Religion

[sarah5298a1]

*I Just want to say don't bash or attack people on my thread, this isn't a thread to judge peoples believes its just me asking for help/guidance (never used to have to put this on threads but some people in minis enjoy winding people up atm)

Anyway the point of this thread is that i am a lost soul, always have been. I was bought up athiest (although i was christened in a c of e church as a baby) and since a teenager have researched/practised/observed a few religions (c of e, catholic, buddism, wicca- never properly practised just read alot of books) none of them feel like home if that makes sense. The truth is i really don't no where i belong but i know i must belong somewhere.
Recent event have made me feel more lost and i can't get rid of this feeling, so i guess i should do something about it. I know religion isn't always top of everyones agenda these days but i could really use some advice and guidance and probably a little courage!

hi

have you tried going to a spiritualist church? i go to a local spiritualist church now and then - its like an informal service with a few prayers and singing but focuses more on spiritual side - people getting messages from loved ones and also sending out thoughts and prayers for those people who have been put in the prayer book eg ill family members.

I do not sing or say the prayers, i am an athiest but would love to be convinced otherwise! i have studies philosophy, many religions and sociology and i can not believe that an all lvong all powerful god exists (as stated in the bible) when so much evil and suffering goes on in the world, i have studied all the arguments for and againsts the existence of god and i still do not believe in him (although not 100%). I would love to believe and have a religion to follow, i like yourself have felt lost and i do respect people that believe, infact i envy them to some extent.

i have started going to the spiritualist church when i lost a close family member and am very interested in most aspects of spiritualism (tarot cards etc) it would be nice to believe that when we die there is an after life but as Carl marx says 'religion is the opium of the people' it is 'drugs' them into believing that if they work hard in this life then they will be rewarded by eternal life in heaven, religion is man made by the upper classes to create power and dominance over the lower classes not sure if this is so true these days and i'm not saying i believe what marx says. I can see religion making a big return these days the stars are already following religions - we all need some sence of belonging and purpose and money can only buy you so much. any way i look forward to your reply i love to have discussions like this

x

 

[sarah5298a1]

as a catholic im kinda like you on religion
dont go to church as just dont like the stuffiness of it my kids attend a good catholic school yet they attended a christian sunday group then my daughter started wanting to go to service there..

my kids just luved all the happy clappy singing total opposite of a catholic sunday service.. so as a family we went every week urghh always rushed out before the coffee chat after ... we have a son with adhd/autisim and tbh the christian service was way better for his attention

go with what you feel inside.. you dont have to have a ticket to attend a service so try them all.. untill you find which suits you best

as a family a few years ago kids were learning about diff religions at school and we attended every church service in our area lol only one did not like was a johova kingdom thing as they locked us in haha

i have an 8 month old son and i am now thinking how i'm going to tacke relgion with him. i dont want to force any religion on him i believe he should choose his own path, however i do want him to go to the local catholic school as they offer the best education, so would i be right in sending him there and having him christened catholic??x

 

[sarah5298a1]

I was having a simlar conversation today with a collegue.

I was brought up Catholic as were my children, but whilst pregnant with my daughter several events caused me to question my faith; however, I didn't want my children growing up without God in their lives.

I still feel spirtual but just can't find what fits for me. I think that is why I love India it is full of religion/warmth/happiness & love.

My daughter still believes in God but not the Catholic faith, she now works with a sales team whom the majority are Mormon, she likes some aspects of it but not all and they have invited her to church which she may well do.

I'd do as has already been said, go to a few churches & see where you feel most comfortable.

totally agree with you about India, i love hinduism it is such an interesting and colourful religion and it is more believable they have "karma" and reincarnation and good and bad gods/goddesses which fits in more with life and evil and suffering etc.
the festivals they have are amazing

 

[sarah5298a1]

I am an atheist. I was never brought up in a religion, kindest thing my parents have ever done.
I won't post them for fear of getting banned, even though the world should see them to understand what is happening in the world but look at these:
Dan Eldon
Tsunami

