Faith schools

dalkener

Would like to take the credit for this but it was written by A.C. Grayling.


There are at least three reasons for finding faith-based schooling objectionable. One is that it involves the indoctrination of intellectually defenceless children, and that is a form of abuse. It is no accident that over three-quarters of all faith schools in Britain are primary schools, for as the Jesuits said, 'Give me a child until age seven and I will give you the man.' A responsible curriculum would include a sociological survey of the different religions and their history, leaving pupils to make up their own minds much later whether they are going to believe any of them. Of course the faiths know that the numbers of their votaries would be drastically lowered by this means, since mature consideration of religious claims would persuade very few hitherto unbiased minds. This is precisely why the faiths are so eager to indoctrinate their own children in segregated schools.

The second reason is that although the various faiths currently make common cause in demanding tax-payer support for their schools, and legal protection from criticism or opposition, the inevitability is that since the different faiths intrinsically blaspheme one another, the result of religiously segregated education can only be eventual tensions. A far safer route to national cohesion is secular schooling in which children of all communities are taught together. If their parents wish to subject them to religious instruction they can do it after school hours, or in private schools for which they payout of their own pockets.
This connects with the third point. Tax payers money-my athiest's tax money included - should emphatically not go to support schooling premised on religious beliefs. Religion is a private matter of choice, and it is a profound injustice to force those who disagree with it to pay for children to be indoctrinated in it. At very most, if our society is going to tolerate the segregated indoctrination of small children into a religious ideology, it should be at their own parents expense!

franklyshocked

dalkener wrote: »

Would like to take the credit for this but it was written by A.C. Grayling.


There are at least three reasons for finding faith-based schooling objectionable. One is that it involves the indoctrination of intellectually defenceless children, and that is a form of abuse. It is no accident that over three-quarters of all faith schools in Britain are primary schools, for as the Jesuits said, 'Give me a child until age seven and I will give you the man.' A responsible curriculum would include a sociological survey of the different religions and their history, leaving pupils to make up their own minds much later whether they are going to believe any of them. Of course the faiths know that the numbers of their votaries would be drastically lowered by this means, since mature consideration of religious claims would persuade very few hitherto unbiased minds. This is precisely why the faiths are so eager to indoctrinate their own children in segregated schools.

The second reason is that although the various faiths currently make common cause in demanding tax-payer support for their schools, and legal protection from criticism or opposition, the inevitability is that since the different faiths intrinsically blaspheme one another, the result of religiously segregated education can only be eventual tensions. A far safer route to national cohesion is secular schooling in which children of all communities are taught together. If their parents wish to subject them to religious instruction they can do it after school hours, or in private schools for which they payout of their own pockets.
This connects with the third point. Tax payers money-my athiest's tax money included - should emphatically not go to support schooling premised on religious beliefs. Religion is a private matter of choice, and it is a profound injustice to force those who disagree with it to pay for children to be indoctrinated in it. At very most, if our society is going to tolerate the segregated indoctrination of small children into a religious ideology, it should be at their own parents expense!

Faith and education should not mix. I thought we had moved away from segregation. Whats the theory behind this?
Lets seperate our children by religion again so and don't give them the chance to mix as children with people of other belief systems.
By the time they're angsty teenagers religion will be just another reason to pick a fight.
If people want to learn about their own religion then leave it to sunday school. We can't have facts tainted by how much they prove or disprove whatever religion you're from.

Lab_Mouse

I agree with your post Dalkner but it aint gonna happen.

Having said that I wouldnt be too worried about the churches brainwashing of our children as it isnt working(2 priests to appointed this year and empty churches).

I'm quite content to let my son goto a religious taught school(didnt have have much choice in fairness!).Wouldnt want him to miss the cash cow that is 1st communion and confimation:)
Hopefully when he's older he can use his intelligence to decide what he believes in or not as the case might be