In message , at
22:54:00 on Wed, 13 Feb 2013, Arthur Figgis
remarked:
And despite years of compulsory daily worship at primary school, I
don't know what Christians _believe_

That's a bit hard on yourself. What they believe in is living a virtuous
life as laid out in the gospels. (Other religions have their own codes
of conduct derived from other publications).
--
Roland Perry

On 14/02/2013 08:07, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at
22:54:00 on Wed, 13 Feb 2013, Arthur Figgis
remarked:
And despite years of compulsory daily worship at primary school, I
don't know what Christians _believe_

That's a bit hard on yourself. What they believe in is living a virtuous
life as laid out in the gospels. (Other religions have their own codes
of conduct derived from other publications).

Well, yes, but I suspect few religions say you should be a complete
b*&%^$d and can ignore the manual. Although at university the religious
types played down the "be nice" stuff we got at school in favour of
emphasising blind faith.

Some years ago I took Japanese students to see Ely cathedral, and they
got confused by a reference there to three-in-one god(s), rather than
just the one in the sky and the bearded one wearing a towel who they
vaguely recognised. The professor asked me to explain what the third one
was, and I was completely stuck. Collective worship #fail.

Although to be fair, none of them appeared to be able to explain their
local customs beyond "There are things in rocks and trees" and a sense
it was long gone as a belief system.

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

On Thu, Feb 14, 2013 at 08:07:41AM +0000, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at
22:54:00 on Wed, 13 Feb 2013, Arthur Figgis
remarked:
And despite years of compulsory daily worship at primary school, I
don't know what Christians _believe_
That's a bit hard on yourself. What they believe in is living a virtuous
life as laid out in the gospels.

That's obviously not true, because they also believe a bunch of stuff
not in the gospels. And what that stuff is varies from sect to sect,
such as:
* whether priests are necessary;
* if they are, whether women can be priests;
* if they can, whether they are as priestly as men;
* whether gay people should have human rights;
* whether evolution happened

All of which makes it pretty clear that what they actually believe is
whatever was once convenient for their leaders (but which, eg re gay
people, may now be thoroughly inconvenient for their leaders but they
can't change it because admitting that someone was wrong a few hundred
years ago is even less convenient to the powers that be).

--
David Cantrell | Enforcer, South London Linguistic Massive

Good advice is always certain to be ignored,
but that's no reason not to give it -- Agatha Christie

In message , at 14:10:09
on Mon, 18 Feb 2013, David Cantrell remarked:
And despite years of compulsory daily worship at primary school, I
don't know what Christians _believe_
That's a bit hard on yourself. What they believe in is living a virtuous
life as laid out in the gospels.

That's obviously not true, because they also believe a bunch of stuff
not in the gospels. And what that stuff is varies from sect to sect,
such as:
* whether priests are necessary;
* if they are, whether women can be priests;
* if they can, whether they are as priestly as men;
* whether gay people should have human rights;
* whether evolution happened

Few of those issues will emerge as important to a student's education at
a faith school in the UK.
--
Roland Perry

On 18/02/2013 15:33, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 14:10:09
on Mon, 18 Feb 2013, David Cantrell remarked:
And despite years of compulsory daily worship at primary school, I
don't know what Christians _believe_
That's a bit hard on yourself. What they believe in is living a virtuous
life as laid out in the gospels.

That's obviously not true, because they also believe a bunch of stuff
not in the gospels. And what that stuff is varies from sect to sect,
such as:
* whether priests are necessary;
* if they are, whether women can be priests;
* if they can, whether they are as priestly as men;
* whether gay people should have human rights;
* whether evolution happened

Few of those issues will emerge as important to a student's education at
a faith school in the UK.

As in the evil gays and palaeontologists are kept well away, or as in
the system isn't yet that bad?

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

In message , at
18:26:58 on Mon, 18 Feb 2013, Arthur Figgis
remarked:
And despite years of compulsory daily worship at primary school, I
don't know what Christians _believe_
That's a bit hard on yourself. What they believe in is living a virtuous
life as laid out in the gospels.

That's obviously not true, because they also believe a bunch of stuff
not in the gospels. And what that stuff is varies from sect to sect,
such as:
* whether priests are necessary;
* if they are, whether women can be priests;
* if they can, whether they are as priestly as men;
* whether gay people should have human rights;
* whether evolution happened

Few of those issues will emerge as important to a student's education at
a faith school in the UK.

As in the evil gays and palaeontologists are kept well away, or as in
the system isn't yet that bad?

Such matters simply don't affect the life of the school.
--
Roland Perry

On 18/02/2013 21:42, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at
18:26:58 on Mon, 18 Feb 2013, Arthur Figgis
remarked:
And despite years of compulsory daily worship at primary school, I
don't know what Christians _believe_
That's a bit hard on yourself. What they believe in is living a
virtuous
life as laid out in the gospels.

That's obviously not true, because they also believe a bunch of stuff
not in the gospels. And what that stuff is varies from sect to sect,
such as:
* whether priests are necessary;
* if they are, whether women can be priests;
* if they can, whether they are as priestly as men;
* whether gay people should have human rights;
* whether evolution happened

Few of those issues will emerge as important to a student's education at
a faith school in the UK.

As in the evil gays and palaeontologists are kept well away, or as in
the system isn't yet that bad?

Such matters simply don't affect the life of the school.

Presumably they must have to navigate evolution at some point? Although
I'm far from convinced that there really are enough creationists this
side of the Atlantic for that one to be serious issue, even if a school
bigwig wanted it to be. Plus kids find dinosaurs much more interesting
than the alternatives.


--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

On Mon, Feb 18, 2013 at 03:33:02PM +0000, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 14:10:09
on Mon, 18 Feb 2013, David Cantrell remarked:
And despite years of compulsory daily worship at primary school, I
don't know what Christians _believe_
That's a bit hard on yourself. What they believe in is living a virtuous
life as laid out in the gospels.
That's obviously not true, because they also believe a bunch of stuff
not in the gospels. And what that stuff is varies from sect to sect,
such as:
* whether priests are necessary;
* if they are, whether women can be priests;
* if they can, whether they are as priestly as men;
* whether gay people should have human rights;
* whether evolution happened
Few of those issues will emerge as important to a student's education at
a faith school in the UK.

Unless it's a catholic school. They got caught encouraging their
students to lobby politicians to restrict gay peoples' human rights.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...s-gay-marriage

I am certain that there are lots of other issues that I didn't list
which religious schools will both differ on and be stupid about.

--
David Cantrell | Nth greatest programmer in the world

All principles of gravity are negated by fear
-- Cartoon Law V

On 19/02/2013 11:21, David Cantrell wrote:

Unless it's a catholic school. They got caught encouraging their
students to lobby politicians to restrict gay peoples' human rights.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...s-gay-marriage

I am certain that there are lots of other issues that I didn't list
which religious schools will both differ on and be stupid about.

It could be cunning double-cross by someone inside, as telling pupils to
do one thing might guarantee them thinking the opposite.

Lots of pupils from that school use the trains and buses round here, and
I'm often amazed at the highbrow conversations they have amongst
themselves. I suspect someone wearing a gay pride badge at the school I
went to would have been the sort of thing that might be included in a
catchy railway safety song.

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK