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Dades

bluewolf wrote:

What kinda stuff did you do?

I don't recall too much. Religion class was never taken seriously. There were bible story studies I suppose and we had a really enthusiastic lay-teacher for years. I even went to Medjugorje.

I don't believe the indoctination kids go through in school is so influential. Ultimately they can, and will make up there own minds. Many will decide they want or need religion, and the rest will exist happily without it.

Zombrex

The Atheist wrote:

I don't recall too much. Religion class was never taken seriously.

Why are you glad you didn't go to a non-demoniational school though?

Dades

Wicknight wrote:

Why are you glad you didn't go to a non-demoniational school though?

Because it was a good school, and some of the priests were the best teachers. Not saying I wouldn't have been as well off in a non-denom school, just that I'd never diss my own RC school education.

Sipefree

Haha okay people I was joking about messing up my exam. I'm not actually that bigheadded.

I find that using religion class as a medium for discussion is futile. Religion teachers just try to teach the bull**** course (and yes, it is bull****, as a matter of fact; it teaches such things that intelligent design is a fact and that sex should be before marriage) and avoid all the questions posed to them.

I'm known as Atheist Boy not because I openly mock religious views, but because the people who call me it are 15 and have been indoctrinated since their birth.

I think it's a sad reflection on some of you to go making assumptions about the way I conduct myself without waiting for me to post more.

Oh and as for the heads up about the mods, thanks but I don't need it. I've been on plenty of forums before. I ain't no n00b.

-Sipefree.

HealingBlight

Oh, I think it was my 2nd year religion teacher who talked allot about Medjugorje, infact, earned the nickname 'Medjugorje man' (Its amazing what the average 14-15 year old can come up with, Atheist boy and Medjugorje man!).
This is when I was already seeing and thinking the obvious origin of any/original god being the 'god of the gaps' type. Thing is, I was one of about 3 in a class of almost 30 who went to mass once a week, I was a batter christian than most christians.
Lucky enough I never had to do any religion tests, how the hell can you get a right answer on a test when you cant get a single clear answer in real life?

The best view about religion is a secular; otherwise it would be biased to one religion (its kind of, "I'm not racist, I have everyone equally", but its the most level way to view religion, lets point out that atheist is not a religion). It's also good to point out that faith is, holding the belief in something despite the lack of evidence or evidence against it. Which is why you need faith for god.
I’m sure that if you asked what the name of the Christian god was, they couldn’t tell you.

Fun school experience, my 6th year religion teacher suddenly remembered to start classes with prayer after the class where I said I was an atheist (funny enough one student didn’t know what an atheist was). No other teacher did it for some reason, and I don't think any other classes did it, of course I was the only one to sit when all others were standing.

BTW Sipefree, -PLEASE- post something that points out that the idea that ‘ID is FACT’ is being taught directly to students in any class, scan the page or something. I ****ing well hope that you slipped on a banana peel, hit your head on the keyboard and that **** was typed, there is no way in hell they could say that ID was fact, its a complete and utter mess, and I'm sure most the Biology teachers in the country could point out HOW MUCH **** it is, and that teaching the students such is completely unfair. I don't care if they are talking about it in a religion class as a viewpoint of faith, but if they dare state its fact, there is something wrong going on.

This post was a bit rambely, errr, sorry. :P

rainbow kirby

Could be worse... I had a 78 year old nun for a religion teacher in 6th year, and she kicked me out of her class for suggesting that I was an atheist. She suddenly dragged me back to her class when she found out I was using the free periods to study for Applied Maths - a subject she deemed "not ladylike". This was only 4 years ago, and thankfully she's since retired so she won't be inflicted on my sister's year group. Ever.

MagnumForce

They started having R.E. as a J.C. exam the year after i did the Junior Cert, in 2000/2001 or something like that. I was in De La Salle, a catholic school and the course was aimed at "teaching pupils about their faith", They did however also incorperate alot of teachings about other religions into the course, which was a good idea.

But there were two problems.

First of all, learning about other religions is fine and all, but only if you have one to begin with, otherwise its a whole load of meaningless crap, like a Classical Studies class about mythology expect they expect you to believe it all.

Secondly, The muslim pupils in the school were excused from attending R.E. classes, despite the fact that their religion was learned about in said class also. I tried numerous times to be excused from attending R.E. class but was outright rejected each time! Apperanly my rational lack of belief of a deity from birth was not as valid as a bunch of crazy people talking about supernatural bollox!

Fallen Seraph

Sipefree wrote:

Religion teachers just try to teach the bull**** course [...] and avoid all the questions posed to them.

I think it's a sad reflection on some of you to go making assumptions about the way I conduct myself without waiting for me to post more.

Ah, well observed. It's unreasonable of people here to form an opinion of you based on your words, but completely reasonable for you to make a blanket statement about all of Ireland's religion teachers.

Rev Hellfire

Lets not even include in this fact that he also felt the need to embellish his post with lies about his actions. It seems to me that most of the responses have stemmed from that initial comment which he has since retracted.
Yet another sheep giving the usual clichés they feel their peers wish to hear and no knowledge to back it up.

Sipefree

Sipefree wrote:

it teaches such things that sex should be before marriage

Nothing wrong with that

Dades

MagnumForce wrote:

a bunch of crazy people talking about supernatural bollox!

Don't think I'd quite endorse that description, knowing a few "crazies" myself.
Are you sure you weren't watching an episode of "LOST"?

Tar.Aldarion

Lost makes more sense than religion.
*worships hurley*

Dades

Tar.Aldarion wrote:

Lost makes more sense than religion.

They do have common characteristics.
Both require you sit through a frustrating 45 minutes of unanswered questions every week.

Tar.Aldarion

With a lovely recap of everything that has happened so far.

MagnumForce

The Atheist wrote:

Don't think I'd quite endorse that description, knowing a few "crazies" myself.
Are you sure you weren't watching an episode of "LOST"?

well, if you think about it, for all intents and purposes, if for example a fundementalist christian was analyised by a psychiatrist who had never heard of religion before, the shrink would have them commited to a mental asylum diagnosing them with paranoid schitzophrenia and class them a danger to others.

and now that i think of it, Lost is alot like sitting through an R.E. class or a religious ceremony alright!

robindch

> if for example a fundementalist christian was analyised by a
> psychiatrist who had never heard of religion before

...that's more or less what Daniel Dennett's recent (fairly good) Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon proposes -- how on earth would you explain religion to somebody who'd just arrived from Mars?

Funsterdelux

Even though I used not go to mass/oratory, I used to go to the hall or just stay in the classroom, my religion teacher, the principal and I had an understanding, for some unknown reason. Still, some of the best debates we had were in religion class even though I'd have the class in stitches, when giving reasons why I couldnt write for him, I'd say I had a stroke down my right side and that my arm was dead and start shaking it like it was life-less, great auld times.