It also comes from a source that I wouldn't usually associate with religious (or non-religious) prejudice - The Girlgiding UK.
To those of you from across the Atlantic, the Girl Guides (or the Brownies) are the British equivalent of your Girl Scouts - this story probably won't seem that overly shocking to you either, as this kind of thing happens in your country all the time, like in the US Scouts, that don't allow gays, despite having a rainbow in their logo.
Maddie has spent 6 months at Brownies, and wants to continue. But too stay in brownies, she must first take the following pledge:
"I promise I will do my best, to love my God, and serve the Queen and the country, to help other people and to keep the brownie guide law"
The atheist parents of Maddie Willett, thought it wrong for their daughter to have to say that she loves God, and that if they would allow her not to take the oath, or, to simply replace the word God for something else, say 'Life' or 'The Universe'. That's not a big deal I think, and it's not like they're asking to completely change the oath, it's just for their daughter, and possibly for other children of non-religious families. I also don't see what the problem in doing this would be. Would changing one word for one girl send the whole girl guides into anarchy? I don't think It would.
Mrs Willett gave this statement:
"We don't have belief in God, and our Daughter is yet to make a decision, it's a big decision for her to make and It would be offensive for an atheist to say they love God."
But anyway, the guides said that this would be ridiculous, and the Oath was to stay the same and if Maddie didn't say it, then there would be no other option but to ban her from the group.
But what do you think? Is this just a petty word - she can say she loves God, but it doesn't mean she has to mean it.
Or do you agree with the parents? That a child, shouldn't have to declare love for something she doesn't even know if she believes in yet.
Or perhaps... you agree with me.
That the word should be changed, but not just for young Maddie, but entirely! The Girl Guides is a great place for young girls for them to learn teamwork, knitting or whatever the hell they do, but religion should have nothing to do with it.
Whether you believe in God or not, should be a choice you make by yourself, when you're old enough to do so and it shouldn't be forced on you while you're at school, or when you're at Brownies.
You may have noticed that I nether used the phrase 'Christian Child' or 'Atheist Child' in this post, that's because It makes my blood boil, when I see young children being actively forced into or even being associated with religion. ( And if you're wondering, yes, that is why I didn't come to your son's christening.)
But religion has everything to do with guides and all that lot, they're religious organisations.
ReplyDeleteWhich in themselves are a massive problem. In this day and age kids shouldn't be fed this stuff at such a young age, and pretty much not letting the non-religious take part is exclusionary, really.
I went to guides and all that, we went to church and we said grace at meals, from the age of about 5... though looking back as an atheist even though I joined in with that because I had to I didn't really believe. I also for some reason went to a faith school which was similar. I doubt half the kids at either places even understand or believe religion properly or comprehend it at all, for the most part it was just words, I just started saying sorry to god if I did something bad, like swore under my breath at someone, without actually thinking about it in the end. We, or at least me, were like that because it's how we were taught, it's what was expected from us.
I still go to a version of scouts but it's actually really good cause it hardly ever touches on religion, I doubt many of the leaders, or us, are actually Christian.
Also, what infuriates me is not just shoving religion down throats when they're kids, it's when they're babies. I was christened and it's the only thing I wish my parents hadn't done for me, I hate being tied to Christianity by it.
Sorry if that long response annoys you or anything, just your blog brings out the ranter in me :P