The place of Christianity in school assemblies was questioned this week after a survey for BBC Local Radio faith programmes suggested that the law requiring schools to provide “broadly Christian” collective worÂship was being widely ignored. The survey also suggested that 60 per cent of the general public was not in favour of enforcing the law, the BBC says.
The suggestions were based on teleÂphone interviews in July with 1743 adults, 500 of whom were parents of school-age children, by ComRes, a polling organisation. The interviews showed that more than half of those over 65, but only three in ten of the 18-24 age group, favoured enforceÂment.
The chairman of ComRes, Andrew Hawkins, said that the poll told a story of declining support for Christian worship in schools, with only lukewarm support for the law. “The key question for the future is whether younger people will become more supportive of collective worÂship as they age, or whether this marks a generational change, and therefore further decline in support over the coming years.”
I can hardly think of anything that would turn me off religion faster than compulsary attendance at “broadly Christian collective worship.” Unless it were “broadly Judeo-Christian collective worship.” Christianity is only of any interest/meaning/value when it is as specific and clear as possible. The only thing worse than have no contact with Christianity is thinking that you have when you haven’t. I know a number of English people whose understanding of Christianity is totally derived from their watered-down namby pampy exposure to it in public (I mean here the American use of this word) school. And they literally couldn’t tell the difference between Judaism and Christianity.
When I was in what was then called Jr. High School, we had an assembly every Friday morning at which we said the Lord’s Prayer and a student read a passage from Scripture. Didn’t seem to hurt us. In grade school, we had to memorize the 23rd Psalm, along with the Gettysburg Address. I loved the Psalm, but as an avid little Confederate, I resented having to learn the GA!
I’m so old that when I was in school we said the Lord’s prayer and heard a psalm every morning. I don’t call that “broadly Christian collective worship” however. Of course, I don’t actually know what is meant by the term, but to me it calls to mind a headmaster standing at the front of a room of extremely bored children droning “Oh Lord, as we beginneth another day of study at St. Ives Scbool for the Somewhat Advantaged we asketh thee to grant unto us blah blah blah…” while the kids nod off. Sacramental worship or sincere personal prayer are both compelling forms of Christian worship but something tells me that neither of them are what is meant by “broadly Christian collective worship.”
I attended school in England in the seventies and was subjected to “broadly Christian worship.” We sang a hymn from Hymns Ancient and Modern, said the Lord’s Prayer and heard an inspiring message about Louis Pasteur, or arctic explorers.
Perhaps people are aware of the theory of vaccination? You expose someone to a weakened version of a pathogen and the body learns to fight it off; then they are immune to the real thing. “Broadly Christian Worship” as practised in English schools vaccinates most of its participants against Christianity. The sooner it’s gone, the better, I think.
went to school with “broadly Christian worship” in the US. I found it charming, but did not believe in God, and it was clear that nobody else did either. It was just a pleasant ceremony, and a good way of remembering the Golden rule etc. etc., sort of like Santa claus reminds you that it is a good thing to try to be “nice” instead of “naughty”.
I was over 40 when I first met somebody who actually believed. I mean REALLY believed. It was shocking, and almost grotesque, sort of like going into anaphylactic shock. But, after you caught your breath and stopped gawping at the neanderthal, you realized that what he said was actually, compelling, and that he wasn’t nearly as stupid as he sounded…