Happy Atheist day!

[SandyDown]

I recommend (regardless of the school your little one ends up in) getting yourself on the governing body - that way you can really make a difference if you need to.

Yep - that's what I did...

[rootsnall]

Am going to be faced with this dilemma shortly. It's a route I refuse to go down on principle.

I had the same principles but sacked them when I realised what a religious stitch up the primary school system is, I went from mad to resigned. In my area 3 decent schools, all religious ! I got them christened in a job lot but once I get the first one in then the little one gets in as a sibling I can go back to being an atheist and deprogramming the kids at the weekend.

[rootsnall]

Well done that man. Stick by them. Shame on you Rootsnall you just perpetuate the problem.

I didn't enjoy doing it and we are still well down the pecking order as non regular church goers so I might be picketing and harassing the Education Secretary yet. It's a disgrace but I'm afraid it's a game you have to play. There is one dodgy school where the kids with parents who don't play the game end up.

[TheBigYinJames]

There is one dodgy school where the kids with parents who don't play the game end up.

Our catchment is one of those. We had our two baptised last month to avoid going there.

[cailin maith]

You see - you should have just made it easy on yourselves and just been Catholic anyway!!!

[TheBigYinJames]

You see - you should have just made it easy on yourselves and just been Catholic anyway!!!

We are catholic (albeit lapsies) so that made the whole job to get the sprogs done a whole lot easier. Since this is an ongoing problem in the area, i'm sure the local dirty beast gets a lot of total novices asking to suddenly go catholic when their kids get to 10 or 11, and he probably knocks most of them back.

[Ruprect]

Our catchment is one of those. We had our two baptised last month to avoid going there.

The club of religious hypocrites has another member then.

If enough people stuck to their principles then this wouldn't happen.

[TheBigYinJames]

The club of religious hypocrites has another member then. If enough people stuck to their principles then this wouldn't happen.

I'm not letting my kids go to the 3rd worst school in the county just to preserve my principles.

[sasguru]

I was with you most of the way, but I have to point out, the Bible does contain some great literature. The Old Testament contains some amazing poetry, as indeed does some of (attributed to) Paul's writing in the New Testament. The beauty of some of the writing (not all) is such that even in translation it comes across very well.

1 Corinthians 13 and the book of Job immediately spring to mind as prime examples.

We may not like/believe/consider important/find easy to read what's written, but there's no denying that it is, for the most part, well written. Not semi-illiterate at all. To say otherwise shows profound ignorance.

But then, what do I know? I think the Silmarillion is a great piece of literature as well. And Crime and Punishment.

I'm not denying it's great literature - I agree. But unlike most literature too many people base their lives on it. They wouldn't do that with Crime and Punishment now would they?
The ideas in it came from semi-literate people in general (MMLJ were uneducated fisherman, were they not?) but its written form was put down on paper years after by people who had their own agenda - which is why its silly to take it as gospel truth

[Ruprect]

I'm not letting my kids go to the 3rd worst school in the county just to preserve my principles.

That's just the point. So many people willing to compromise. Do you go to church on a Sunday and stand and kneel when you're told to too?