Do they still teach about God in schools?

[budwieser]

I was talking to my Daughter a while ago and she said to me that she does`nt believe in God. Is Religious studies still taught in schools?
A lot of people i know say that they`re athiest.
When did it all go downhill?
Don`t get me wrong with this post, i was always brought up to believe in God, and i think it changed me into the person i am today.
Any replies?
Cheers.

[papa smurf]

both my sons went to a church school C. of E. i'm an atheist btw , neither of them believe [nothing i've done ] there own choice . not sure if all schools do religion its a huge subject to cover [with so many religions in uk culture.

Russ B wil probably know the answer .

[Paul]

A lot of people i know say that they`re athiest.
When did it all go downhill?
Why is being athiest "going downhill" ?

[moaningmags]

All my kids have gone to non-denominational schools where they've been taught about all religions, in both primary and high school.

[Hugh]

My children went to CofE primary/secondary schools, and both did Religious Studies GCSEs (chosen option, not compulsory at GCSE) - so yes.

[budwieser]

Why is being athiest "going downhill" ?
What i meant Paul, was when did people stop having their faith, being Athiest just means that you don`t have a faith.

[whydoIneedatech]

I went to a C of E high church school till I was 8 years old and being next to the church we had to go to church 3 days a week and the other 2 days the priest came in to the hall which was another church to all intents and purposes, and I hated it and I became an Atheist during my time in that school.

It was just like all those tales you hear about old style catholic schools and the way they tried to force feed you religion, and it being a C of E high church school they tried to do the same to me, but I was to strong willed to accept it.

I am left handed and they also tried to force me to use my right hand which I also refused to allow them to succeed and this was in the 60's, even my next school was unsuccessful in making use my right hand, the only thing I do right handed is use a mouse.

C of E high churches actually have priests not vicars.

[supremus]

What i meant Paul, was when did people stop having their faith, being Athiest just means that you don`t have a faith.I don't know about that. I can see how some people might take comfort in the belief that there isn't some vindictive space ghost waiting to pass judgement on them at the end of their life on Earth. Not believing sometimes requires a degree of faith as well.

[Stuart]

I was talking to my Daughter a while ago and she said to me that she does`nt believe in God. Is Religious studies still taught in schools?
Cheers.

Why should being taught Religious Studies in School automatically mean that all the pupils should end up believing in God? I was taught this in school (although it was called Religious Education), and I am athiest.

---------- Post added at 23:15 ---------- Previous post was at 23:06 ----------

What i meant Paul, was when did people stop having their faith, being Athiest just means that you don`t have a faith.

Depends on how you define faith. Dictionary.com provides the following 8 definitions:


1. confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.
2. belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.
3. belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.
4. belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.
5. a system of religious belief: the Christian faith; the Jewish faith.
6. the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a person, promise, engagement, etc.: Failure to appear would be breaking faith.
7. the observance of this obligation; fidelity to one's promise, oath, allegiance, etc.: He was the only one who proved his faith during our recent troubles.
8. Christian Theology. the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved.


Christians tend to use definitions 3, 5 or 8. These obviously will not apply to Athiests. Athiests, however, can have faith using all the other definitions (as can Christians)

[downquark1]

I thought hey are required legally to teach about God or god? Unless they are a faith school (I went to a C of E) they will not teach you to be religious.

[Enuff]

What a waste of a childs time. They should teach kids more important things, like how to manage money.

[downquark1]

What a waste of a childs time. They should teach kids more important things, like how to manage money.

In my opinion there are far larger wastes of time, but I understand they've changed some of them.

Personally I would like philosophy to be taught, but that's just me.

[Maggy]

What a waste of a childs time. They should teach kids more important things, like how to manage money.

Money management is part of the new syllabus.

---------- Post added at 07:39 ---------- Previous post was at 07:38 ----------

In my opinion there are far larger wastes of time, but I understand they've changed some of them.

Personally I would like philosophy to be taught, but that's just me.

