Religious Education

thomas234 · 25-01-2007, 05:18 PM

After my recent mock R.E test, in which no doubt I will have done crap because I was ranting about how Christianity (and all other religions) are a waste of time and money, I was searching for an excuse not to be taught R.E.

I could get my parents to write a letter asking me not to participate in R.E lessons, which apparently (according to my Uncle), would get me out of them. However, I have no evidence to back this up. So, I've decided to stay in R.E lessons, but next time I'm asked what I think of "Having children before marriage" in a test or by the teacher, I will tell them about Pastafarians. The people who believe that the flying spagetti monster created the world. Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

If anyone does know of a site which gives the Education Act of 1944 (which apparently states I don't have to do R.E lessons), I would be very grateful, as I cannot find it.

Isn't religion a waste of time?

Thomas

RHochstenbach · 25-01-2007, 05:37 PM

At this time all types of religions are mixed up with each other. So you don't know which religion to teach. If someone is interested in a religion, then he or she has to study a bible or something. It would better to replace R.E. with lessons that are useful. Like mathermatics, physics, etc. Because you go to school to get educated for your future work. And you won't need any religion for your future work, except if you want to become a priest or so. But in that case you'll get R.E. teached in church, and you won't need it at school.

Addis · 25-01-2007, 06:14 PM

In year 9, I wrote stupid answers on my RE exam. I wrote things like "How the hell should I know?" at the "What is a [obscure foreign word]".

RE is a waste of time at later years, but I think it should be taught to children at a young age, not in high school. Ignorance of religions isn't good you know.

Big B · 25-01-2007, 06:58 PM

I think it's good to know, depending on the context. In a public education system, then, yes, it shouldn't be part of the required curriculum in the sense that it's asserting a particular view. However, in a private school, this should remain optional. Now, I do think that having those as an optional course as part of social studies or history have their place in putting things in context. Something like the Crusades loose their context without the religious background. Trying to avoid mere mention of religion is silly as it takes away the context, much like removing the fact that the people Hitler murdered were largely Jews would have less of an impact.
I'm not asking people to believe or follow a particular religion, but ignorance of such things does not benefit someone. I went to a Christian school, and we did go over Islam, Buddism, Confuscionism, Taoism, etc. during my high school years. Regardless of your agreement of religion, it is a significan part of all cultures, and therefore must not be ignored. Sure, not everybody follows it, but you can make that argument for a lot of things.

yorkkev28 · 25-01-2007, 07:24 PM

Religious education is a waste of space to people who are completely unreligious. In Britain we have the lowest number of religious people anywhere in the world apart from Russia. Why teach a nation about religion when its population isnt interested at all in the ramblings of religion. Religion just causes war and Religion is just made up anyway.

Over 100,000 documented types of religious factions throughout history of the world, so either there are alot of prophets about or someone is telling porky pies.

What people gain from religion is beyond me, is it a feeling of being part of a group or something or just that they wanna believe that there is something after you die. If some dude suddenly came out and said look, here are the facts, you live, you die and there is nothing else after then how would that affect peoples perceptions of life.

Im a non believer, i was forced to go to church by my parents until aged 11 when i told them i thought it were complete crap and so i didnt have to go anymore.

If you wanna get out of RE, just say your an athiest and that you dont believe in the teachings of religion.

Worked for me, my mum wrote a letter to the school saying she didnt want me learning a foreign language. so i dint do french. I got to sit in the study library instead.

Instead of religious education they should be concentrating on things that matter to people once they leave school:- How to fill out a tax form, family values, banking and finance,

Maybe teach the lesser perfoming individuals at school or those with an eye for practical aspects, such things as plumbing, engineering, electrical wiring so that when they leave school they have a role which they can fufill.

To much of the state education is based on achieveing examination results and not on how different people learn things in different ways.

thomas234 · 25-01-2007, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RHochstenbach

It would better to replace R.E. with lessons that are useful. Like mathermatics, physics, etc. Because you go to school to get educated for your future work.

[RANT]

This is exactly what I mean. I spend an hour after school every Tuesday doing a statistics GCSE. If they cancelled RE, I wouldn't have to go after school and instead could go to the science club after school on Tuesday (as boring as it sounds), and get a better grade in science.

RE seems almost (but not quite) as useless as the IT GCSE I'm doing. I've been asked to make an e-portfolio containing all the work I'm doing. However, it has to be made in M$ Publisher!!! I asked if I could use Notepad to do HTML, but my teacher didn't know what I was talking about, and said "No". I know it's not the schools fault, nor the IT Teacher (dumb as she may be), but wouldn't I do better in life learning how to fix the problems with Microsoft software, rather than making an E-portfolio completely out of M$ Software. They may aswell call it the Microsoft GCSE.

