Getting out of Religion

Chuchoter

I'm an atheist and in 5th year. My school insists you do religion unless you have an exemption because you are some other religion. I've never had an exemption before but the class is a total waste of time unless you are catholic because there is no room for anyone other than catholics. Its 3 classes a week so 2 hours and really I have many other things I could be doing. How do I stop doing it?

MagicMarker

What do you mean it's a total waste of time unless you're a catholic?

It doesn't matter what religion you are or if you're non religious, the class should be teaching world religions in general so there's no reason for you not to go.

However if it's focusing solely on one religion then I'd have a problem.

randylonghorn

What kind of school do you go to?

quicksliver

Chances are that the school will have to notify your parents if you want to get out of the class, so they can get written permission from them. You should have a teacher assigned to your year who deals with any problems students have, so try them or go straight to the principal.

LilMissCiara

Ours is a triple on a Monday so at first I wanted to get out of it too (Atheist aswell ) but now I like it because it's a doss. We don't do really holy stuff that often (with the exception of seasonal prayer services) and we usually have a speaker in.

Would hate if it was 3 singles though!

Get a note from your parents and speak to your year head or principal.

Chuchoter

Its three singles and all we do is 'what does God look like?' 'What would you ask god if you met him'. So basically I can't participate at all. The person in charge of subjects is really, really religious so I don't want to talk to her.

partyatmygaff

You could always just chill out and relax for the three classes? Or better yet, just tell her your views and start a debate.

ConstantJoe

Hmm, my religion classes are more about discussing morality, and responsibility, as well as giving our opinions about abortion, the death penalty, and topics like that. And we watch movies. Lots of movies.

Is all your class just talking about God? Do ye do anything at all an atheist can contribute to?

Bbbbolger

We have 5 single Religion classes a week! All we do is talk about things like marriage and the place of God in the home etc. Thats 3 hours and 20 minutes a week of lost school time. I only get 4 music classes a week and thats an exam subject! Im a Catholic and have no problem with religion but when its taking half a day of classes out of my week when I need as much time with my subjects as possible it really annoys me!

Chuchoter

I've tried to get into debates, none of them can hold them. I give them a fairly straight forward point about the history of where the morals in the bible came from and all I get is 'Emmm, yeah, but, Oh Emma, what have you got to say over there?' Its a waste of time.

partyatmygaff

You'd be hard pressed to find many fifth year religion classes getting in to a debate on something that intricate to be honest. The teacher could debate with you on it (Providing she had the knowledge and ability) but i'd say the rest of the class would feel isolated so she avoided responding.

Best bet then is to phase out and relax or get some of your homework done in the class if you don't want to participate.

Gordon Gecko

Some serious growing up is in order on this forum. If you don't like listening to what's going on in class have a book on the table and study or get some homework done. If even that is too much simply play a game on your phone or listen to your iPod on the sly. From what you've said about the class it's hardly as if they're torturing you into actively participating.

Chuchoter

I'm not allowed to have a book out and I'll get caught on my phone. I'm just stuck staring at the wall 2 hours a week.

MagicMarker

Gordon Gecko wrote: »

Some serious growing up is in order on this forum. If you don't like listening to what's going on in class have a book on the table and study or get some homework done. If even that is too much simply play a game on your phone or listen to your iPod on the sly. From what you've said about the class it's hardly as if they're torturing you into actively participating.

Play with your phone or listen to an ipod?

Jesus when was the last time you were in a classroom?

Michael007

I agree with you, my religion class is supposed to have debates etc.. thats what every other class in my year does, but my teacher is soo one-sided that any opinion that doesn't agree with his is shot down. But not like a debate just hes right and I'm wrong, no explination at all. I would probably love religion if my teacher wasn't so religious tbh...

GoldRush4821

If your teacher is really into Catholicism then maybe she doesn't want to engage you on certain aspects of your (dis)belief. There could be a lot of reasons for that too many to go into... I would describe myself as agnostic considering no one can prove definitively whether God exists or not, but that doesn't stop me from speaking about things.. I've found too that your teacher can make a huge difference regarding your enjoyment of religion... Last year I had a teacher who was objective about religion and who didn't focus solely on any organised religion but instead explored things like abortion and stuff that people actually care about.. It's a shame to go from that to a teacher who reads off a page about things she doesn't understand. So what I suggest is stick it out till next year and you could get a teacher who is willing to engage you which will make it worthwhile..Plus going to the trouble of getting out of class and finding somewhere to go during that class (and more than likely a supervision teacher) I don't see why you'd go to such trouble just to miss 3 classes a week...

J_E

If I was you I'd just explain to your tutor or year head, with a written note from your parents. Provided it's a non-exam subject you're doing, and they're somewhat reasonable, there shouldn't be a problem.

Gordon Gecko

MagicMarker wrote: »

Play with your phone or listen to an ipod?

Jesus when was the last time you were in a classroom?

Today as a matter of fact, don't bother sounding shocked as both are easily accomplished with any modicum of subtlety it's how I got through 6 years of religion. It was far more enjoyable than whining about having to do religion class on the internet.

