Johann Hari: "Dear God, stop brainwashing children"

[ciphergoth]

Johann Hari, The Independent, 2009-05-08

Dear God, stop brainwashing children

Why is worship forced on 99 per cent of children without their own consent or even asking what they think?

Let us now put our hands together and pray. O God, we gather here today to ask you to free our schoolchildren from being forced to go through this charade every day. As you know, O Lord, because You see all, British law requires every schoolchild to participate in "an act of collective worship" every 24 hours. Irrespective of what the child thinks or believes, they are shepherded into a hall, silenced, and forced to pray – or pretend to.

If they refuse to bow their heads to You, they are punished. This happened to me, because I protested that there is no evidence whatsoever that You exist, and plenty of proof that shows the texts describing You are filled with falsehoods. When I pointed this out, I was told to stop being "blasphemous" and threatened with detention. "Shut up and pray," a teacher told me on one occasion. Are you proud, O Lord?

[...] I am genuinely surprised that no moderate religious people have, to my knowledge, joined the campaign to stop this compelled prayer. What pleasure or pride can you possibly feel in knowing that children are compelled to worship your God? Why are you silent?

[...]

Are there prominent religious campaigners on this issue in particular or State secularism in general that he's not taking into account? Are they getting articles in the national press, or trying to? Pointers welcome!

Comments

[emarkienna.livejournal.com]

I had daily prayers, hymns and preaching at primary school (including reciting the Lord's Prayer, as well as prayers spoken by a teacher, so wasn't a generic moment of silent).

At secondary school it wasn't daily, but was still about three times a week (and it not being daily was more a practical point). We had hymns less often, but the prayers and worship were still present everytime.

Both were state schools.

It does seem to be one of those things that varies. And even if it's very rare, then there should be no objection to getting rid of a law that no one follows anyway :) It probably depends on the individual teachers at the school - I remember at my school there be a certain few religious teachers who loved to give these assemblies. The problem with the law is that any teacher who wants to do this has the law on their side.

[blackmetalbaz.livejournal.com]

My experience was broadly similar to yours by the sounds of it, except that there was at least one hymn per assembly at secondary school (about three a week), a Bible reading and two prayers. Again a state school. Oh, and we'd have the Gideons in at least once a year.

Intrinsically, there are other laws that are more wrong that need changing, but a) this one is still wrong and should be changed, and b) the insidious nature of the indoctrination of children makes this one aspect of a much larger issue that needs addressing so I can understand Hari's intent, even if his prose is somewhat OTT.