[themes of atheism] I have had an awful day. [Closed]

As a Christian, I must say people who push Christianity onto people have a special spot in Hell waiting for them. The fact that the public school system in your area is so nonsecular is very disappointing, and it is unlikely that you will be able to change it. However, despite that, it does not excuse you for insulting a teacher, which you clearly did (I also find it rather stupid how people force apologies, which are obviously insincere most times). So both of you are in the wrong, but the school is in a deeper yet unrelated wrong.

Right, well... I'll share this with you:

On Christmas, I was forced to sit through 3 Christmas assemblies and then 2 Christmas services. I was told that Jesus was born, and there's plenty of proof of that. The last time I heard this told, I ignored my social anxiety (for once -.-) and stood up in front of the whole year. My tutor was telling me to sit down but I ignored her anyway.

With all of those eyes on me, it was kind of hard to talk...

But I said this anyways:
"So, I'm going to hell just because i'm an evolutionist? Just because there's more proof of that than there is of God? I wish I could go to a school where they don't expect me to believe in a God, a Jesus, a whatever. But as far as I know, the nearest one of those to us is in NC. There ain't one in the UK because we're stupid and want everybody to believe in a bunch of Bible bullcrap. There. I'm done"

The only people who clapped were my friends, everybody else just started giggling and tutor grabbed my arm and literally dragged me out of my place in the seats, and threw me over into my head of year, and he pulled me out of the room and gave me a 'telling-off' and a 'what the hell was that?'. Then the chaplin (however you spell it) put me in the damn School Chapel and attempted to make me pray in there. He failed and took me to my next lesson.

That day isn't spoken of anymore...

The irony of it is is that most of my teachers have done drugs at some point in their lives and are constantly committing sins in my school.

Teachers, nor parents, have any right to shove religion down anybody's throats. My mum tries too sometimes, my dad jokes about it alot, and my dad's mother is...well... She gave me a 20 minute lecture last week on how Jesus rose from the dead that weekend and I can't say "no he didn't"...Because of this:
"The bible says so".
Luckily I can resist the urge to punch the loved elderly person in my family, otherwise she would have been in hospital with a broken jaw all through this week.

Stand up to that teacher. Stand up to your parents. I do it all the time... which usually ensues with alot of shouting and screaming and spitting stopping myself from beating the crap out of my mum/dad...

You Said :

and I can't discourage people from praying in assemblies, which was a point in the manifesto.

The point is you are trying to FORCE what you accept onto others , and lead them astray.
Over all, if Christians in your community are forcing their beliefs onto you, and you trying to attack back like this is a paradox.
These individuals should give you your space and accept you for what you are at this time.

Horrible. That is not how Christians should act. What they did is uncceptable. There is only one thing i agree with: NO ONE should shove ANY religon down ANY PERSON'S throat.

He is not forcing his views/ways upon his peers, he is providing another route for them to travel on.

Build lava walls around your school!

Call if what you Want.
Advocating.
Advising.
Suggesting.
Introducing.
Proposing.

It's still a paradox.

no its really not incorrect, freedom of religion is also freedom from religion and its persecution. the "ideals" of christianity are morally wrong in any ways although the catholic church has recanted many of those (slavery, beating women who cheat, etc) morallity existed before religion since there was no unified church until after the isrealites were lead out of egypt. so that is just simply incorrect and offensive

here is what you should think about if you think that morality did not exist prior to religious institution: say there were people out there with no morality through religion, why would they allow people to come and impose their rules upon them if they could simply kill them and cancel out said rules? its a paradox to think that and is simply impossible

Update, ladies and gentlemen!

So, I woke up and went to school today nervous, as I am, fearing the principal shall spring a punishment on me or he would call my mother and she'd restrict me from everything under the sun. It was, of course, well into the afternoon before I actually had the aforementioned confrontation with my principal.

Went into the principal's office, he began with the standard conversation starter; how have you been? I bluntly let him know what an awful day I had. We moved onto discussion of my manifesto; he argued faith is faith, that a religion can be true because one can have faith in it. Obviously, I disagreed. We moved onto the primary arguments, including the demand for Christianity to be removed from the school ethos. He got out a copy of the school prospectus, and showed me a document articulating the School Vision. Not one mention of Christianity was there, and the school is apparently integrated in all but name (integration was another of my demands) because of a clause stating respect for all, regardless of religion, race or creed.