Smartly Dressed

I had the exact same problem. Here's what I did:

• strongly expressed my personal beliefs (or lack of) to the teacher who oversees all religion classes (baptized against will etc)
• made it very clear that my time would be much more wisely spent in the study where I could the use seventy minutes to work on my weaker subjects
• got a note from my parents

He tried to swindle me with this nonsense about religion being compulsory but I kindly pointed out that it was merely compulsory for the school to offer it and that it was not compulsory for me to attend.

The real problem is when teachers give an inch, students tend to take a mile. He was just worried that if people saw me skipping religion in order to focus on my studies, they would use the same excuse to just laze around and in fairness, it is a legitimate concern.

When you're arguing your case try and sound somewhat regretful and very appreciative if he/she allows your to be exempt from religion. Make sure you stand firm when pressured, though and promise to keep it all quiet so that more people don't try and follow suit.

I hope this post helps. In theory religion should be a reasonably interesting class but it's ruined by hardcore catholic teachers determined to win you over to their way of thinking.

partyatmygaff

MagicMarker wrote: »

Play with your phone or listen to an ipod?

Jesus when was the last time you were in a classroom?

lol

There's a certain skill in playing with your phone all throughout a class without detection. For example, I've spent the past three months browsing boards during Religion and "Life Skills" which is another name for careers/SPHE.

On a side note, our religion classes have almost nothing whatsoever to do with Religion. Our first module was about the Rwandan Genocide, then we had death which entailed hearing ghost stories and watching horror films and now we're doing morality.

Father Damo

Athiest? You are 17 FFS, grow up and quit jumping on a bandwagon. Religion class was great in my day, it was a half hour break of doing fcuk all. We learned little or nothing to do with religion, most of it was about teen drinking, drugs, sex and other fun activities.
And our teacher was a ride.

While your at it, how about giving back your communion, baptism and confirmation money to your godparents. Oh, right, principle doesnt stretch that far does it :pac:

RMD

MagicMarker wrote: »

Play with your phone or listen to an ipod?

Jesus when was the last time you were in a classroom?

It's piss easy to do either. Play with your phone, simple hide it under the desk / behind a book and play away. Listen your ipod? Also very simple, bring one earphone up through your sleeve and pretend to lean on your hand, earphone in ear covered by the sleeve the whole way up and the hand.

Chuchoter

Father Damo wrote: »

Athiest? You are 17 FFS, grow up and quit jumping on a bandwagon. Religion class was great in my day, it was a half hour break of doing fcuk all. We learned little or nothing to do with religion, most of it was about teen drinking, drugs, sex and other fun activities.
And our teacher was a ride.

While your at it, how about giving back your communion, baptism and confirmation money to your godparents. Oh, right, principle doesnt stretch that far does it :pac:

I've been an atheist for quite a long time. We aren't here to discuss my beliefs or lack thereof. If you want to believe in religion, go ahead thats absolutely fine with me. What I have a problem with is my school forcing me to take a class that is not obligatory and is totally irrelevant to me. Maybe your school dealt with drugs etc, we are doing icons and interpretations of God. I've tried to participate without offending anyone, its not working.

I don't have the particular talent of going on my phone/ ipod during class. I'm the kind of person, when someone is having a full conversation beside me and I ask someone for what page we are on, I get yelled at. I'm just not sneaky enough :P

seriouslysweet

Are you attending a religious school? Ours is more morality.

thisisadamh

My school just make it optional, the students who want to take it as an exam do the proper class and the students who dont want to do it as an exam subject just do homework in that class.

Chuchoter

Its religious but has become kind of crazy about it the last year or two :S

Smartly Dressed

Father Damo wrote: »

Athiest? You are 17 FFS, grow up and quit jumping on a bandwagon.

Stop being so condescending. Oh, he's/she's 17! There no possible way he/she could decide for himself/herself what religion he/she is or isn't.

Some people are able to think critically, analytically and independently at 17.

randylonghorn

crayolastereo wrote: »

Its religious but has become kind of crazy about it the last year or two :S

That's why I asked you above what type of school you went to ... though I half-remembered from a previous thread that it was a secondary / convent / religious school.

The thing about those is that they often take the approach that you (or your parents on your behalf) contracted in to their ethos when you enrolled there, and that religious instruction IS obligatory as far as they and the school ethos is concerned.

It's something they will normally dig their heels in about, knowing that if they give leeway to one person, everyone will demand the same leeway.

So it could get into a major wrestling match with the school ... the question you have to ask yourself is, is it really worth it?



General mod note: This thread is NOT for arguments about atheism vs. belief; at what age it is appropriate to make a personal decision about belief or non-belief for oneself; etc. Leave it out, please.

Aoifey!

To be honest, I think it's more of a suck it up and take it sorta thing. It always was in my school. It caused more trouble than it was worth to made a big thing out of it. If everything was right, then it would be completely optional dependant on peoples beliefs, but you know as well as I do it would then be completely abused by noone going to class at all because they want to sit around and do nothing.

Shame really, but I really don't think it's worth the fight. Up to you though, good luck if you do try fight it

seriouslysweet

Religion in our school is really interesting. As in everyone gets involved, atheists galore, Muslims etc. It's really genuinely one of the best classes we have. We were discussing sexual choices today. I think the problem is that what ye are discussing is so damn narrow!

Wolfe Tone

I highly doubt you would actually "study" for those periods. Its like when you get free classes, doss time. A suggestion would be to see if you could sit in with other classes when you have religion.