spirituality/religion in schools

should every religion get to have their say at school setting, or is there no place for it at all?
As a school student i would love to have a general teahing from differnt religions, unfortunately at my school i have only really learnt about christianity.
it would be cool if there was somthing they did to try and help you get in touch with the universe or god without being religious...mabey meditation.

Originally posted by daisychainsaw
should every religion get to have their say at school setting, or is there no place for it at all?
As a school student i would love to have a general teahing from differnt religions, unfortunately at my school i have only really learnt about christianity.
it would be cool if there was somthing they did to try and help you get in touch with the universe or god without being religious...mabey meditation.

dont you get religious education? that is covering all kinds of religious belief?

Originally posted by daisychainsaw
should every religion get to have their say at school setting, or is there no place for it at all?
As a school student i would love to have a general teahing from differnt religions, unfortunately at my school i have only really learnt about christianity.
it would be cool if there was somthing they did to try and help you get in touch with the universe or god without being religious...mabey meditation.

Where are you? Different countries obviously have different laws in this regard.

I believe in the UK, it is mainly christian focused, though they do cover other religions. In my experience there is not that much of it in the UK. We had one lesson a week in the first year or two of secondary school when I went nearly 30 years ago.

I think there is definitely a place in school and a need to learn about religion: the different things that people believe around the world and the history of those beliefs (political / social / geographic / economic etc). I also think this should be within a 'philosophy' stream that also deals with wider philosophical issues and should include the thoughts of all the great philosophers and should include lessons in critical thinking and relevant aspects of psychology.

What religious education in schools should never be is teaching that one particular religion is True.

--- Penguin.

Originally posted by daisychainsaw
it would be cool if there was somthing they did to try and help you get in touch with the universe or god without being religious...mabey meditation.

There is a big difference between teaching you about different religions and teaching you that a given religions teachings are factual. You are starting with the assumption that God or some conscious 'universe' exits and you would have to be specific about some religion for you to start with that assumption then teach it.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
dont you get religious education? that is covering all kinds of religious belief?

She's in New South Wales, I'm in Queensland. My boy just enrolled into a new school and once again I have been asked whether my son would like "religous education". It's as daisy says- "religous" means "christian".

I find it a bit deceptive, it should be called "bible studies" 😛

Originally posted by daisychainsaw
should every religion get to have their say at school setting, or is there no place for it at all?
As a school student i would love to have a general teahing from differnt religions, unfortunately at my school i have only really learnt about christianity.
it would be cool if there was somthing they did to try and help you get in touch with the universe or god without being religious...mabey meditation.

I have heard only positive stories from the few teachers I have heard of that give their kids 5min or so meditation before or after class.
Didn't one of your teachers do this? How was it?

Originally posted by karoly aczel
She's in New South Wales, I'm in Queensland. My boy just enrolled into a new school and once again I have been asked whether my son would like "religous education". It's as daisy says- "religous" means "christian".

I find it a bit deceptive, it should be called "bible studies" 😛

My boy just enrolled into a new school and once again I have been asked whether my son would like "religous education". It's as daisy says- "religous" means "christian". I find it a bit deceptive, it should be called "bible studies".

Well that's awful. If asked that, I would give a resounding NO.

--- Penguin

Originally posted by Penguin
[b]My boy just enrolled into a new school and once again I have been asked whether my son would like "religous education". It's as daisy says- "religous" means "christian". I find it a bit deceptive, it should be called "bible studies".

Well that's awful. If asked that, I would give a resounding NO.

--- Penguin[/b]

I've answered "No" for now. I'll have to talk with the teacher about it at this new school.

I didn't mind my 5yr old coming home and telling me that peolple should be good to each other,etc. after he came back from RE. But when he came back saying something about "Baby Jesus", I really didnt think that was entirely appropriate.

What do you think my son is going to think? that some "baby" has all the power in the world? 😕

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
dont you get religious education? that is covering all kinds of religious belief?

not really, i think we are meant to but i havent been taught anything but christianity

Originally posted by karoly aczel
I have heard only positive stories from the few teachers I have heard of that give their kids 5min or so meditation before or after class.
Didn't one of your teachers do this? How was it?

yeah my math teacher used to do that it was really good, he also taught us some really cool stuff about energy and the universe and budhism and cool sciences, we always tried to side track him into a conversation about it.

i think what you learn does depend a bit on your teacher. our teacher is also our chaplian and she is christian she has mentioned other religions but she dosent go into it, although she is far from trying to convert us and often the class is just about ethical issues.

Originally posted by daisychainsaw
not really, i think we are meant to but i havent been taught anything but christianity

Yes, it seems in a predominantely christian society, there are people in positions of power who let this slide.
Actually, it's an out and out lie.
It's going to take more parents than just me to kick up a stink to get anything changed.


I thought it was the worst when we were in like grade 7 or 8 (12 years old), and we had a real (christian) fundie sounding "religon" teacher. He was obviously viewing us as not just simple children who liked what most children like to do. He had this tone of seriousness, and now I realize that he was viewing us as "sinners" that needed to get in touch with Jesus a.s.a.p.
Of course we were totally bored out of our skulls until one kid try to find ways to exploit this system. He postulated that we could hold off getting converted until we were nearly dead.
He goes ," So if a car is just about to hit me and I say "Save me Jesus" [really quickly], then I'll be saved?"
"Well, yes...." , came the reply, and suddenly the class was awakened from it's slumber as a few of us cracked up laughing.
Really. What a joke. Just a waste of time. But also misleading in the end.