[/RANT]

Vaipa · 25-01-2007, 07:44 PM

I personlly think RE sucks ass big-time with our crap teacher who is so blind kids can walk out the door for 30 minutes then walk back in without her noticing. Today i learnt about filming her telling off a kid cos that's all she did last lesson

yorkkev28 · 25-01-2007, 07:49 PM

The trouble with IT G.C.S.E is that quite often the pupil knows more about the subject than the person teaching them. Due largely in part nowadays (yes i know i sound old) to people having access to a computer from a very early age.

My Brother has just finished a networking degree, but he said he found the experience of talking to people on his dodgy warez sites to have given him more experience with regards to networking than the course ever could of.

The IT G.C.S.E should be dropped or modified to include either more practical aspects of IT or taught by someone who knows how the IT is relavent to a workplace and adapted accordingly.

Vaipa · 25-01-2007, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yorkkev28

The trouble with IT G.C.S.E is that quite often the pupil knows more about the subject than the person teaching them. Due largely in part nowadays (yes i know i sound old) to people having access to a computer from a very early age.

My Brother has just finished a networking degree, but he said he found the experience of talking to people on his dodgy warez sites to have given him more experience with regards to networking than the course ever could of.

The IT G.C.S.E should be dropped or modified to include either more practical aspects of IT or taught by someone who knows how the IT is relavent to a workplace and adapted accordingly.

HAHA you actually talk sense. Our teacher knows how to do word/excel..All of microsofts programs but fails at making websites ect.

yorkkev28 · 25-01-2007, 07:51 PM

My RE teacher was like sheila off Shameless. She were really friendly but mad as a hatter. RE was like the lesson you looked forward to when i was at school cause you got to doss around for an hour.

Big B · 25-01-2007, 07:56 PM

To be a little bit of a pain:

How would you know you think religion is bunk if you don't know anything about it? You couldn't have come up with your arguments against religion if you didn't know anything about it. Now, I'm just advocating a general overview, not opening the Bible, Quaran, Torah, or othe holy book as part of social studies or history to give the topic context. Wether you like it or not, religion influences cultures, for good or bad, and to ignore that is to have poor education. Again, I'm not saying that they need to have you going through the Bible in a public school, but I think it's a disservice to throw out parts of history that someone doesn't like. You don't dump parts of education just because you disagree with them.

Now, from what I'm picking up, you UK'ers RE curriculum seems to be an attempt to force morality classes. You can't force people to a certain religion, it doesn't work because people only do it out of fear. How many times has this been tried in England alone between the Protestants and Catholics?

My perspective is this: if I end up being wrong about my Christian beliefs and they are all bunk, I'm worm food. However, if I'm right and that there is an afterlife, there will be people in hell. Obviously, one of us is right, and it's not on the basis of belief, but of the facts. Belief doesn't make something exist or not exist, otherwise you end up with something existing and not existing simutaneously---which I'm pretty sure is impossible. And I've gone off on a tangent, again...

yorkkev28 · 25-01-2007, 08:15 PM

Far to deep for me to comprehend Big B

. I'll stick to my guns, I'll either see you in heaven or hell or be worm food too.

How do you teach religious education to a nation of unreligious people? People just either switch off from what someone is trying to tell them or it goes in one ear and out the other.

Although Britain is touted as a place where all cultures can mingle together, there is a large undercurrent of unrest which has seen pockets of uprisings in recent times mainly up here in the north of the country.

For me personally if people want to believe in religion then its up to them, as long as it doesnt interfere with my way of life.

The christian fraternity here in York hardly warm the souls of York's populous with their shouting in York city centre on a saturday about the word of God. Normally they end up getting pelted with stones, burgers and anything else that comes to hand.
In modern society in Britain they are seen as slightly demented, and then they wonder why noone wants to go to church.

P.S on the bible front, we were given a bible at school by some churchy types. and the bible did come in very handy at college as its exaxtly the same thickness as Rizlas, so at least i ingested the so called word of God even if it were smoked.

thomas234 · 25-01-2007, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big B

My perspective is this: if I end up being wrong about my Christian beliefs and they are all bunk, I'm worm food. However, if I'm right and that there is an afterlife, there will be people in hell. Obviously, one of us is right, and it's not on the basis of belief, but of the facts. Belief doesn't make something exist or not exist, otherwise you end up with something existing and not existing simutaneously---which I'm pretty sure is impossible. And I've gone off on a tangent, again...

