Christian Worship in Schools

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By British Law it is compulsory for all state schools to hold daily acts of worship to a Christian God. It is also compulsory for schools to teach religion and because the country is predominantly Christian, these religious education classes must focus primarily on Christianity although they may focus on other religions as well.

Now, for a long time I didn't even know this law existed. My school was private, so it didn't fall under this law. Didn't matter. It was a Christian charity and hence it held one full school act of worship at least once a week.

Only now does the Government realise that many of the state schools are struggling to keep within the law or breaking the law.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4552382.stm

So we've currently got a situation where every single school, except possibly Jewish and Islamic private schools (which are very rare compared to the Christian private schools) is forced to hold acts of daily worship and forced to ensure that every child worships a Christian God at some point in the day. We've also got the situation where every single state school is refusing for grounds that "they can't hold all the pupils in the school assembly hall" or "teachers feel uncomfortable teaching a faith they don't necessarily believe in."

Now I actually don't mind this law. I have come to the conclusion that this law is making hard Christian fundamentalists quite content. Their viewpoint is enforced by law and being taught. They've got nothing to complain about and so far haven't even attempted to foist religious ideas into places where they don't belong.

Unfortunately, this is kinda hard on those pupils who aren't Christian. I remember there were Muslim pupils in my school and though they were free to practice their own religion, they were forced to attend the weekly act of Christian worship.

Is that right?

One Reverend said that this country is predominantly Christian so therefore it is only right that the Christian faith should be represented in schools. But is this country remaining predominantly Christian because schools are forced to teach Christianity and forced to hold these acts of worship?

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I don't know what to say. As an American, the concept of teaching religion in a public school is anathema to me.

Personally, I think that the law places non-Christian kids in an peculiar position. I would be curious as to what the parents of these children say tho their kids?

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Re: Christian Worship in Schools

Wolf_ODonnell wrote:

One Reverend said that this country is predominantly Christian so therefore it is only right that the Christian faith should be represented in schools. But is this country remaining predominantly Christian because schools are forced to teach Christianity and forced to hold these acts of worship?

That canard has been trotted out here to justify "elective" Bobble study courses here. I rather doubt, though that--for the present, at least--the majority status of christianity is either threatened by immigration, or perpetuated by such teaching.

I won't burden this thread, but a history of the effect of the Protestant Reformation on England--including the establishment of state-controlled episcopalianism, the rise of the Scots Kirk from John Knox's importation of Calvinism, the rise of Puritanism imported from the Scots version of Knox's Calvinism, the fragmentation into Independent Congregationalism from Puritanism, the evolution of the Scots Kirk into Presbyterianism, and the rise of Methodism from the evangelical movements of the eighteenth century--all suggest a desparation on the part of the established church to maintain a death grip on their supremacy in the face of an inevitable sectarianism.

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Oops . . . forgot ol' George Fox, founder of the Society of Friends. It is said, perhaps aprocryphally, that Fox appeared before a Lord Lieutenant with some of his followers on a charge of propagating heresy. Before the Justice could get things going, Fox is said to have leapt to his feet to cry out: "Tremble before the awful majesty of the Lord Thy God ! ! !"

To which the Justice is said to have drily replied: "Yes . . . well, if the quakers will be seated, we shall proceed." Thus, the name Quaker which is the commonly used name for this sect, which i believe has prospered more in the United States than in England.

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Re: Christian Worship in Schools

Wolf_ODonnell wrote:

So we've currently got a situation where every single school, except possibly Jewish and Islamic private schools (which are very rare compared to the Christian private schools) is forced to hold acts of daily worship and forced to ensure that every child worships a Christian God at some point in the day.

I don't think that this is fully correct.

Quote:

All maintained schools must provide daily collective worship for all registered pupils (apart from those who have been withdrawn from this by their parents). This is may be provided within daily assembly but the distinction should be made clear.

The head teacher is responsible for arranging the daily collective worship after consulting with the governing body. Daily collective worship must be wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character. The precise nature will depend on the family background, ages and abilities of the pupils. It is acceptable for schools to split the collective worship sessions over the school year to be 51% Christian and 49% other faiths or interests.

