Careful Now!...Religion thread.

ohthebaby

I remember we had this retreat day thing in our school with what I can only describe as religious nuts. They told us that cancer sufferers and other unfortunate people were basically being punished by God for something majorly wrong that they had done in their lives. I had just lost a very close relative to cancer a short while before hand and was still grieving so I started fighting with them. And questioning them. And shouting at them. They really didn't like this and basically had no answers or comebacks, other than my relation was obviously bad at some point. Some of the stuff they said was ridiculous. I was really upset by it at the end. I went to an extremely Catholic school so retreats and stuff were to be expected but this one was way OTT. I think even the principal realised this and that particular group haven't been back.

I think religion should be taught in schools but definitely not the way it is at the minute. I've said before that I believe in God but I mean obviously not everybody does or they have other beliefs so I think it's unfair to make children sit through a whole class about how wonderful God is. The way religion is taught in primary school is all Jesus orientated. When I was small we learned nothing about world religions at all. I was flicking through my little brother's religion book the other day and it seems like things haven't changed. If a child is Catholic and is in a Catholic school and will be getting their Holy Communion and stuff, yeah they should be learning about Jesus. But not all the time. I think teaching kids about other major religions early on in their lives would promote more tolerance between people of different faiths / none at all. The religion curriculum should be more objective, if that's the right world. Less about one faith, more about all the others and a subject through which the basic message of all religions can be promoted - love your neighbour and treat others how you would like to be treated.

Tragedy

I went on religious retreats to two different places in Secondary, the big priory in Tallaght Village and another in Dundrum somewhere. Fair played, we all had a fun day as none of it was about Christ etc.

D4RK ONION

Few things here.

ohthebaby wrote: »

I think religion should be taught in schools but definitely not the way it is at the minute.

I entirely disagree, religions should be taught from a sort of "this is what they think, this is what the other crowd think" perspective. No religion should be indoctrinated or "nurtured" as the church prefer to call it in a publicly funded and staffed school.

I've said before that I believe in God but I mean obviously not everybody does or they have other beliefs so I think it's unfair to make children sit through a whole class about how wonderful God is.

Currently, parents can ask to have their children removed from any and all religious instruction during the day, so technically this shouldn't be happening. Parents however are often reluctant to make black sheep or their children (Now little Jimmy, you sit there and colour while the rest of us do our religion) and thus do not use this "out" as it were. However, even if they did avail of this, there is no escaping the Catholic message and happenings that go on in an ordinary day at school.

The way religion Catholicism is taught in 96% of primary school is all Jesus orientated. When I was small we learned nothing about world religions at all. I was flicking through my little brother's religion book the other day and it seems like things haven't changed.

FYP somewhat. Catholic schools are under no obligation to teach anything but how freaking awesome Catholicism is, and how the kids should, like, TOTALLY follow it forever.

I think teaching kids about other major religions early on in their lives would promote more tolerance between people of different faiths / none at all.

What you've basically suggested here is the gist of the altogether brilliant Educate Together schools. They're taught about, rather than at with regards all religions. On top of that they put an equal amount of time towards ethical, environmental and moral education.

The religion curriculum should be more objective, if that's the right world. Less about one faith, more about all the others and a subject through which the basic message of all religions can be promoted - love your neighbour and treat others how you would like to be treated.

It's not the right word I'm afraid. There is no religious curriculum. Without going too much into it, the Irish Primary School Curriculum (1999), which is excellent and very modern sets aside a period of 30 minutes a day into which religious instruction may be placed. The private company that makes the Alive-O programme (which hasn't been approved by the vatican or the government interestingly) are the ones who make out the day to day "nurturing" of Catholicism in Catholic schools. It has NOTHING to do with the Education Dept.'s cirriculum. In protestant schools there is instead the follow me programme, and in ET schools there is the Learn together curriculum I believe.

Hope what little insight I have is remotely interesting

ohthebaby

D4RK ONION wrote: »

Few things here.


I entirely disagree, religions should be taught from a sort of "this is what they think, this is what the other crowd think" perspective. No religion should be indoctrinated or "nurtured" as the church prefer to call it in a publicly funded and staffed school.

That's kind of what I was trying to get at at the end of my post, it probabaly doesn't sound like that when I read it back but that's what I meant.