Do you believe in Darwins Theory of evolution? If not, what do you believe? The Intelligent Design Theory? Do you believe that Jesus was real? If I told people I was the son of God, they'd think I was a looney (and rightly so). We're learning about evolution in bioligy, so I'd be interested to know your opinion on it, I only know one person who is christian and believes Darwins theory is incorrect.

Quote:

Originally Posted by yorkkev28

How do you teach religious education to a nation of unreligious people?

With great difficulty. People only really learn about things when they are interested in them. For this reason, I believe R.E should be optional, the only downside is that the R.E teacher would be out of a job.

Quote:

Originally Posted by yorkkev28

The christian fraternity here in York hardly warm the souls of York's populous with their shouting in York city centre on a saturday about the word of God. Normally they end up getting pelted with stones, burgers and anything else that comes to hand.

Really??? I've never noticed that before when I'm in York. I'll look out though (and maybe join in) next time. People should keep their beliefs to themselves IMO.

Karanislove · 25-01-2007, 08:33 PM

Off Topic:

Just wondering, how many subjects do u guys have to do in your school...
When I was in 10th..I had English, History, Geo, Eco, Physics, Chemistry, Bio, Maths, Sanskrit/Hindi(Optional)....After that class, in the 10+1 class we have to choose from
Medical - Bio, Physics, CHemistry, English, Physical Edu and Maths optional
Non-Medical - Physics, Chemistry, Maths, English and PE
Commerce - Accounts, Business, English, PE and Option between Maths and Eco
Arts - History nd all, I dnt know all the subs here...

Its like we have this religion thing upto 10. Also it gets hard to pass 8,9,10 where all the subjects get saperated like Science get divided into Physics, Chem, Bio.....
These religious things were always good for me to get the good marks..

thomas234 · 25-01-2007, 08:42 PM

In Year 10 at our school you do all the compulsary subjects which are:

Maths
English
Bioligy
Chemistry
Physics
P.E (No GCSE)
R.E
Citizenship (Dos lesson - No GCSE)

You then get to choose upto 4 subjects (People with lower intelligence got to choose 3 or even 2 - but this is rare). I'll list all the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Art, Food Technology, Home Economics, Resistant Materials, Graphics, Systems & Control, ICT, Business Studies, P.E (GCSE Level), Drama, Music, History, Geography, Psycology, Sociology, Media Studies, French, Spanish, German (not running due to lack of interest), Statistics (after school only).

I chose, French, I.T, Systems and Control, Geography and Statistics. That works out at 12 subjects over a 2 week timetable, 25 lessons a week. 11/50 hours are filled doing science!!

25-01-2007, 05:18 PM	#1 (permalink) Top
thomas234 Big Geek Join Date: Feb 2006 Age: 16 Male Posts: 753 Times Helpful: 33 My Mood: Bored Status: Offline My Computer	Religious Education After my recent mock R.E test, in which no doubt I will have done crap because I was ranting about how Christianity (and all other religions) are a waste of time and money, I was searching for an excuse not to be taught R.E. I could get my parents to write a letter asking me not to participate in R.E lessons, which apparently (according to my Uncle), would get me out of them. However, I have no evidence to back this up. So, I've decided to stay in R.E lessons, but next time I'm asked what I think of "Having children before marriage" in a test or by the teacher, I will tell them about Pastafarians. The people who believe that the flying spagetti monster created the world. Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster If anyone does know of a site which gives the Education Act of 1944 (which apparently states I don't have to do R.E lessons), I would be very grateful, as I cannot find it. Isn't religion a waste of time? Thomas __________________ Nikon D40 + Sigma 18-200 f/3.5-6.3 + Nikon Speedlight SB-600 Nokia N95 & 8gb card

25-01-2007, 06:14 PM	#3 (permalink) Top
Addis The King Join Date: Jan 2004 Age: 18 Male Posts: 5,255 Times Helpful: 403 My Mood: Drunk Status: Offline My Computer	In year 9, I wrote stupid answers on my RE exam. I wrote things like "How the hell should I know?" at the "What is a [obscure foreign word]". RE is a waste of time at later years, but I think it should be taught to children at a young age, not in high school. Ignorance of religions isn't good you know. __________________ Never trust a program you don't have the source code for. My website \| Powerful Desktop Linux \| Linux for human beings \| Linux for power users \| Linux for ricers

