Guest Article
This is a guest article written by one of our regular particpants in the site.
A Retired Bookdealer - an interesting post and we extend our thanks to ARB
Written and Submitted by A Retired Bookdealer
Hello All,
Well here we go more ramblings from ARB.
I was a little surprised this week by my two youngest children who are still
at the primary school stage in their education.
Both of them told me how they may be learning about other languages and
other religions,
the basis of this being we are all now living in a multi-cultural society,
which is fine by me,
each to his own and all that, but do I want my children learning languages
they may never use,
and do I really want them being exposed at such a young age to other
religions, will this not cause confusion,
should they not be left to find their own way and make up their own minds
later in life about such things ?.
I remember many years ago when I was at secondary school age 11.
One weekend I found a book about Reincarnation, which I spent all weekend
reading, marvellous I thought so what about all
this stuff my religious education teacher has been going on about,
I will ask him about all this in Monday’s lesson.
Anyway Monday’s lesson soon came around and for once I was looking forward to it,
I took my usual position at the back of the class and waited for the any questions part of the lesson, which eventually came,
I flew up my hand, waved it about and waited and waited,
eventually my turn came.
” What about Reincarnation Sir”, I asked,
“There is No Such Thing” he replied,
“Well I have been reading a book about it Sir” was my reply
and preceded to divulge some of my new found scientific knowledge.
He went absolutely ape, went off on one, it was much worse,
you would have thought I had run off and altered the ten commandments,
he grabbed a wooden metre stick shot across the classroom
towards me and tried to administer some form of discipline with the wooden
object, to which I may add he had little success,
the fact that he could not administer this discipline did not help matters.
I was then quickly sent to the headmaster, things there were no better, and
for my talk of such things as Reincarnation
I was banned from religious education and given a detention.
I must admit from that day on I have looked at such things as religion a
little differently, though I do believe such things are
to most people a private thing, I am sure a lot of us have our own beliefs,
which we keep to ourselves or share with others in the right environment, of
such things we have been aloud to make up our own minds and find our own
way.
Then should not today’s children be left to find there own way ….
Anyway that’s enough from ARB, I shall leave you to ponder.
Witches of Eastwick said,
February 24, 2007 @ 8:48 am
ARB,
What an interesting and thought provoking comment. We shall be discussing this and other things on Tuesday …. perhaps you will join us?
WoE
p.s. do you think Rod is poorly? The Witches are concerned that his tropical wildlife breeding programme may be out of hand ….. you get the horses, we’ll get the posse!
Rod said,
February 24, 2007 @ 9:00 am
ARB
a very interesting observation.
My personal feelings are that education should not be taught in schools.
Schools are a place for factual learning and not any form of indoctrination.
I think teaching religious awareness is a good idea though. i.e. what various religions believe in and do etc.
If religion has to be forced upon a child then it is a parents job to do so not the educational system.
That said, even when left to the parents look what that leads to !
I remember seeing news footage of little children in Ireland hurling rocks and bottles at a group of children going to school - the pure and absolute hatred in their faces was terrifying.
The reason: the were catholic and the others protestant or vice versa !
The parents and the educational system instilled that hatred in those young minds !
I thought all religions preached tolerance as well
Little Witchlet said,
February 26, 2007 @ 12:17 am
Little Witchlet’s smallest little witchlet this week couldn’t get to sleep because a friend had decided they would try and contact their dead relatives! Sitting in a circle and a strange feeling as they passed their hand over the sofa seemed to be as deep as it got! Not to be belittled though - genuinely scared - and lots of reassurance needed from a very matter of fact Mum.
Saying that, just because people died, didn’t mean they wouldn’t still be good and kind in spirit, didn’t help - load of codswallop had more success! We then discussed the meaning of codswallop, made up our own versions and the moment passed!
Made me think how many subjects should a parent try and pre-empt. Should I throw this open for discussion again - preferably not at bedtime?
Should I have words with certain friend in the interest of getting some sleep?!
Rod said,
February 26, 2007 @ 8:58 am
LW
a solid example of how easy it is to manipulate young minds and the effect it can have. This is why I believe the the educational system should confine itself to factual things rather than beliefs etc.
As to whether such topics should be prempted, or revisited once the crisis is over, I have no idea - it takes me into the realms of parenting and being a responsible adult - all matters beyond my experience !
Good luck with the hardest job in the world
RC
Witches of Eastwick said,
February 26, 2007 @ 9:45 pm
Little Witchlet,
Meaning of the word codswallop …… (informal) nonsense. origin uncertain, but associated with Hiram Codd, who invented a bottle for fizzy drinks (wallop) in the 19th century.
You remember old Codd, didn’t he supply the drinks for one of our famous shindigs? He’s the one we caught behind the penny-farthing bike sheds with you ……. as I recall you said he lacked sparkle, how wrong you were!
WoE
Little Witchlet said,
February 26, 2007 @ 11:51 pm
Ah yes, Old Codd - all air, no real substance, recall his fizz went flat - suggested he stick a cork in it!
A Retired Bookdealer said,
February 27, 2007 @ 5:35 pm
Hello All ,
Well yet again I seem to be having one of those weeks, where nothing seems to go right, things breaking , going wrong, etc ….
The icing on the cake for me though was last night 11.30 pm,
I sat watching a DVD, when I realised I had not padlocked the wrought-iron security gate over the office door, so off I went to do this small task, which should only have taken a few seconds, but no the padlock would not work, it was for some reason stuck solid, “Oh …..” I thought,
now what can I do this being the only padlock I had, so off I went to find tools and some WD-40 to put on the lock, thinking its worked in the past it will work again, anyway No WD-40, so I tapped the lock with a hammer, still no success, it would not budge, I continued to tap it, still no success, I know I thought I need oil, Yes correct, No oil either, so I set about rummaging about in the kitchen cupboards, mainly under the sink, which is normally good hunting ground for odds and ends hoping I may find something that may help or be of use, and then success a bottle of extra virgin olive oil was staring back at me from one of the kitchen cupboards, being the closest thing to oil I had I poured it all over the padlock, and within minutes it worked, amazing, extra virgin olive oil saved the day!.
At least that’s one thing that’s worked out ok this week.