And thank you for your insight, it's handy to have a teacher around when these things arise! I didn't know that there was no specific material outlined by the Dept. Of Education to be taught in schools during 'religion time'.

The songs in Alive-O were always pretty fun though.

D4RK ONION

Yes, those songs are annoyingly catchy >_< They're designed to lodge in your brain methinks.

QueenOfLeon

D4RK ONION wrote: »

Yes, those songs are annoyingly catchy >_< They're designed to lodge in your brain methinks.

I still remember them, and they just come to my head randomly every so often >.<

Probably cos our fail teacher would just leave the CD on and us with the song lyrics, and leave to go on the computer for about an hour

D4RK ONION

QueenOfLeon wrote: »

Probably cos our fail teacher would just leave the CD on and us with the song lyrics, and leave to go on the computer for about an hour

This is totally the sort of teacher I hope to emulate. :pac:

QueenOfLeon

D4RK ONION wrote: »

This is totally the sort of teacher I hope to emulate. :pac:

Try and shtick the odd bita teaching in, apart from maths and computers. I would have liked to have SOME Irish going into first year :rolleyes: And don't be all pervy. If you knew this teacher...you wouldn't like to be anything like him tbh.

So, DO....why don't you bring about the rejuvenation of the religious syllabus to the country?

Tragedy

Young male teachers in female schools = lots of pervy stories!

Konata

I missed out on the Alive-O programme - my primary school refused to teach it up until a few years ago.

All I remember from religion in primary school is endless prayers and learning them off. That Apostle's Creed one was a bítch >.> I remember drawing pictures to illustrate Bible stories - hated that crap. The story of Zacchaus the tax collector and The Good Samaritan are the only ones I even vaguely remember

Religion in secondary school was the worst imo. Sure, we learnt more about world religions (FINALLY) but 80% of the syllabus still seemed to be Catholicism orientated. Doing it as an exam subject for the JC (bloody compulsory no less) is an absolute joke. Religion isn't something that should be examined!

Even in 5th & 6th year, we were forced to do religion. I told my teachers numerous times that I didn't wish to partake in the class because I didn't believe in any of it but they weren't having it. By the time I got to 6th year though I just didn't partake anyway, which annoyed them all no end - I even got sent to the principal over it. It's that kinda attitude that I hate in Ireland - forcing us into learning a religion many of us don't want to follow. Makes me angry :mad:

Hotaru

Hotaru wrote: »

I missed out on the Alive-O programme - my primary school refused to teach it up until a few years ago.

All I remember from religion in primary school is endless prayers and learning them off. That Apostle's Creed one was a bítch >.> I remember drawing pictures to illustrate Bible stories - handed that crap. The story of Zacchaus the tax collector and The Good Samaritan are the only ones I even vaguely remember

Religion in secondary school was the worst imo. Sure, we learnt more about world religions (FINALLY) but 80% of the syllabus still seemed to be Catholicism orientated. Doing it as an exam subject for the JC (bloody compulsory no less) is an absolute joke. Religion isn't something that should be examined!

Even in 5th & 6th year, we were forced to do religion. I told my teachers numerous times that I didn't wish to partake in the class because I didn't believe in any of it but they weren't having it. By the time I got to 6th year though I just didn't partake anyway, which annoyed them all no end - I even got sent to the principal over it. It's that kinda attitude that I hate in Ireland - forcing us into learning a religion many of us don't want to follow. Makes me angry :mad:

When they act like you're the one being disrespectful for refusing to do it, that just makes me go crazy.

QueenOfLeon

Deleted User wrote: »

When they act like you're the one being disrespectful for refusing to do it, that just makes me go crazy.

I made it very clear that I wasn't going to do religion as an exam subject, but I was still put in an exam class in the hopes that I'd suddenly convert to how wonderful the subject was and do it. My reasoning for not doing it was nothing to do with my actual views on religion (couldn't be bothered telling a nun that I'm meh about the whole god thing, wasn't worth the effort), it was more that I wanted to put effort into other subjects.

I still got snide remarks from the teacher the odd time that I thought I was too good to do it (even though there were about 20 people in the non-exam class that just watched films all the time), but what pissed me off more was being told it was a sin against God not to be sitting it. Cos of course you have to do an exam to be a good little Catholic :rolleyes:

Jesus Juice

No.