To me, it just presents a big logical fallacy in the god of classical theism. Either god wanted to stop it, but couldn't, therefore he is not impotent, or god could stop it, but didn't want to, therefore is not benevolent.
And to the case of those who say they must have done something to deserve it, how?
Really, the people I have the most understanding of why they believe in god is those who have nothing else to turn to, literally nothing is going to save them that they find hope. And that, I would never take away from anyone.

sounds very much like some of the philosophical arguments agains the existence of god that i studied and i must say i tend to agree with them. have you heard of process theodicy - it states that god is evolving with the the rest of us and is not all powerful, he is on a learning curve and getting better over time! ha yeah ok! totally goes against all the bible says but ok. x

 

[JemmaBe]

I can't believe I just wrote god is not impotent. Omnipotent guys, omnipotent!!

 

[sarah5298a1]

LOL x

 

[tpals]

I can't believe I just wrote god is not impotent. Omnipotent guys, omnipotent!!

But it made for a nice chuckle in a serious topic.

 

[Starlight]

i have an 8 month old son and i am now thinking how i'm going to tacke relgion with him. i dont want to force any religion on him i believe he should choose his own path, however i do want him to go to the local catholic school as they offer the best education, so would i be right in sending him there and having him christened catholic??x

You could probably get him in on a placement request but this is a real pet peeve of mine. My nieces are catholic and my youngest niece was at risk of not getting in because of the number of non catholic children in school. I personally think it's wrong that children are being kept from attending a school like this because non catholic parents are requesting placements. Of my eldest nieces class of 28 only 17 took first communion. If you send him to a catholic school then that's the religion he'll learn whereas at a non denominational school he can choose.

Ciara is getting a place in primary 1 not due to her religion but because her big sister is already in the school. Other kids from her nursery (the school nursery) will be forced to go to a non denominational school which won't teach them their religion or prepare them for their first communion

 

[LittleFlutterby]

I was raised Athiest. Both my parents have no belief in god.

I am a recovering alcoholic, and have been sober for 3 1/2 years. I found recovery in AA, and i thought that because the program there mentions god, that i have to be religious to get sober (this was before someone told me differently)

I went to a born again christian church, in search of some kind of spirituality. At first i found it. I felt part of a fellowship too, and thought i had a strong connection with my perception of a higher power.

Then, rumours went round about my sexuality, and i got shunned from the church. They refused to baptise me because i wasnt straight (i'm actually Asexual) so i decided to go my own path.

I find meditation helps a lot. It gives me a kind of inner calmness and peace. Kinda the way some people get from praying maybe.

I have a strong belief that my higher power, whoever it/he/she is, is inside of me, and i don't have to go to a building 5 miles away to get in touch with this being.

I understand the feeling of being lost. Maybe not to your level, or not in the same way, but i have felt lost.

Good luck on your path- whichever way you choose to go. Sending love and light your way

 

[elleandca]

i have an 8 month old son and i am now thinking how i'm going to tacke relgion with him. i dont want to force any religion on him i believe he should choose his own path, however i do want him to go to the local catholic school as they offer the best education, so would i be right in sending him there and having him christened catholic??x

thats a choice thing only you can choose!

dont think just because its a caholic school theres a better eduction to be had!
children are tought to pray throughout the day and it should be that way as is a religious school

when my children first attended there was only catholic children attending ie only those baptised was somthing that was just expected by my family mostly gran lol

the class sizes were small -12 per class now theres 38+ per class .. and much of the catholic schooling has become a choice thing with alot of children leaving before end of day prayers as they are other faiths

we had to fight to get my son to be able to read/write at 10 hes now just barely achieved that! yet non english kids got 1v1 and over took my son years ago

and thats a private school so you can only imagine how the regular schooling is at a catholic school

sorry to go off topic ..

 

[sarah5298a1]

You could probably get him in on a placement request but this is a real pet peeve of mine. My nieces are catholic and my youngest niece was at risk of not getting in because of the number of non catholic children in school. I personally think it's wrong that children are being kept from attending a school like this because non catholic parents are requesting placements. Of my eldest nieces class of 28 only 17 took first communion. If you send him to a catholic school then that's the religion he'll learn whereas at a non denominational school he can choose.

