Humanism

[Aimz]

I kinda agreed with what they were saying on sunrise that Humanism doesn't consider itself a religion so why should it be an option for the 'religion' class in school.

I understand that point SJ - however the reason why it is going to be introduced is for those students who choose NOT to attend RE classes. If they grow up in an Athiest household then a Humanism class would be more appropriate for them than a religious education class.

Humanism is not a religion because it rejects religion - and there are many families out there who also reject religion and I think this class would be great for their kids instead of sitting in the Principals office colouring in!

[Heaven]

Good point Amy, it would be better for them to do something constructive instead. I hope they're teaching everyone about morals and ethics though aswell!!
And I was also thinking that all kids should go to religion classes, not to be religious, but to learn about the beliefs of others but then you can't make everyone do that, it's the parents choice, so that wouldn't work.

[Aimz]

I think there are lots of classes that have morals and ethics built into them anyway and also parents teach the same values at home. But what I'm trying to get at is religion classes teach these ethics/values/morals in a more structured, easy to understand way for all age groups. Kids can relate to the stories told.

I think it's important for those non religious kids to get the same sort of "structure" in terms of their own belief system.

[Inanna]

I think it's an interesting concept. I have always thought it disrespectful how only Christianity is taught in schools (1 school my DD13 attended had Bahai classes). I think Humanisim teaches responsibility for ones actions - I am a firm believer in this. However, I also have a deeper personal spirituality - but like Humanists I don't believe in God as a supreme ruler who is responsible for all of my failings and credits!

I reject religion - but follow a more Buddhist principle on life. I grew up with a very fundamentalist Christian mother - it was that that bore me a need to educate myself on all forms of belief systems.

My children attend a neo humanist philosophy (Ananda Marga) based primary school - I couldn't ask for a safer more nurturing environment for my children to be educated in.

[Trillian]

This is essentially how I choose to live my life, but to follow it stringently or to say "I am a Humanist" would be hypocritical because I'm a farmer - we do have 'dominion' over animals on our farm and slaughter them etc as well as farm the land that was cleared for that purpose (although in my defense we do farm as environmentally friendly as we can with minimum tillage etc). I am all for what they are going to do in VIC schools and I really hope that they see fit to introduce the same here in NSW. BUT I would still make my children attend Scripture classes as they do now because even though I am not religious, DH and I think it is important that they attend if only to learn that other people have a different belief system to what we do. I think my eldest child in particular would thrive in a class based on Humanism - it would raise all the things that he often ponders over with me. I think it's important that schools embrace this addition to education because it does give us as parents choice in how we want our children taught outside the home. However I do not agree with Religious education being taught in schools as a defined religion (basically where all the nitty-gritty of religious core beliefs are taught such as Christianity and Catholocism) as Church and State should be kept separate and if you want your child to have a religious education, then you send them to a religious school kwim? But then if you wer that way inclined you would be more likely to send them to a religious school in the first place.

[suse]

I agree with you there Trillian - I want my child to be taught about religion, I don't want him being taught to be religious (unless that is the path he chooses to follow of his own volition). I think that it is as important for people of faith to learn that atheism/agnosticism is a valid belief system as it is for those without faith to respect those who follow a religion. Although this is by no means the norm, I have encountered some who believe that faith is a prerequisite to morality - a perception that disturbs me greatly. Perhaps a greater understanding of the tenets of a stance such as Humanism would help to address such perceptions.

[Trillian]

You're onto something there Suse, I've experienced that too, that because I don't have a religion, or follow one, then how can I possible have as many morals and live as good a life as someone who does. It would be interesting to see how this is handled (meaning the advent of this as an alternative to be taught) by those of a strong religious background that they can accept that you can still have a perfectly functioning morals/belief system yet not have God in your life to do it.

[Inanna]

Me three - I find it curious that there is a large movement in our society that if we are not Christian Church goers we simply don't have good values/morals. I had a friend of my DD13 mother visit my house (DD13 has Aspergers and as such behavioural issues) and when she saw Buddha sitting atop my loungeroom said: "maybe if you subscribed to Christian values you wouldn't have these problems with her"... I almost choked on my Chai! I kindly and respectfully told her that my "values" dn't extend to characater judgeents based on ones religious/spiritual or ethical value systems. (she is a JW - so Christian based).

This certainly isn't a reflection on her religion but on her own values - but that experience highlighted to me how narrow some people are in their characters.

My children's pseudo grandparents (he is an Anglican minister) have openly run down the school my children attend - saying it is a cult and they will never be employed or be accepted into the army... That learning meditation and yoga is pointless - "and all of that singing and dancing that those kids do is just silly..." When my son won an award for excellence in Maths they scoffed and said "it's not a real school"...

Folk can be and sadly are just plain unkind and narrow. How do we change it. We change ourselves. We don't react to unkindness with more unkindness - we stand firm in our values and gently relay them to others...

I think Humanisim in school isn't just a good thing - it's a necessary one!