I think it's a bit ignorant to "teach" religion, to begin with. We don't really know how the universe was created, science doesn't have the answers. So there isn't much to "teach" at this point in time, apart from "we don't know".

It's about what you "believe", but that is something you can't be teached.

Religion that is being teached in class, is based on ancient texts that advocate violence to non believers, and should be forbidden altogether.

I believe in god, but that is a conclusion I came up with myself and is reinforced by every new discovery scientists make about the universe. If anything religious class has managed to steer me away from religion at one point in time, until I began to review the latest scientific studies on the universe and quantum mechanics.

I'm in favor of teaching scientific knowledge on the origin of the universe. Perhaps it will make people realise we all live on the same planet and were all created equally.

Edited September 14, 2018 by action

[soon]

3 minutes ago, action said:

I think it's a bit ignorant to "teach" religion, to begin with. We don't really know how the universe was created, science doesn't have the answers. So there isn't much to "teach" at this point in time, apart from "we don't know".

It's about what you "believe", but that is something you can't be teached.

Religion that is being teached in class, is based on ancient texts that advocate violence to non believers, and should be forbidden altogether.

I believe in god, but that is a conclusion I came up with myself and is reinforced by every new discovery scientists make about the universe. If anything religious class has managed to steer me away from religion at one point in time, until I began to review the latest scientific studies on the universe and quantum mechanics.

I'm in favor of teaching scientific knowledge on the origin of the universe. Perhaps it will make people realise we all live on the same planet and were all created equally.

I dont undersatnd? Systems of belief can be taught. Just like physical education isnt advocating that everyone becomes an athlete, religious studies are about a subject, not an endorsement of a belief system. Especially given how all religions are taught (at least in my public school system).

[Kwick1]

In the US there's a separation of church and state and in TX public lower education schools Religion is not taught. But I think I heard recently that in TX science classes were going to cover both views. 

On the Jehovah Witnesses, my aunt married one which was against the church rules but she converted and my cousins were JW. I was a child but remember when they would come to visit. My dad and Uncle would argue. We weren't Religious and seldom went to church but knowing my dad, he doesn't like being witnessed too and their visit always ended up with them leaving early. My mom would cry since she missed her sister. Ultimately my aunt and 3 of my 4 JW cousins left the church which was extremely difficult for them. Apparently people don't leave JW. 

Christmas vacation is now called Winter break and all decorations have to be things like snowmen. No longer are even the secular parts of Christmas in schools so I doubt JW have to leave during the Christmas parties. They too can celebrate winter and snowmen. 

[Gracii Guns]

I think it's fair to have atheism acknowledged as a popular worldview in RE classes. Since politics seems to be what a lot of people believe in when they don't have anything else (broad proclamations here, but I think fair), it wouldn't be a bad idea to introduce that at a younger age too. At school, I learned about Communism and Nazism as standalone subjects, without much context nor contribution as to how those movements shaped modern life. A potted history of trade unions and conservative philosophies might have served me better. 

[Len Cnut]

20 hours ago, Kwick1 said:

In the US there's a separation of church and state and in TX public lower education schools Religion is not taught. But I think I heard recently that in TX science classes were going to cover both views. 

On the Jehovah Witnesses, my aunt married one which was against the church rules but she converted and my cousins were JW. I was a child but remember when they would come to visit. My dad and Uncle would argue. We weren't Religious and seldom went to church but knowing my dad, he doesn't like being witnessed too and their visit always ended up with them leaving early. My mom would cry since she missed her sister. Ultimately my aunt and 3 of my 4 JW cousins left the church which was extremely difficult for them. Apparently people don't leave JW. 

Christmas vacation is now called Winter break and all decorations have to be things like snowmen. No longer are even the secular parts of Christmas in schools so I doubt JW have to leave during the Christmas parties. They too can celebrate winter and snowmen. 

Winter break, now thats some bullshit.  I ain't a religious fella of any stripe but I this weird religi-phobia where you have to necessarily delete its influence in society is kinda pathetic and I don't think it lends itself to anything but broad biege cultural brushstrokes.  Its Christmas to me and everyone I fuckin' know, I could give a fuck what the telly or the internet says.  Multiculturalism is about celebrating peoples cultures and with that being said religion or old religious traditions, whether or not they are 100% believed in, are a part of culture.  if they phase out and fall from our cultural lexicon naturally then fair enough but this concerted effort to erase them is weird and kinda fascist.

Edited September 15, 2018 by Len Cnut

[Kwick1]

@Len Cnut, I agree 100% but that's where the public schools are in TX. A note goes out to all parents. Easter vacation became Spring break long ago. We're too afraid of offending people and that's because they're not taught cultural and Religious differences. So they avoid them. This leads to all the problems we have. Just my opinion. 

[soon]

I think sometimes atheisms own focus on origin is projected onto the believers. It really distorts what the lived reality of a believer is all about, imo. Worse yet, I think some branches of various religions - like US evangelicals - took the bait and try to use spiritual texts as scientific and scientific texts and spiritual. It makes no sense for anyone to make that mistake. So to offer insight to both creationism and evolution in science is great and makes sense, but its not really a religious education - it doesnt really shed light on the religious experience or world view all that much.

Atheism   ------>> Focused on origin of universe. Focused on presuppositions of what religions say about the origin. Doing good.

Faithful    ------>> Focused on relationship with God. Doing good.

[Len Cnut]

3 hours ago, soon said:

I think sometimes atheisms own focus on origin is projected onto the believers. It really distorts what the lived reality of a believer is all about, imo. Worse yet, I think some branches of various religions - like US evangelicals - took the bait and try to use spiritual texts as scientific and scientific texts and spiritual. It makes no sense for anyone to make that mistake. So to offer insight to both creationism and evolution in science is great and makes sense, but its not really a religious education - it doesnt really shed light on the religious experience or world view all that much.

Atheism   ------>> Focused on origin of universe. Focused on presuppositions of what religions say about the origin. Doing good.

Faithful    ------>> Focused on relationship with God. Doing good.

Fuck the both of em, thats what I say.  Bunch of fuckin moanin’ tell-you-what-to-do sanctimonious high and mighty self involved wankers, the lot of em.

[soon]

47 minutes ago, Len Cnut said:

Fuck the both of em, thats what I say.  Bunch of fuckin moanin’ tell-you-what-to-do sanctimonious high and mighty self involved wankers, the lot of em.

Wow, edgy as fuck . A touch ironic, not very pertinent to my point. Also wrong. But it is. Edgy. As. Fuck. 

[Len Cnut]

10 minutes ago, soon said:

Wow, edgy as fuck . A touch ironic, not very pertinent to my point. Also wrong. But it is. Edgy. As. Fuck. 

But seriously though, fuck both of em.  Its like the right/left narrative, its just tedious, predictable.  Religion, atheism, to me its like black vs white, i ain’t havin’ a pop at you or your opinion its just after a while the only remaining conclusion is that all there is is just a wall of noise comprised of different voices all trying to tell you what to do or whats right.  And i say fuck the lot of em.  I may not have any decent answers but I can smell bullshit.

[soon]

4 minutes ago, Len Cnut said:

But seriously though, fuck both of em.  Its like the right/left narrative, its just tedious, predictable.  Religion, atheism, to me its like black vs white, i ain’t havin’ a pop at you or your opinion its just after a while the only remaining conclusion is that all there is is just a wall of noise comprised of different voices all trying to tell you what to do or whats right.  And i say fuck the lot of em.  I may not have any decent answers but I can smell bullshit.

I was just goofing around. Embarrassing riches of emojis was meant to make this clear! 

If we are being serious though, I think your point is only fair to apply to New Atheists and some types of religious folks - maybe even many. You run the risk of duplicating the anti-social behaviours that you are speaking about if you cast all atheists and believers into one category and then just have a black and white narrative of 'they are all like _______ and all wrong' and those who say 'fuck it' are correct.

[wasted]

I wish I was catholic.