Most schools should be able to include all pupils in their act of collective worship. There may be exceptional cases, however, where, in view of the family background of some or all pupils, the head teacher and governing body feel that a broadly Christian act of worship is not suitable. In these circumstances, the head teacher can apply to the local Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) to have the Christian content requirement lifted. Before doing so, the governing body should consult the parents of pupils at the school. Collective worship can take place at any time in the school day and the whole school does not need to get together at the same time. Collective worship can be organised into form groups or year groups or whatever is appropriate for the school. It cannot be organised in faith groups unless a determination has been sought and granted by the local SACRE.

from TeacherNet, where you find more information and links as well.

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In Germany, btw (as well as in other European countries), religion is a subject in public schools.

Here, children attend classes according to their faith. Parents may decide which class their children attend, or whether they should attend any class at all. From the age of 14 on, a pupil can decide whether or not to continue religious instruction.

However, we don't have e.g. crosses in classrooms [at least: generally] and most notably don't have (compulsary) worships. (I never had to attend "school mass" - and that's more than 40 years ago in a strictly catholic town.)

I really liked religious education, since I learnt there nearly all I know now about church history, different faiths etc.

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Everything i learned 'bout religion i learned at the business end of a yard-stick weilded by one of the members of the Brothers and Sisters of Charity . . . talk about a misnomer . . .

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Teacher put a shiny
On Setanta's tiny hiney. Laughing

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WOW! It's now a featured topic.

Must have been my scholarly post what put it over the top.

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Well, yes, pupils can be withdrawn but I've never seen that happen, which is quite bizarre. Muslims attend just as frequently as everyone else.

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Wolf_ODonnell wrote:

Well, yes, pupils can be withdrawn but I've never seen that happen, ....

The reasons might be worth being looked at.

However, even at Church of England schools parents can withdraw their children from Religious Education activities.

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They should be, Walter. Possibly, some parents perceive their children would be held up to ridicule by their fellow students?

Sounds like 'separate but equal' opportunities, to me.

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Walter Hinteler wrote:

Wolf_ODonnell wrote:
Well, yes, pupils can be withdrawn but I've never seen that happen, ....

The reasons might be worth being looked at.

However, even at Church of England schools parents can withdraw their children from Religious Education activities.

I agree, Walter.

As to my thoughts on the topic, I think it might be a case of 'old habits die hard". Looking at the practice in today's multi-cultural world is admirable.

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I don't think it is right to force children of other religions to attend Christian classes. I do believe this is something that should be decided upon by the children and their parents.

I can't say I don't like the idea of Christianity being taught because I do. But, I do realize that not everyone is Christian and this is a decision that has to be personal to everyone.

I think kids today have enough to deal with in school and life and don't need something so controversial as religion pushed on them. I am all for elective courses, but I do not think they should be mandatory.

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We have mandatoty religion since ... I don't know how many centuries. (Since a couple of years in one or two states only "ethics" for everyone.)

No-one is forced to join the Catholic and Evangelical classes at any scholl type here.

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I went to a public school in G-B had religious classes once a week, the priest who was very old and quite stupid (was to me up till I left school at 13 ) most of the class consisted of him reading from the Bible, of which hardly any of us understood... if you miss behaved he would give you one verse of Kings to learn by heart, by the next week he would of forgotten who he gave it to, I reckon i would have had to have learnt the whole of Kings if he could of remembered.

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He was quite old and stupid? How was he stupid?

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Muslims get a free pass that Christians would never be allowed in this one.

The ACLU is surprisingly silent.

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48107

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Momma.
Quote...(He was quite old and stupid? How was he stupid?) unquote.
I think I explained that in saying... in my eyes as a 13 year old.... he was most likely a young man.. 30-40 perhaps. The male 13 year old in my day thought that "old" people were stupid, especially if they were boring priests.
I see the same priests on TV who preach their "beliefs" to the gullable followers. They even look younger and more stupid nowadays, but then I was guessing in those days, whereas now... I'm "grown up" and know a lot more, although my wife often tells me I'm in my second childhood, among other things... but my 7 grandchildren think I'm cool, my 3 sons think I'm a pain in the arse, especially when I go down to the office, sticking my nose in where it's not wanted.

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