BBC One - The Big Questions, Is Religion Good for Children?

BBC One - The Big Questions, Series 5, Episode 16, Sunday 6th May, 10am

Nicky Campbell asked just one Big Question - Is Religion Good for Children? Amongst those taking part in what proved to be an exceptionally lively debate are: Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain from Accord Coalition, which campaigns against faith schools; Rev Janina Ainsworth, Chief Education Officer at the CoE; Andrew Copson from the British Humanist Association; Rania Hafez from Muslim Women in Education; Dr Antony Lempert from the Secular Medical Forum; David Conway from Civitas; and Dr Stephen Law, author of The War for Children's Minds.

Links to Programme part 1 (1-27 mins) and part 2 (28-60mins), accessed 19th May 2012

Part 1

Part 2

Three minimum recommendations that all schools should be expected to meet, by Stephen Law

source: http://stephenlaw.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-sort-of-faith-schools-are.html

I attended this event in March 2010. The photo is mine.

Stephen Law says

'On Wednesday March 24th 2010 I had a debate with Peter Stanford, former editor of the Catholic Herald about faith schools, at the CFI event "What sort of faith schools are acceptable, if any?" in the Great Hall at Christ Church. A.C. Grayling was Chair and Richard Dawkins showed up too.

Peter (after several goes by me to get him to address the specific recommendations) agreed with my three minimum recommendations that all schools, faith or not, state funded or not, should be expected to meet:-


ONE. EVERY CHILD SHOULD BE CLEARLY TOLD THAT WHAT RELIGIOUS FAITH, IF ANY, THEY HAVE IS A MATTER OF THEIR OWN FREE CHOICE.

TWO. EVERY SCHOOL SHOULD EXPOSE CHILDREN TO A RANGE OF RELIGIOUS AND ALSO ATHEIST AND HUMANIST BELIEFS, EXPLAINED WHERE POSSIBLE BY THOSE WHO ACTUALLY HOLD THEM.

THREE. CHILDREN AT ALL SCHOOLS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO THINK CRITICALLY AND INDEPENDENTLY ABOUT ALL RELIGIOUS AND MORAL BELIEFS AND VALUES.

More....

REALLY, REALLY BIG QUESTIONS

100 REALLY, REALLY BIG QUESTIONS about Life, the Universe and Everything

• Amazon.co.uk £6.49
• fun introduction to philosophy that explores life’s important but often unanswered questions. 
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About the Author
Dr Stephen Lawis a senior philosophy lecturer at Heythrop College in London and the editor of the Royal Institute of Philosophy’s journal THINK, which aims to introduce philosophy and its merits to a wide audience. Stephen has written numerous academic papers as well as books for both adults and children including 'The Philosophy Files'.