Ciara is getting a place in primary 1 not due to her religion but because her big sister is already in the school. Other kids from her nursery (the school nursery) will be forced to go to a non denominational school which won't teach them their religion or prepare them for their first communion

if he goes to the catholic school i will have his christened or baptised catholic and he will go for his first holy communion etc my mams family are catholics and they were all brought up catholic - had to go to church on sundays even when they were older if they lived under my nanas roof then they went to church. i won't be this strict but i would encourage him. i went to non-religious schools yet we still said prayers at assembly and grace at lunch ?? probs not allowed these days with all the PC mallarcky. mmm something to think over

 

[sarah5298a1]

thats a choice thing only you can choose!

dont think just because its a caholic school theres a better eduction to be had!
children are tought to pray throughout the day and it should be that way as is a religious school

when my children first attended there was only catholic children attending ie only those baptised was somthing that was just expected by my family mostly gran lol

the class sizes were small -12 per class now theres 38+ per class .. and much of the catholic schooling has become a choice thing with alot of children leaving before end of day prayers as they are other faiths

we had to fight to get my son to be able to read/write at 10 hes now just barely achieved that! yet non english kids got 1v1 and over took my son years ago

and thats a private school so you can only imagine how the regular schooling is at a catholic school

sorry to go off topic ..

that maybe so in you're area but i have looked at league tables, ofsted reports etc and the best results for schools both primary and secondary are the catholic schools. also i have worked in primary schools and the behaviour of children in the catholic school i worked in was by far better than any of the other primary schools i have worked in, there seems to be more discipline which other school seem to be scared of ????

 

[MadameLaMinx]

You could probably get him in on a placement request but this is a real pet peeve of mine. My nieces are catholic and my youngest niece was at risk of not getting in because of the number of non catholic children in school. I personally think it's wrong that children are being kept from attending a school like this because non catholic parents are requesting placements. Of my eldest nieces class of 28 only 17 took first communion. If you send him to a catholic school then that's the religion he'll learn whereas at a non denominational school he can choose.

Ciara is getting a place in primary 1 not due to her religion but because her big sister is already in the school. Other kids from her nursery (the school nursery) will be forced to go to a non denominational school which won't teach them their religion or prepare them for their first communion

I *may* be wrong about this, but as I understand it, Faith based schools HAVE to allocate a certain number of places to children not of that particular faith. Probably something to do with equal opportunities.

And certainly at my daughters non-specific but leans heavily towards CofE in content school, they have an obligation to teach about multiple faiths. So even at a non-denominational school they will learn about Catholicism. Certainly we have had Divali celebrations amongst others.

Personally, and I am not remotely trying to be inflammatory here so please dont think I am, I would prefer faith and education to be kept separate. I think it is important to allow children to grow up and choose for themselves when they learn and understand who they are without being influenced as children.

I do understand why religious adults wish their children to be educated in a religious environment compatible with their own beliefs, and how that has come to be, but I feel that the educational ethos should be about becoming good people, valued members of society, who contribute to the society they live in, regardless of what faith they follow.

 

[sarah5298a1]

well said!

 

[fillymum]

that maybe so in you're area but i have looked at league tables, ofsted reports etc and the best results for schools both primary and secondary are the catholic schools. also i have worked in primary schools and the behaviour of children in the catholic school i worked in was by far better than any of the other primary schools i have worked in, there seems to be more discipline which other school seem to be scared of ????

In my experience this was the case for us when we moved from one county to another.

We were given 2 schools to look at and told there was a place for my son in either.

After looking at both we decided on the Catholic school. The difference between the 2 was very marked. The kids were polite, the discipline evident, the curriculum excellent.

We had to be interviewed by the headmaster and some members of the board of governors. DS had to be there as well.

DS was extremely happy there and happy to embrace the religious teachings there.

When I look at him now and at our grand children I know we made a good choice.

However I do agree with Gill (Minxie )

 

[sarah5298a1]

I *may* be wrong about this, but as I understand it, Faith based schools HAVE to allocate a certain number of places to children not of that particular faith. Probably something to do with equal opportunities.

