Would you baptise your child - school

[The Halk]

1,000 times this!! Education is so much broader then just A's and B's in Maths, it's a preparation for life.

I don't know if I agree with you there.

There are certain subjects that are key. I agree it's not all about exam results. However basic maths and English skills are required of everybody, and many kids are not leaving school with enough ability.

I put figures into a calculator and I know what the answer should be, roughly, before I see it on screen. Or at least if it's a factor of 100 out I'll realise. Younger people lack that ability.

So yes it is much broader, but that argument seems to be the one which would be used to have the less sharp kids doing woodwork when the rest of them are learning what an interest rate is.

 

[izzy eckerslike]

Double standards much? Ban them but it was ok for your kids?

meaning what exactly? what was o.k for my kids ? oh, you mean having religion forced upon them whether we/they liked it or not ?

We are atheist, the local school was C of E ,another across the road was Catholic so if we wanted our kids to attend school we had to choose one or the other. If there are only faith schools in your area what choice does anyone have ?

 

[Castiel]

meaning what exactly? what was o.k for my kids ? oh, you mean having religion forced upon them whether we/they liked it or not ?

We are atheist, the local school was C of E ,another across the road was Catholic so if we wanted our kids to attend school we had to choose one or the other. If there are only faith schools in your area what choice does anyone have ?

You can opt out of all religious education within any school if you so wish.

 

[Phoen1x]

You can opt out of all religious education within any school if you so wish.

I wouldn't opt my child out of Religious education but I would opt them out of Religious instruction. An important difference. I think education on religion in the wider sense, and what the major religions believe is essential in the modern world, and to making a more tolerant one, but I wouldn't want my child to be taught "This is the one god, this is how we worrship" if you see what I mean.

 

[Crizzy]

Of course it isn't, but the point is, those parents who send their children to a faith school under false pretences believe they are duping the system, I would argue the faith school is duping them. It is not the duty of the Christian to make converts, it is the duty of the Christian to spread the gospel. You get to send your child to the best school, the school gets to inject some religiosity into the brain of your child. That is the cost of your decision, and if you don't like it, rather than trying to ban it, don't do it.

So in assemblies, week in, week out, you prayed? I wouldn't say thats normal behaviour in a non-religious school.

Of course it's not normal behaviour in a non-religious school, but it is normal behaviour in someone who is religious. But that's what I am trying to say, the school was not 'injecting religiosity' into our brains, it is normal practice for religious people to pray. It is not normal practice for an atheist to send their kids to school and if they were to do so then the child should already be religious therefore things they do at school is no different from what they do in their daily lives.

 

[BunnyKillBot]

meaning what exactly? what was o.k for my kids ? oh, you mean having religion forced upon them whether we/they liked it or not ?

Its no different from today politicians getting educated for free then doing a U-Turn putting millions of young people into debt and claiming we should all be happy about it because its 'fair', when ideological reasons have nothing to do with the fact we simply can't do any better at this moment in time.

You cannot have your cake, then turn around a throw a custard pie in the face of those behind you.

We are atheist, the local school was C of E ,another across the road was Catholic so if we wanted our kids to attend school we had to choose one or the other. If there are only faith schools in your area what choice does anyone have ?

So you settled in an area, with or without a family at the time, with total disregard for the availability of local schools? Logical high five (y)

 

[izzy eckerslike]

You can opt out of all religious education within any school if you so wish.

I know, but back then I remember the Jehovah's children had to stand outside the assembly and all the other kids would laugh and pick on them and so to avoid my children being embarrassed and harassed I didn't go down that route but should I have even been forced to make that choice ?

 

[Castiel]

I wouldn't opt my child out of Religious education but I would opt them out of Religious instruction. An important difference. I think education on religion in the wider sense, and what the major religions believe is essential in the modern world, and to making a more tolerant one, but I wouldn't want my child to be taught "This is the one god, this is how we worrship" if you see what I mean.

Schools are obliged by law to offer a varied education on all faiths. As I said I was invited to give a talk on comparative religions from an agnostic/atheist perspective at my sons Catholic school as part of their RE program.

 

[izzy eckerslike]

I

You cannot have your cake, then turn around a throw a custard pie in the face of those behind you.



So you settled in an area, with or without a family at the time, with total disregard for the availability of local schools? Logical high five (y)

I see your back spouting you usual illogical senseless replies to one and all, only someone deeply religious like yourself would seek to move where the right church/school was nearby unlike the majority having to put more important things such as a place of work being the priority

 

[Castiel]

I know, but back then I remember the Jehovah's children had to stand outside the assembly and all the other kids would laugh and pick on them and so to avoid my children being embarrassed and harassed I didn't go down that route but should I have even been forced to make that choice ?

Can you not teach your children that there is more than the views taught in school yourself? as well as teaching them tolerance for others despite them believing something they do not?

Around 25% of my sons school don't participate in the religious side of Assemblies for example, if I caught my son haranguing them for it, he would be in trouble.

 

[panthro]

I would. Both me and the other half are RC, both went to RC schools and got very good educations so would do the same for my kids. Plus the primary school in my area is a RC school and the best in our area so it would be a no brainer for me.

 

[ntg]

I don't know if anyone mentioned it yet as I only read the first page.

Would the OP do the same if the best schools were, say, Muslim faith schools instead of Catholic? Would he convert his child to a Muslim in order to attend those schools with the same style as he is thinking to baptise it?

Just a thought and it would be interesting to hear from all the people who suggest they would do it just for their child to get a better education. I suppose the answer should still be the same.

 

[platinum87]

if I caught my son haranguing them for it, he would be in trouble.

Make sure to hassle him about being ??? for hassling people who are ???

He should realise himself that its exactly the same and he has technically been insulting himself the whole time..

IF not, beat him

 

[Castiel]

Make sure to hassle him about being ??? for hassling people who are ???

He should realise himself that its exactly the same and he has technically been insulting himself the whole time..

IF not, beat him

I'm not sure that even makes sense frankly, so I am unsure how to respond only to say that 'violence is the last resort of the incompetent' to quote Asimov.

 

[Davies_M]

I thought praying, singing some bible songs and listen to some bible story every morning in assembly was the norm for all British primary and secondary schools.

My schools were hardly regarded as faith schools and certainly weren't advertised as such and we had to endure the above. Surely faith schools do a bit more than that?

 

[Warbie]

Can't you lie and say he's baptised?

 

[Vonhelmet]

Can't you lie and say he's baptised?

They can check if they want to.

 

[Vonhelmet]

I don't know if anyone mentioned it yet as I only read the first page.

Would the OP do the same if the best schools were, say, Muslim faith schools instead of Catholic? Would he convert his child to a Muslim in order to attend those schools with the same style as he is thinking to baptise it?

I imagine that the Muslim schools would be stricter about checking these things.

 

[Dolph]

You can always go for an interesting talking point that is also a christening...

My wife, for example, was christened onboard HMS Repulse using the ship's bell as a font, and her name was the first name engraved on the new bell following refit as a result

 

[Reality|Bites]

Could be worse, You could have been wanting to enrol in a Jewish school.