‘learning from’ atheism

Hi Richard G,

We spoke about ‘learning from’ religion. This article makes some interesting points:

 Watson, J., 2008, ‘Can children and young people learn from atheism for spiritual development? A response to the national framework for religious education' British Journal of Religious Education, 30(1), 49 - 58. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01416200701711717

attached: JacquelineWatson-learn-from-Atheism-for-Spiritual-Development-2008.pdf

‘The new National Framework for Religious Education (RE) in England (QCA and DfES 2004), for the first time in national advice on agreed syllabuses, gives space for the teaching of forms of atheism, described in the framework as ‘secular philosophies such as humanism’ (ibid., 12) and ‘a secular world view’ (see for instance, ibid., 25).’ …

‘Although the framework is not statutory, and refers to secular philosophies rather than atheism per se, it offers hope to those of us who are atheists because it suggests children and young people can learn from atheism as well as learn about it; in other words that atheism could offer opportunities for spiritual development.’

I don’t consider humanism or atheism to be ‘faith’ positions. Faith to  me implies belief in some supernatural agent. Atheism is a belief system not a faith position so I disagree with Watson when she says ‘‘A fundamental contention of this article, then, is that atheism is a faith position and is the expression of a spiritual perspective of equivalent validity and strength to a theist spiritual perspective.’

However I agree with Watson ‘It is unfortunate that the national framework has used the, perhaps less controversial, word ‘secular’ in preference to ‘atheistic’, although the step forward is welcomed.’

I also agree with Watson when she says that ‘Both atheism and theism are fundamental spiritual starting points for different beliefs, belief systems, world views, philosophies and personal beliefs, which stem from them. David Hume, Karl Marx, Bertrand Russell, Jean Paul 52 Sartre, to name a very few, represent different atheistic responses leading to a variety of forms of atheistic belief ‘systems’ or world views, for instance, the Enlightenment, Rationalism, Communism, Existentialism and Humanism. Such atheistic beliefs and belief systems could perfectly well be explored alongside theistic beliefs and belief systems in RE.’