There’s no reason RS, when taught well, can’t be secular. In fact, in order to be taught well it really has to be. A good teacher explaining all the world’s religions, their beliefs, and looking at the reasons people believe what they do, should at least encourage agnosticism in the students.
This is exactly what my RS was like, very inclusive and secular and my teacher was an Anglican priest. He didn’t let his own views impact his teaching. I didn’t appreciate it at the time but he was a great teacher.
Meanwhile in Catholic school, we did an entire year on the Gospel of John. Couldn’t ask for a better way to convert everyone to atheism.
Going to a CofE school made me an atheist. If their god exists he had forsaken that place.
I was speaking to my wife about our schooling and saying how much I enjoyed RS. We had a teacher who made a point of plainly, and without bias explaining all the mysterys of human beliefs. It was truly a fascinating subject. Whereas my wife’s RS consisted of a minister coming in and reading the bible. We’re the same age, from the same country.
As I get older I find other people’s religious beliefs fascinating and how they can affect that person’s personality, I may ask questions about it just so I can understand them a little bit better. But I can’t tolerate it being forced on me and I despised what was called RE (Religious Education) back in school. There are much more beneficial GCSEs for every day life that could probably be picked up.
I’m all for children being open minded to why people follow a religion, but I also feel there should be something to teach those children that currently follow a religion to keep it to themselves and not try to force it down other people’s throats.
I wish it had been replaced with “mortgage studies” or “pension studies”. Something I could have used in life.
#aboringdystopia
I agree with teaching it but not forcing as a GCSE. I was never really good at it for some reason, anyway 🤣
Short course RE was honestly dead useful for me.
Barely any lesson time required, and I’m 100% sure I did no revision to pass the exam.
But having an hour once a week learning about the philosophies chosen by the people we share the planet with, and why they think these things, is never a bad step in preparing people for life.