25-01-2007, 06:58 PM	#4 (permalink) Top
Big B HWF Godfather Join Date: Dec 2001 Age: 28 Male Posts: 9,636 Times Helpful: 585 My Mood: Devilish Status: Offline My Computer	I think it's good to know, depending on the context. In a public education system, then, yes, it shouldn't be part of the required curriculum in the sense that it's asserting a particular view. However, in a private school, this should remain optional. Now, I do think that having those as an optional course as part of social studies or history have their place in putting things in context. Something like the Crusades loose their context without the religious background. Trying to avoid mere mention of religion is silly as it takes away the context, much like removing the fact that the people Hitler murdered were largely Jews would have less of an impact. I'm not asking people to believe or follow a particular religion, but ignorance of such things does not benefit someone. I went to a Christian school, and we did go over Islam, Buddism, Confuscionism, Taoism, etc. during my high school years. Regardless of your agreement of religion, it is a significan part of all cultures, and therefore must not be ignored. Sure, not everybody follows it, but you can make that argument for a lot of things. __________________ Hardware Forums\|HWF Rules\|My DVD's\|PSU FAQ\|HWF Folding Team\|2CPU

25-01-2007, 07:24 PM	#5 (permalink) Top
yorkkev28 HWF Minion Join Date: Aug 2006 Age: 30 Male Posts: 414 Times Helpful: 9 My Mood: Cheerful Status: Offline My Computer	Religious education is a waste of space to people who are completely unreligious. In Britain we have the lowest number of religious people anywhere in the world apart from Russia. Why teach a nation about religion when its population isnt interested at all in the ramblings of religion. Religion just causes war and Religion is just made up anyway. Over 100,000 documented types of religious factions throughout history of the world, so either there are alot of prophets about or someone is telling porky pies. What people gain from religion is beyond me, is it a feeling of being part of a group or something or just that they wanna believe that there is something after you die. If some dude suddenly came out and said look, here are the facts, you live, you die and there is nothing else after then how would that affect peoples perceptions of life. Im a non believer, i was forced to go to church by my parents until aged 11 when i told them i thought it were complete crap and so i didnt have to go anymore. If you wanna get out of RE, just say your an athiest and that you dont believe in the teachings of religion. Worked for me, my mum wrote a letter to the school saying she didnt want me learning a foreign language. so i dint do french. I got to sit in the study library instead. Instead of religious education they should be concentrating on things that matter to people once they leave school:- How to fill out a tax form, family values, banking and finance, Maybe teach the lesser perfoming individuals at school or those with an eye for practical aspects, such things as plumbing, engineering, electrical wiring so that when they leave school they have a role which they can fufill. To much of the state education is based on achieveing examination results and not on how different people learn things in different ways. __________________ Your Porn Star Name Is... Meat Grinder Last edited by yorkkev28; 25-01-2007 at 07:40 PM.

25-01-2007, 07:49 PM	#8 (permalink) Top
yorkkev28 HWF Minion Join Date: Aug 2006 Age: 30 Male Posts: 414 Times Helpful: 9 My Mood: Cheerful Status: Offline My Computer	The trouble with IT G.C.S.E is that quite often the pupil knows more about the subject than the person teaching them. Due largely in part nowadays (yes i know i sound old) to people having access to a computer from a very early age. My Brother has just finished a networking degree, but he said he found the experience of talking to people on his dodgy warez sites to have given him more experience with regards to networking than the course ever could of. The IT G.C.S.E should be dropped or modified to include either more practical aspects of IT or taught by someone who knows how the IT is relavent to a workplace and adapted accordingly. __________________ Your Porn Star Name Is... Meat Grinder

25-01-2007, 07:44 PM	#7 (permalink) Top
Vaipa Geek Trainee Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 0 Status: Offline	I personlly think RE sucks ass big-time with our crap teacher who is so blind kids can walk out the door for 30 minutes then walk back in without her noticing. Today i learnt about filming her telling off a kid cos that's all she did last lesson

25-01-2007, 07:51 PM	#10 (permalink) Top
yorkkev28 HWF Minion Join Date: Aug 2006 Age: 30 Male Posts: 414 Times Helpful: 9 My Mood: Cheerful Status: Offline My Computer	My RE teacher was like sheila off Shameless. She were really friendly but mad as a hatter. RE was like the lesson you looked forward to when i was at school cause you got to doss around for an hour. __________________ Your Porn Star Name Is... Meat Grinder

25-01-2007, 07:56 PM	#11 (permalink) Top
Big B HWF Godfather Join Date: Dec 2001 Age: 28 Male Posts: 9,636 Times Helpful: 585 My Mood: Devilish Status: Offline My Computer	To be a little bit of a pain: How would you know you think religion is bunk if you don't know anything about it? You couldn't have come up with your arguments against religion if you didn't know anything about it. Now, I'm just advocating a general overview, not opening the Bible, Quaran, Torah, or othe holy book as part of social studies or history to give the topic context. Wether you like it or not, religion influences cultures, for good or bad, and to ignore that is to have poor education. Again, I'm not saying that they need to have you going through the Bible in a public school, but I think it's a disservice to throw out parts of history that someone doesn't like. You don't dump parts of education just because you disagree with them. Now, from what I'm picking up, you UK'ers RE curriculum seems to be an attempt to force morality classes. You can't force people to a certain religion, it doesn't work because people only do it out of fear. How many times has this been tried in England alone between the Protestants and Catholics? My perspective is this: if I end up being wrong about my Christian beliefs and they are all bunk, I'm worm food. However, if I'm right and that there is an afterlife, there will be people in hell. Obviously, one of us is right, and it's not on the basis of belief, but of the facts. Belief doesn't make something exist or not exist, otherwise you end up with something existing and not existing simutaneously---which I'm pretty sure is impossible. And I've gone off on a tangent, again... __________________ Hardware Forums\|HWF Rules\|My DVD's\|PSU FAQ\|HWF Folding Team\|2CPU

25-01-2007, 08:15 PM	#12 (permalink) Top
yorkkev28 HWF Minion Join Date: Aug 2006 Age: 30 Male Posts: 414 Times Helpful: 9 My Mood: Cheerful Status: Offline My Computer	Far to deep for me to comprehend Big B . I'll stick to my guns, I'll either see you in heaven or hell or be worm food too. How do you teach religious education to a nation of unreligious people? People just either switch off from what someone is trying to tell them or it goes in one ear and out the other. Although Britain is touted as a place where all cultures can mingle together, there is a large undercurrent of unrest which has seen pockets of uprisings in recent times mainly up here in the north of the country. For me personally if people want to believe in religion then its up to them, as long as it doesnt interfere with my way of life. The christian fraternity here in York hardly warm the souls of York's populous with their shouting in York city centre on a saturday about the word of God. Normally they end up getting pelted with stones, burgers and anything else that comes to hand. In modern society in Britain they are seen as slightly demented, and then they wonder why noone wants to go to church. P.S on the bible front, we were given a bible at school by some churchy types. and the bible did come in very handy at college as its exaxtly the same thickness as Rizlas, so at least i ingested the so called word of God even if it were smoked. __________________ Your Porn Star Name Is... Meat Grinder Last edited by yorkkev28; 25-01-2007 at 08:23 PM.

25-01-2007, 08:33 PM	#14 (permalink) Top
Karanislove It's D Grav80 Of Luv Join Date: Jan 2006 Age: 23 Male Posts: 3,460 Times Helpful: 160 My Mood: Cool Status: Offline My Computer	Off Topic: Just wondering, how many subjects do u guys have to do in your school... When I was in 10th..I had English, History, Geo, Eco, Physics, Chemistry, Bio, Maths, Sanskrit/Hindi(Optional)....After that class, in the 10+1 class we have to choose from Medical - Bio, Physics, CHemistry, English, Physical Edu and Maths optional Non-Medical - Physics, Chemistry, Maths, English and PE Commerce - Accounts, Business, English, PE and Option between Maths and Eco Arts - History nd all, I dnt know all the subs here... Its like we have this religion thing upto 10. Also it gets hard to pass 8,9,10 where all the subjects get saperated like Science get divided into Physics, Chem, Bio..... These religious things were always good for me to get the good marks.. __________________ __________________________________________________ ___ Troubleshoot a Dead/Unbootable PC / Microsoft Events Viewer Troubleshoot Printer / Most Common Home Audio Problems_

25-01-2007, 08:42 PM	#15 (permalink) Top
thomas234 Big Geek Join Date: Feb 2006 Age: 16 Male Posts: 753 Times Helpful: 33 My Mood: Bored Status: Offline My Computer	In Year 10 at our school you do all the compulsary subjects which are: Maths English Bioligy Chemistry Physics P.E (No GCSE) R.E Citizenship (Dos lesson - No GCSE) You then get to choose upto 4 subjects (People with lower intelligence got to choose 3 or even 2 - but this is rare). I'll list all the ones I can think of off the top of my head. Art, Food Technology, Home Economics, Resistant Materials, Graphics, Systems & Control, ICT, Business Studies, P.E (GCSE Level), Drama, Music, History, Geography, Psycology, Sociology, Media Studies, French, Spanish, German (not running due to lack of interest), Statistics (after school only). I chose, French, I.T, Systems and Control, Geography and Statistics. That works out at 12 subjects over a 2 week timetable, 25 lessons a week. 11/50 hours are filled doing science!! __________________ Nikon D40 + Sigma 18-200 f/3.5-6.3 + Nikon Speedlight SB-600 Nokia N95 & 8gb card

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