Insect Overlord

No what?

Jesus Juice

Insect Overlord wrote: »

No what?

No.

Jesus Juice

Ah no I just thought the thread said do you believe in God, I was too lazy to express my views:pac:

Insect Overlord

Jesus Juice wrote: »

Ah no I just thought the thread said do you believe in God, I was too lazy to express my views:pac:

That's a little bit spammy, if you don't mind me saying so. Mind expanding on it a little bit for us?

Namlub

QueenOfLeon wrote: »

I still remember them, and they just come to my head randomly every so often >.<

Probably cos our fail teacher would just leave the CD on and us with the song lyrics, and leave to go on the computer for about an hour

I still know the ten commandments in song form because of Alive-O

Namlub

kev9100 wrote: »

Even in our horrendous education system, I'm surprised someone like that was allowed to come in and give a talk...

If you knew what my school was like you wouldn't be suprised, they came to the third years last year and apparently they were all crying by the end because they made some sort of breakthrough. I just ended up being genuinely uncomfortable, and I know I wasn't the only one. I'm used to things in my shool having some sort of Catholic slant, but when people start talking about apparitions and telling blatantly made-up stories about a man wandering around with 400 euro in his pocket and giving it to a homeless man, it's just way too much, especially when you're not there of your own free will...

christina_x

I believe in God, but not mass/the catholic church

I do believe that there is a God and a heaven and we are all here for a reason, but i don't believe we are showing respect or fulfilling our duty by going into an old stone building to repeat some chants that were just made up one day. Nobody knows what they are saying, and if you look around everybody is falling asleep. And the priest cannot marry or have kids - Jesus had a child! The only reason priests cannot have sex is to stop the wealth or the catholic church being divided, it's all about money, not about respecting God.

Ginja Ninja

Without getting on my soapbox about this[maybe another day]

Due to stuff and things in my past I prefer not to believe in god, it keeps me out of the whole making people awkward and offending them area.

Saying that I do like most religious folklore[it's how I treat it] and they have some pretty cool mythology if you look

MavisDavis

Hotaru wrote: »

Even in 5th & 6th year, we were forced to do religion. I told my teachers numerous times that I didn't wish to partake in the class because I didn't believe in any of it but they weren't having it. By the time I got to 6th year though I just didn't partake anyway, which annoyed them all no end - I even got sent to the principal over it. It's that kinda attitude that I hate in Ireland - forcing us into learning a religion many of us don't want to follow. Makes me angry :mad:

A similar thing happened to me. We had a holier-than-thou religion teacher in TY and my attempts to be exempted from the class due to not believing in any of it were ridiculed. He tried to embarrass me in front of the whole class for not believing in god, gods, whatever.

I love how I only found this afterwards, it would have been such a good comeback to that horrible man:

Legislation providing State aid for schools shall
not discriminate between schools under the
management of different religious denominations,
nor be such as to affect prejudicially the right of
any child to attend a school receiving public
money without attending religious instruction at
that school.

That's Article 44 from our lovely Constitution. I think it says we can go to a
school and not to religion if we so chose. (I'm open to correction on that).

Hmm, I'm pretty sure Bunreacht na hÉireann > religion teacher.

seanbmc

Is anyone going to check out this book? http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/sep/02/stephen-hawking-big-bang-creator

I'm considering it myself, will be an interesting read.

Ginja Ninja

Lads,I went to school in a convent. Sex Ed. from a nun is not something that should ever happen,we got the religious spiel about sex and relationships [Read: if you have sex before you marry it's hellfire and brimstone for you]

gbee

If you take plenty of clean fresh non fluoridated water you'll not need so much clearasil.

Substitute the appropriate wording as necessary.

Insect Overlord

gbee wrote: »

If you take plenty of clean fresh non fluoridated water you'll not need so much clearasil.

Substitute the appropriate wording as necessary.

What in the name of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has that got to do with a discussion on religion?

TheCardHolder

Religon is like a penis.

It's fine to have one.

It's fine to be proud of one.

But please don't whip it out in public and start waving it around.

And PLEASE don't try to shove it down my children's throats.