And certainly at my daughters non-specific but leans heavily towards CofE in content school, they have an obligation to teach about multiple faiths. So even at a non-denominational school they will learn about Catholicism. Certainly we have had Divali celebrations amongst others.

Personally, and I am not remotely trying to be inflammatory here so please dont think I am, I would prefer faith and education to be kept separate. I think it is important to allow children to grow up and choose for themselves when they learn and understand who they are without being influenced as children.

I do understand why religious adults wish their children to be educated in a religious environment compatible with their own beliefs, and how that has come to be, but I feel that the educational ethos should be about becoming good people, valued members of society, who contribute to the society they live in, regardless of what faith they follow.

yes they do have to allow a certain amount of non-followers in their schools - i think its good parents have the choice of schools for their children and if the best one is a catholic school then why shouldn't we send our children there, half of the teachers in the school aren't catholic anyway i have worked in such schools and it is not essential to be catholic although an understanding and appreciation of the religion is. and like you say there are still a lot of schools that lean towards c of e - so chances are if i sent him to a diff school he could be saying prayers etc anyway x

 

[helzzz]

I'm a Catholic and I've taught in Catholic and non-denominational primary schools. I personally found it much easier to teach in a Catholic school in terms of discipline (which came through the Catholic ethos of the whole school). I also found it easier to try to help a child deal with a bereavement as I could pray with / for them and we were able to talk about Heaven. When working in a community primary school I found it very difficult to deal with these situations as I felt there was no hope to offer.

 

[Starlight]

Personally, and I am not remotely trying to be inflammatory here so please dont think I am, I would prefer faith and education to be kept separate. I think it is important to allow children to grow up and choose for themselves when they learn and understand who they are without being influenced as children.

I do understand why religious adults wish their children to be educated in a religious environment compatible with their own beliefs, and how that has come to be, but I feel that the educational ethos should be about becoming good people, valued members of society, who contribute to the society they live in, regardless of what faith they follow.

Actually to be honest with you I don't agree with religion based schools either. BUT as my sister in law is a practicing catholic and goes to church every Sunday she and my brother made the choice to send the girls to a catholic school. Emma goes to church regularly with her mum and Ciara will too when she's a bit older. IMO it's wrong that children like this are being stopped from going to a catholic school to allow children who's parents have no interest in the faith to go

I must admit as a child I'd have hated to go to a catholic school and have to participate in the religious side of things

 

[helzzz]

Actually to be honest with you I don't agree with religion based schools either. BUT as my sister in law is a practicing catholic and goes to church every Sunday she and my brother made the choice to send the girls to a catholic school. Emma goes to church regularly with her mum and Ciara will too when she's a bit older. IMO it's wrong that children like this are being stopped from going to a catholic school to allow children who's parents have no interest in the faith to go

I must admit as a child I'd have hated to go to a catholic school and have to participate in the religious side of things

I was brought up Catholic and went to a Catholic school. I loved the religious side of it and was in the music group that played at masses and felt really included. The only downside for me was that I was very badly educated in other religions. We did 2 weeks a year on an alternative religion in primary school which only amounts to a few hours and it's a different religion every year so you never really learn anything. High school was a little better for years 7-9 but not much. In GCSE RE (which was compulsory) we had the 'optional' module chosen for us which was Chrisitianity. I still feel dreadfully ignorant of other faiths now, although I'm interested in them and enjoy talking to others about it and learning more.

Re your niece's school; do they not have a policy that they will admit up to 10% non-Catholics? That seemed to be the norm when I was applying for high schools (admittedly going on for 20 years ago).

 

[Starlight]

I think part of the problem with my nieces school is rather bizarrely the Head Teacher refuses to acknowlege its a catholic school, despite it having RC in the title, being affiliated to the catholic church nearby, has regular visits from the Priest, they go to church several times a year as a school and they do First Communion Emma absoutely loves the religious side of the school and I think shes benefiting greatly from it. At my non denom school the most we did was prayers when there was assembly.

It appears there are more than the possible pre requisite % for non denominational children because of the Heads self appointed policy

Thankfully the wee one has got in because her big sister is already a pupil.