Prayers in Schools

[ProfessorDavey]

When I read "A Church of England multi-academy said it would allow the children to withdraw from the assembly and prayers, it was confirmed on Wednesday." it was this that brought
the faith school to my attention.

It isn't a faith school - read further in the article. That it is run by a CofE multi-academy trust does not mean it is a faith school.

It is a non faith school.

[Anchorman]

But the child is not the person complaining, the parent is. How do you force acceptance or worship and how does it become a chore? For me worship if not from the heart is of very little consequence anyhow.  Do you believe lip-service is worship? King James Bible This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.King James Bible Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Not a worship session if the heart is not part of it. Does this mean anything in the greater scheme of things to come? Are you claiming that none participation leads to Christ and God and if so why complain about children taking part in prayers before school lessons. You cannot have a foot in each camp.  It is clear to me that worship does not constitute faith or communion with God if their is no willingness from the heart of the participant. I personally believe those names written in the book of life before the world was created are not decided upon by anything that happened after.  I was talking to a friend tonight about lip service and how those who work miracles and preach would find some of them told by Christ that he does not know them.   Do you believe people who come to God do so because their names are in the book of the living or because "and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:".   I cannot have a foot in both camps but I can see that those who come to God through Christ is by the will of God not men.

What I'm claiming, Sass, is that assembly and worship in schools were irrelevant for me when I was atheist, and, when I became Christian, simply going through  the motions. If worship is simply lip service, why have it in schools? If the kids - some oof them of an age to understand the concept - find assembly a drudge and would rather not listen, what is the point of worship in assembly. You quoted the KJV - you've sort of made my point. I remember singing hymns in Jacobean English written by Georgian and Victorian era folk who had no concept of life two hundred years after they died, in a language we did not use, hardly understood, and found baffling. All that 'Thee's, Thoughs and Whereasmuch' spoke too much of Shakspear, and we were already sick of that in English class. Does mouthing stuff you don't understand and don't know why you're doing it constitute a grounding in the faith? My coming to Christ had nothing to do with any assembly or RE session inschool; indeed, I remember primary school. Although we were non-denominational, each morning started with the Lord's Prayer. I remember kids getting belted for not joining in! My own rebellion was to try and gabble it as fast as possible. Is that any way to either treat the words or address their instigator? Doesn't it mock the faith?

[ippy]

Doesn't removing religion from the all of (1)the school curriculum automatically remove the need for any rejigging of who goes where, plus the advantage of all of the children mixing, growing up together and likely becoming life long friends regardless of whatever the religion, or none, of their parents?

(1) I'm not suggesting removing religion from where it would be ridiculous to remove it, from say history lessons for example, or a humanities lesson.

[Outrider]

Doesn't removing religion from the all of (1)the school curriculum automatically remove the need for any rejigging of who goes where, plus the advantage of all of the children mixing, growing up together and likely becoming life long friends regardless of whatever the religion, or none, of their parents?

(1) I'm not suggesting removing religion from where it would be ridiculous to remove it, from say history lessons for example, or a humanities lesson.

This is the motivation behind the campaign to remove the requirement for an act of collective worship of a broadly Christian nature from the curriculum but a parallel extension of Religious Education to include a broader range of religious and ethical stances - it's supposed to be teaching about religion, not inducting into religion.

Children deserve to be educated about religions before the state sponsors their indoctrination into a particular path.

O.

[jeremyp]

When I was a school child, none of us actually enjoyed the praying in assembly or the hymn singing or the meaningful stories which usually involved six foot long chopsticks. In fact, I'd go so far as to say we hated it, to a person. If God exists (which she doesn't), she must be a bit concerned about all this forced worship.

[ippy]

This is the motivation behind the campaign to remove the requirement for an act of collective worship of a broadly Christian nature from the curriculum but a parallel extension of Religious Education to include a broader range of religious and ethical stances - it's supposed to be teaching about religion, not inducting into religion.

Children deserve to be educated about religions before the state sponsors their indoctrination into a particular path.

O.

Yes Outrider what you say is about the essence of it, the only thing is what will the religionists be doing on loosing this potential recruiting ground of theirs.

Usually the religionists having had this privileged hunting ground for new recruits right back from forever will see its loss as persecution rather than seeing it as creating, a long overdue, level playing field and I don't know about yourself but I don't think teaching about religion as compared to teaching religion to our future generations of children will remain foremost in the minds of religious believers, I don't trust them to comply; most of them of all religions do have this compulsion/directive to spread the word.

ippy   

[ippy]

This is a related link: secularism.org.uk/opinion/2020/01/promote-religious-freedom-in-schools-abolish-the-worship-requirement

ippy.