Which way around should it be?

Lotus-eater

rachbc wrote: »

Fortnately he came to his own decision that Maccie D's is carp aged about 6

I wish mine would, she doesn't even like the food that much, it's the image and the toy she likes.
We've managed to get her to admit she prefers the flapjacks at the local coffee shop to going to Mcds (not that we hardly ever go there), so it's a step in the right direction.

Spendless

jellyhead wrote: »

I don't know any Jehovahs Witnesses well enough to ask them how they handle this, but the ones I know from school (who are 4 when they start) seem fine. They are popular enough with the other kids and they are not ostracised for what they don't believe in.

Do JW kids attend assemblies? I was friends with a girl who was a Plymouth Brethren and I knew she was different to most of our class, because she didn't attend assemblies, sat outside the classroom with other work when we had RE. Due to being aware of these differences that she told me they didn't have a tv, didn't make it odd, it was just one aspect of her not doing the same sort of the stuff all the rest of us did.

I've got an 11yo Atheist. For the past couple of years he wanted me to write a note saying he didn't have to go to carol service at the nearby church (my gut feeling is he was trying to get out of singing rather than attend church). I told him I would but in that case his teacher was perfectly justified in saying he couldn't be in the christmas play and give him work to do in class instead. He changed his mind about me asking. :rotfl:

JC9297

mildred1978 wrote: »

well, I'm sure I'll manage to cross that bridge when I get to it. I won't be conforming for everyone else's sake. That applies to taking him to McDonald's or buying him a play station too. Just because "everyone else does it" doesn't make it right

Doesn't necessarily make it wrong either. Believe it or not most perfectly normal, intelligent teenage boys play video games and still grow up to be decent human beings.

JC9297

Spendless wrote: »

Do JW kids attend assemblies? I was friends with a girl who was a Plymouth Brethren and I knew she was different to most of our class, because she didn't attend assemblies, sat outside the classroom with other work when we had RE. Due to being aware of these differences that she told me they didn't have a tv, didn't make it odd, it was just one aspect of her not doing the same sort of the stuff all the rest of us did.

I've got an 11yo Atheist. For the past couple of years he wanted me to write a note saying he didn't have to go to carol service at the nearby church (my gut feeling is he was trying to get out of singing rather than attend church). I told him I would but in that case his teacher was perfectly justified in saying he couldn't be in the christmas play and give him work to do in class instead. He changed his mind about me asking. :rotfl:

Assemblies at our school are not religious so they do attend, just not Harvest assembly and Christmas performances.

dirtysexymonkey

Torry_Quine wrote: »

I agree that Jesus more than likely wasn't born then but that is the date when we remember His birth.

The problem is that for many Christmas is simply an excuse to spend money they can't afford, to eat and drink too much and generally overindulge.

I am very happy for everyone to celebrate but at least they should know and acknowledge what it is they owe the celebration to.

indeed you should. christians chose this date because it coincided with the pagan festival and thus made it easier to convert (or massacre) the pagans to christianity. how dare you tell people to pick another date when you refuse to acknowledge the truth about the date your cult picked!

this just goes to show how many christians are nothing like the christ they claim to love.

milliebear00001

barbiedoll wrote: »

It's quite a sad reflection of society today, isn't it?

In the real world, believers and non-believers rub along together quite happily, it's just that a tiny minority of fanatics grab all of the headlines and sow the seeds of distrust, fear and antagonism. Whilst I do feel that religion can be divisive, I would not agree that religion should be "banned" or that Christians should not have access to religious programming on state-owned television channels. I disagree with faith schools (for example) but that's only because I feel that children should be free to choose the religion of their choice and not be indoctrinated into their parents religion without their informed consent. But that's just my opinion and I realise that I'm lucky enough to live in a country where I have a choice of where to send my child to school, or indeed, to have a school to send him to.

I don't think that religion should be divisive, it should be a personal matter and it should be no-one else's business who, or what, is worshipped by individuals. If Christmas for you is a celebration of Christ's birth, then good for you. If it's just an excuse to pig out and watch Disney films with a glass or two of something alcoholic, then go ahead and enjoy!
Aren't we lucky to have the freedom to choose?

Your original post suggests that British broadcasting ignores Christianity because the boss is a Muslim. That's pretty offensive I think. Not to mention rather 'divisive'.

I don't think the article I posted is sad at all. To me, it's a healthy sign that most people recognise religious belief for what it often is - an excuse to concentrate on people's differences and fight ridiculous wars over bits of land.

Personally I'm delighted that two thirds of people in that report don't consider themselves religious. Perhaps that's the real reason why the 'Christian' bit of Christmas has been largely abandoned and ignored - because Christians are now very much in the minority in this country.

milliebear00001

JC9297 wrote: »

Assemblies at our school are not religious so they do attend, just not Harvest assembly and Christmas performances.

How do you get around the requirement for a daily act of worship?!

Lotus-eater

milliebear00001 wrote: »

Your original post suggests that British broadcasting ignores Christianity because the boss is a Muslim. That's pretty offensive I think. Not to mention rather 'divisive'.

Eh?
Are you reading the same post I am?

balletshoes

milliebear00001 wrote: »

How do you get around the requirement for a daily act of worship?!

I've never heard of that milliebear - I'm sure my DD's school doesn't have anything like that. How does that work in schools where there are lots of practising faiths, and lots of non-practising children (and teaching staff)?

Assemblies at my DD's school are led by the staff, they are not religious, and its a chance for a class in the school to show the rest of the school what they've been learning about. No prayers or hymns, nothing like that.

Torry_Quine

dirtysexymonkey wrote: »

indeed you should. christians chose this date because it coincided with the pagan festival and thus made it easier to convert (or massacre) the pagans to christianity. how dare you tell people to pick another date when you refuse to acknowledge the truth about the date your cult picked!

this just goes to show how many christians are nothing like the christ they claim to love.

I wasn't privy to the reason the date was chosen but I acknowledge that it is time of year when people need something to brighten their days. However the original pagan festival was the winter solstice which is not the 25th but the 21st of december.

I am not a member of a cult and have not told anyone to choose a different date rather to celebrate Jesus' birth on the 25th and the solstice on the 21st.

How that is unloving I don't know.