Religious Education: that’s another sermon

reposted from: http://www.atheismuk.com/2012/04/08/news/religious-education-thats-another-sermon/

Rowan Williams to warn of downgrading of religious education

It is about the worst possible moment to downgrade the status and professional excellence of religious education in secondary schools – but that’s another sermon…

Another sermon indeed, Rowan! The fact is that, with more than half of all secondary schools now academies and free from the strictures of the national curriculum, the Church of England-led locally agreed syllabus regime, for Religious Education, is dead in the water. So also is any idea that the RE orthodoxy should be imposed nationally. 

Academies are free to teach RE in any way they choose, provided merely that it complies with the ill-defined statutory requirement to:-

reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian whilst taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain.

The scope, for unorthodox RE, is almost unlimited. While it is clear that its subject matter must include “the religious traditions in Great Britain” and “the principal religions represented in Great Britain”[1], these elements are not exhaustive and there is no prohibition on absence of religion also being covered. 

Contemporary Religious Education is often characterized as “comparative religion”, as between different religions. If, instead, it is the comparison between religion and that absence of it, the subject is transformed into “philosophy of religion”.

The subject may be further transformed, as there is no prohibition on the inclusion of scientific explanations for religion, such as those (some more convincing than others) offered by Stark and Bainbridge[2], Shermer[3], Sloan Wilson[4], Dawkins[5], Dennett[6] and Ray[7].

Bring on the next sermon, Rowan!

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[1] It is not clear whether these similar but different terms were intended to convey subtly different meanings (and, if so, what) or whether their distinct usage results merely from poor drafting.

[2] “A Theory of Religion”, 1987.

[3] “How we Believe”, 2001.

[4] “Darwin’s Cathedral”, 2002.

[5] “The God Delusion”, 2006.

[6] “Breaking the Spell”, 2006.

[7] “The God Virus”, 2009.

AtheismUk - download Religious Education in State Schools report

source: http://www.atheismuk.com/campaigns/religious-education/

Religious Education

We adopt a ground-breaking approach to the state-sponsored propagation of faith.

Atheism’s sole object is the advancement of atheism. Our ultimate goal is the end of faith – the false and irrational belief that God exists – and of religion, the social manifestation of faith. The world would be a better place without them. We aim to achieve this by opposing the propagation of faith.

The most substantial propagation of faith is from parent to child. Whilst this cannot be interfered with directly in a free society, it can be modified by education of both parent and child.

Religious education in schools is one of our main areas of concern. Schools stand in loco parentis, in a real (not just a legal) sense. And, today’s children are tomorrow’s parents.

We will campaign for the abolition of compulsory religious education (except as a branch of anthropology), collective worship and ‘faith’ schools – on the grounds that they are founded on a falsehood: God exists. We are also developing strategies to advance atheism within existing RE law.

Our report, Religious Education in State Schools, contains an in-depth study of the current regime, from an atheist standpoint. It makes a number of recommendations, upon which we base our policies and from which our campaigns will emerge.

They emphasise a “bottom-up” reform, under which parents and schools are encouraged to exploit the existing law and resources are provided to enable them to do so. However, such action may, in itself bring about changes in government and LEA policy and hasten changes in the law.

Religious Education in State Schools can be downloaded here.