Just got this link in response to the petition to abolish faith schools:-
http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page18429
A slightly less weasel response to the petition about creationism teaching in science lessons, but I'm not exactly reassured.
http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page19153
I am for keeping creationism out of science class, but I don't think I would agree with Government banning faith schools.
The purpose of a school must be to teach children about reality, not about somebody's version of supernatural fantasy. The only conceivable reason for the existence of a "faith" school is to do the latter, to a greater or lesser extent. If a child then reaches adulthood (but not before) and chooses to abandon reality in favour of fantasy, then they should be free to do so, just as they are then free to damage their health with alcohol, tobacco or dangerous sports.Originally Posted by piratebrido
As long as its privately funded I don't care either way (I will still feel sorry for the children).
Shame I didn't hear about the petitions before, would've signed.
I don't think it's reasonable to indoctrinate children with lies, just because their parents can afford it.
I don't believe in just banning things and a state telling people what they can and cannot believe.
Your right to believe these things should be protected, and equally your right to criticise should be protected.
Parents should have a right to bring up their children as they see fit. If that idea contradicts my idea's then I guess I have the right to question and criticise.
I believe the state should be secular, but I don't think it should enforce itself on anyone.
How would you feel if parents chose to educate their children in, say, Satanism or Scientology? What about a school teaching atheism (as distinct from just not teaching religion), or a personality cult worshipping a communist or fascist leader? If your answer is any different from your view regarding established religions, why?
It's a difficult issue. I don't like the idea of the state telling parents how to bring up their children, but I don't like the idea of parents being able to bring up their children to believe lies either.
Well, I have an easy answer. My view doesn't differ. Parent's are already bringing up their children in Scientology. Who are we, or anyone else, to tell them what they can and cannot tell teach their children.
Banning faith schools isn't going to solve anything. We can and should criticise if the need is felt, but shouldn't enforce anything on anyone. Society is becoming more secular, and this has been achieved without banning religion.
That presumes that a child is the property of parents, to do with as they please. Obviously society restricts this freedom, but does it restrict it far enough, and how can the tyranny of crazy parents be balanced against the tyranny of the state? Simply saying that we will leave that right where it is, with the parents, because that is where it has always been, is not really an answer. The one area where it has been possible to give all children equal opportunities is in education, and the right of parents to send children to a school that restricts what they are allowed to know - usually by paying for it, but faith schools extend this right to everyone - has always militated against this equality.
As a society we expect children to be raised in a healthy, safe environment and we take steps when children are physically mistreated. It can be argued that a religious education poisons the mind. We should expect children to receive a healthy, accurate education.
At any rate it is not good to perpetuate and reinforce old prejudices. Religion does not unite.
Society is becoming more secular but not by doing nothing or, even worse, taking a step backward.Banning faith schools isn't going to solve anything. We can and should criticise if the need is felt, but shouldn't enforce anything on anyone. Society is becoming more secular, and this has been achieved without banning religion.
I want to see the end of faith schools as much as anyone, but I don't think banning them will achieve anything. It would be like banning church. I think laws that protect free speech and the ability to criticise would be far more useful. That's where I would like to see efforts going towards.
If you are saying that banning private faith schools would be impractical, I have to agree. I think though that all state schools should be strictly secular - no religion other than as an objective social study. There should also be plenty of secular private schools ... a good education should never be conditional on accepting religious dogma. Ideally of course it shouldn't be necessary to go private to get a good education, but pigs are not going to fly any time soon.
I also agree that anyone should be allowed to criticise any religion at least as vehemently as they are allowed to criticise anything else. There should be no no-go areas.
I'm in agreement with you there.
I am opposed to the existence of faith schools for the reasons given in this thread, but I especially dislike the thought that the taxes I pay are funding them.
Realistically, you can't stop parents from trying to indoctrinate their children into their own beliefs, but I think that such attempts should be confined to out-of-school hours (e.g. Sunday schools) with the poor kids given a secular education in school along with everyone else. Particularly since, in the case of some religions, faith schools involve a cultural separation from the rest of society - very unhealthy.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks