[censura carnero]

I'm on my mobile so I apologise in advance for mistakes.

I'm an atheist but I find religion fascinating from a socio-historical perspective. I wld love my children to learn about all religions but the choices are: none (my preference), ecumenical Christian (DH,s choice) and Baha'i. I actually was quite interested and fascinated about Baha'i but dh is acting like I've said I want to commit the kids to a life of a monk in a monastery starting this second. His beliefs are Luke warm and I'm an atheist willing for my children to be educated in a broad sense. My son has just had a year at an Anglican school so he has had a good 12 months of Christian instruction. Hes just moved to a state school that i love so far. Hence why these decisions are having to be made. Am I being unreasonable or is he?

This post has been edited by censura carnero: 01/02/2013, 10:07 PM

[SarahM72]

I'd probably go with the Christian religious classes, merely because I think it would be more useful in terms of being able to understand literature, poetry, movies (so many seem to be about the Holy Grail these days!) even the news (at times biblical references and terms do tend to pop up), history, geography, and much current Western thinking and Western society generally. It also helps with understanding foreign policy of many countries. It also helps with understanding Islam and Judaism to a certain extent, and helps explain a lot of foreign policy of the US in regards to the Middle East.

While Bahai is certainly interesting, I don't think it is as useful to have knowledge of the religion in our society, IYKWIM.

ETA: Sorry! Seems I totally misread your question and went off on a tangent. Anyway, I think your DH is right.

This post has been edited by SarahM72: 01/02/2013, 10:19 PM

[censura carnero]

Why do u think he's right? Ds has had a year of Christiana teachings and although I'm an atheist I'm more than capable of teaching him Christian ideologies.

[Saecularis Angel...]

If you want him to learn about all religions, my understanding is that the Baha'i curriculum does this, as they believe that all of the major religions were valid revelations for their time (or something to that effect).

[censura carnero]

If you want him to learn about all religions, my understanding is that the Baha'i curriculum does this, as they believe that all of the major religions were valid revelations for their time (or something to that effect).

That's what I was hoping. A tolerant middle ground possibiliy. As I said religion is do interesting to me so I want my kids to learn about all kinds thanks Ange verte.

[Pooks*potters]

I really couldn't pass up the chance of Bahai instruction! What an opportunity. You could suggest he do a year of it, so he had a year of each, and then choose himself the following year??

[SarahM72]

Well I guess it comes back to what you hope your son will learn, and what you think would be most useful.

For example:

Do you want him to learn a little about all religions (if that is indeed what Bahai will teach - I am not certain this would necessarily be the case)? This is probably more useful for learning about tolerance and acceptance of other people (maybe).

Or do you want him to get more of a deeper perspective of one religion - the one that shaped and informs our Western way of thinking and way of life? Which will help him as he gets older to more comprehensively comprehend everything from texts he studies for English to world politics.

Or do you want to avoid completely any risk at all of him being brainwashed by scripture teachers who may very well perhaps be looking to convert the unbelievers!

etc etc

[sparkler]

As my sons school has volunteers to teach religion and I cannot be guaranteed it will be taught in a comparative way I chose to opt him out as he is far too young to question what he is being taught.

But if I had to choose one I would pick Bahai.

[Gudrun]

I'd give the Baha'i a go. The fact that he has learnt something about one religion already, doing another one next implies a comparative approach.

[SarahM72]

If you want him to learn about all religions, my understanding is that the Baha'i curriculum does this, as they believe that all of the major religions were valid revelations for their time (or something to that effect).

I'm still awake and bored so actually had a quick look at the Bahai International website just now. Now I'd actually be interested in knowing what the curriculum is exactly. While Bahai beliefs do indeed incorporate what you say Ange Vert, after looking at their website I'm not sure they would actually be teaching the other religions as such.

If you actually go to the Bahai international website, and read what they believe, and read their Holy book Kitab i Aqdas (available translated from the Arabic to the English, it is short and won't take long if you are so inclined) it actually seems to me that it is very much a bastardised form of Islam in miniature (from my lay person's perspective). Very very similar to Islam. The whole website doesn't really have much to say about other religions at all. It seems to me to mainly discuss a form of "Islam", and the slight dispensations allowed to Bahais from the obligatory Muslim prayers and such. While I won't say it is virtually indentical to Islam (it isn't), on a cursory persual of their website it seems to be mainly drawn from that religion.

http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/KA/

So yeah, Bahai faith may not be as much about diverse religions and other faiths as you think OP, so I'm even less certain now after looking at their website that Bahai scripture lessons for kids would discuss other religions in much depth (if that's what you were hoping for).

This post has been edited by SarahM72: 01/02/2013, 11:46 PM