Philosophy is part of the new syllabus..;)

[Graham M]

What i meant Paul, was when did people stop having their faith, being Athiest just means that you don`t have a faith.
Is it compulsory to believe in something now then?

[cimt]

Yeah, they do. The thing is, now they also teach about many different type of Gods... When I was in school (I left just over 2yrs ago) they taught Christian, Islamic and Buddhist faiths. I can't remember if there was any more. They also changed the title of the course to Beliefs and Values, which sort of changed what the course was meant to be about. I seem to remember also doing about global warming in that course...

[zing_deleted]

Is it compulsory to believe in something now then?


It is very difficult not to have a belief. Once you have the knowledge of a subject you make a choice on the evidence or whatever on whether or not you believe it. Deciding you do not believe in a god is a belief in he does not exist.

Bethia does have a form of RE in school but it is not much of a subject from what she tells me

[Alien]

What i meant Paul, was when did people stop having their faith, being Athiest just means that you don't have a faith.
You say that like it's a bad thing. ;)

I think the only time I recall religion being pushed/imposed in school was in junior school, when we had to sing hymns in assembly, & bow our heads during a prayer spoken by the headmaster & say "amen" afterwards [I really hated that school].

In my last school [where I met a certain breast-obsessed friend :D] there was a class which I think was called "religious education", but it wasn't pushing any 1 religion, it was more along the lines of teaching the basic "highlights" of the more popular religions, & the differences between them. I did get the feeling though that the teacher would have liked it to have been pushing Christianity, which is why I took pleasure in doodling any satanic symbols that I could find in the library on the cover of my notebook for that class to wind her up. :disturbd:

[bmxbandit]

Deciding you do not believe in a god is a belief in he does not exist.
...or that the existence of one/many god(s) is irrelevant to your everyday life :p:

[Damien]

It is very difficult not to have a belief. Once you have the knowledge of a subject you make a choice on the evidence or whatever on whether or not you believe it. Deciding you do not believe in a god is a belief in he does not exist.

I would say it's more of an absence of belief as opposed to a belief. It's the requiring of evidence and an absence of faith that is behind atheism (imo). I suppose everything is a matter of belief in the end though.

[budwieser]

` Bloody Hell` I only asked a question out of interest because we want to know what to tell our Grand-daughter, some of you people seem a bit touchy on this subject.:erm:

[Enuff]

` Bloody Hell` I only asked a question out of interest because we want to know what to tell our Grand-daughter, some of you people seem a bit touchy on this subject.:erm:What did you expect? This is religion were talking about.

[Maggy]

` Bloody Hell` I only asked a question out of interest because we want to know what to tell our Grand-daughter, some of you people seem a bit touchy on this subject.:erm:

You've been a member here for 4 years and only now you notice how sensitive a subject religion is at CF? :shocked:

What have you been doing all that time bud?:D

[budwieser]

You've been a member here for 4 years and only now you notice how sensitive a subject religion is at CF? :shocked:

What have you been doing all that time bud?:D
Upsetting people by the look of it! :angel:
I was brought up to believe in god and i still do, basically i wanted to know if R.E and our traditional beliefs was still taught in schools ? Or is the bible just a book now where the main charecter dies at the end?:(
I`ll respect my daughters wishes for our Grand daughter but i think she should be made aware of religious belief and then make her own mind up when she`s older.;)
Thanks for the replies everyone, i didn`t mean to open a can of worms.:shocked:

[Alien]

basically i wanted to know if R.E and our traditional beliefs was still taught in schools ?
In the way I think you mean it, no, it isn't. AFAIK, with the exception of actual "faith schools" [not 100% sure, but I don't think faith schools receive state funding], they aren't allowed to indoctrinate, they can only teach "comparitive religion". IOW, they can teach, but not preach, & they have to cover more than just 1 religion.

I'll respect my daughters wishes for our Grand daughter but i think she should be made aware of religious belief and then make her own mind up when she's older.;)
She will be made aware of it in school, but as I've mentioned, it'll be an explanation of what different faiths believe, & the differences between them, not telling her what she is supposed to believe [unless it's a faith school].