Seeing the basis of my arguments in the movement of school secularization were quickly evaporating, I demanded one last thing; the right to not attend the school's annual Easter Service on my own accord, on the basis that there was always talk of how the 'non-believer is weak' during the readings. He retrieved the 2 readings from the Easter Service, no trace of a mention of such a thing.

To finish it off, he pointed out that a school cannot be both secular and integrated. In Northern Ireland, integrated schools are defined as schools which celebrate all religion and races and the diversity they bring. A secular school is one which is completely neutral from religion and endorses none. The two states I advocate my school to become are polar opposites.

He then moved onto the matter of the teacher and Scripture Union I offended. Had to make an apology to the teacher after hearing how offended she was, along with an apology to a representative of the Scripture Union. I may be getting an afterschool detention as a result.

So effectively, I was wrong on the main thing I was campaigning for. The school is already as secular as the law and government will allow it to be. There is nothing internal campaigning will do. I was also wrong because I felt I was in a mood to insult a teacher and an organization within the school. The only thing I was right about were the basic principles of the separation of church and state, pretty much wrong about my main campaigning point and how I went about it. I admit to that.

Some people on this thread commented that the principal is biased and closed minded. He's a great gentleman, really. Rather than immediately and abrasively springing every punishment in the book on me, we discussed the situation in a reasonable and rational manner. We agree to disagree on many points, and agree on many, just as gentlemen do.

Where to go from here? Well, I am joining the local excellent political party, I want to have a part in helping them write their policy to include less bias in the education system. I want to redefine integrated education to be compatible with secularism, I don't believe religion should be celebrated any more than any other ideology. Notice how we have Protestant/Catholic schools in Northern Ireland, why not communist schools? Or environmentalist schools? When I grow up, I want to become an MLA, so I can push for these changes. I'll then use the revenue to launch the movement I've had planned (completely separate from this issue, mainly centring around humanist world federalism).

But of course, until then, I'm just going to have to accept the fact that I live in Northern Ireland, and I'm going to have to bear with all these restrictions my parents are trying to put on my freedom of speech. Oh well, just going to have to accept the restrictions and never critically or independently think ever again. Not really, I may or may not have a revolutionary plan.

There is one gentleman whose concerns I feel I should address.

I am not asking everyone to abandon their views. I may come across like that and such a thought may be in my head, and for that I accept I'm wrong in that sense.
What I am demanding is not lobbying for atheism for the sake of how great it may be, my request was in the interest for equality for the minority I belong to, and for everyone to have the chance to decide on matters of religion, for no demographic, regardless of the size of the majority, to force their views on others, and for Christianity to not be a blanket standard for all pupils for what seems to be no reason.
I admit I'm the most radical person in my school when it comes to atheism, and yes, I am alone. But the individual ought to be entitled to the same rights as the most vast majority, and be subject to fair treatment and protection.
I am not forcing my views on anyone, I am proposing this as a solution to a problem. I'm not trying to deconvert the world's populace, my school, or even my class. All I ask is equal treatment.
I know you may be annoyed by my viewpoints and how I'm going about with this, but I implore you to keep a cool head and put forward your viewpoints.

I have no idea what you just said, but i must say once again:
Your VERY smart for a fourteen year old

No need to flatter me, I require it of myself.

Also:
Are you interested in politics? You talk about them quite frequently

I talk about it; politics is not plural.
And yes, I am.

The main people I was discouraging were the atheists who may have felt obliged to pray, I was merely letting them know they could protest through these means if they wished. Christians are still free to pray, everyone is free to have a religion as long as it doesn't deprive others of freedom.
That was quite ambiguous, I must apologise.

No offense 72, but people on this thread are trying to help. I don't know if you try to come across this way, but you should read over what you type; it comes across as rude and condescending.

I'm guessing it only came across like that to you, because I don't see anything wrong with it....

I think at first it was just:

and then Volt added the:

So that's why we read it that way.


Edit: Nvm, it was for a different post.

Well, I must say...

Now go home, people (just kidding).