Viewing archives for Atheist

Key Stage 1

This may seem like an unfamiliar word, ‘nones’ refers to people who state ‘none’ when asked if they have a religion. How to explore non-religious worldviews with KS1 children? Here we start to think about ways of seeing the world that do not involve belief in a deity.

Created by Lynn Revell and Kate Christopher as part of their Canterbury Christ Church University grant funded project Teaching Islam as a Worldview. Funding provided by  Culham St Gabriel’s Trust. You can find further resources which were created as part of this project in the RE:ONLINE resource Islam as a Worldview

 

The aim behind this series is to encourage people to share their own worldview story. The series recognises that our own worldview journey is personal and will be shaped by our own individual background, family, and cultural influences.

Our ability to understand and respect stories like these can lead to a greater understanding of how people arrive at their current beliefs and practices, as well as showing how our worldviews can change over time. The pieces add layers of understanding about what people believe and how they live their lives. They also help us to recognise and reflect on our own personal knowledge.

This new series complements an animation entitled ‘Nobody Stands Nowhere’ produced by the Theos Think Tank which aims to unpack the idea of worldview and invites the viewer to consider how their own unique view of the world might co–exist with other, sometimes quite different, vantage points held by those around them.

Intro for teachers

This is a lesson asking an ethical question. Ethics is a branch of philosophy focussed on what can be said to be right and wrong, fair and just.

The enquiry question students will answer is an ethical question: it is about how and why people try to make the world more equal. In this lesson the focus is on wealth inequality, seen through the issue of hunger.

To explore the ethical question the Sikh langar and Trussel Trust charity are used as case studies. The social issue is poverty, hunger and the need for food banks. Students will be engaged in ethical thinking. They will answer the ethical question at the end of the lesson, using these case studies and their own analysis.

Learning Outcomes (KS3)

Emerging

  • Explain how the langar is an example of Sikh sewa
  • Explain how one action of the Trussell Trust meets their ethical aims

Expected

  • Explain the ethical principle behind langar and sewa in Sikhism
  • Explain the ethical principle behind the work of the Trussell Trust
  • Using examples, compare the practical work done by religious and non-religious groups and suggest similarities or differences.
  • Offer a supported answer to the question: Is the struggle for equality a spiritual or practical matter?

Exceeding

  • Offer a supported answer to the question of whether there is a difference between religious and non-religious ethical inspirations to fight inequality
  • Using the information studied, give a view as to whether altruism exists or not and why

Learning activities

Starter: start by introducing ways British Sikhs are adapting the duty of langar to current situations.

This video shows Ravi Singh, founder of Khalsa Aid, organizing deliveries of home-made food from Bradford to the flooded areas of Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire in 2015:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jNTegoLAR0

This video shows the charity Sikh Welfare Awareness Team (SWAT) giving hot meals to those homeless on the streets of London, as well as many others struggling to cope:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZmYx5DYGzc

If you can’t access these videos on You Tube try searching for other similar events, using search terms such as ‘langar’, ‘street kitchen’, ‘homeless’, ‘Sikhs welfare awareness team (SWAT)’. Find videos which show langar on the streets or outside Sikh religious settings.

As students watch ask them to note

  1. Any mention of religious teachings relating to langar
  2. All the ways people are being helped

Listen to answers. Talk about what seems to be inspiring Sikhs to give their time, skills and money. How far do Sikhs seem to be inspired by their religion, and how far by a general desire to help others?

Activity 1: What is the langar?

After the starter activity, challenge students to define ‘langar’.

Here is the definition, share after the students’ discussion:

The word ‘langar’ is a Punjabi word meaning ‘community kitchen’.

The langar is a meal served and eaten together in the Gurdwara, the Sikh place of worship.

All are welcome to the langar, Sikhs and non-Sikhs. The food is vegetarian or vegan so everyone can eat it.

The langar was founded by Guru Nanak in around 1500 CE. Rich and poor, men and women, people from different groups and of different statuses were all invited to eat together. This was to show clearly that all people are equal.

Today the langar happens at the end of the service in the Gurdwara.

Talk about the langar, has anyone in the class been to one? Find images of langars in the UK and around the world, such as the huge kitchens in Amritsar, which feeds 50,000 hot meals a day.

Discuss why eating together symbolizes equality.

 

Activity 2: Sewa: service to others

Bring a sweet treat to class, such as a bag of sweets or packet of biscuits. Give a treat to half the class and ask them to choose someone to give it to. The only rule is they cannot choose their best friend. Ask them to reflect on how it felt to give, and how the other half felt to receive. Give the other half of the class a treat so it is even!

Learn about ‘sewa’; the principle of service to others in Sikhism. Define ‘sewa’ as ‘selfless service’. Discuss the ‘selfless’ part of this phrase, what do students think ‘selfless’ means? Can students give examples of selfless service to others? Below is further information about the principle of sewa:

Sewa

Sewa, or selfless service, means supporting or giving to others with no expectation of reward. It is a central Sikh principle, seen as a religious duty for Sikhs.

Sewa can involve contributing to the community and Gurdwara, or wider work in education or charitable projects.

‘Sewa’ is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘service’ and refers to the duty to support and care for the vulnerable and needy in society. The concept is present in a number of religious traditions which emerged in the Indian subcontinent including Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism.

Ask the class for examples of selfless service, whether through charities they are aware of, a person they have learned about, or someone they know personally. Make a list of the board.

Look at this list- how many examples are associated with a religion? How many examples are not associated with a religion? How many religions are noted?

Give groups time to discuss this question: is ‘selfless service’ a religious principle?

 

Activity 3: Is altruism possible?

Ask students to talk to their partners about a good act they have done recently. How did they help another person, and what did it feel like to do this act? Discuss as a class whether being good, kind or generous has its own reward.

Define ‘Altruism’ using the notes below:

Altruism

From the Latin alteri, meaning ‘other people’. The word ‘altruism’ was first coined by philosopher Auguste Comte, meant to denote the opposite of ‘egoism’, or selfishness. Altruism describes a concern for other people.

Today the word altruism describes the support of others, or acting for the benefit of others, with no corresponding reward or benefit for oneself. This might be in giving time, money, practical or emotional support or expertise.

In biology social animals are seen to act for the good of the pack, such as by taking risks to protect young or sharing food.

Psychologists question whether ‘true’ altruism exists because there is usually some benefit, whether social approval, loyalty and gratitude, or a personal sense of wellbeing.

Ask students to discuss whether they think ‘true’ altruism exists: can they think of an example where someone is disadvantaged for the sake of others, and receives no social, emotional or personal reward.

In conversation link with religious ethics, such as sewa. Does such as thing as true altruism exist in religion as in society?

 

Activity 4: Wealth inequality

We will consider the work of a well-known charity that supports those in food poverty in the UK: The Trussell Trust.

https://www.trusselltrust.org/

Go through the website to get a sense of what this charity does and why. There are videos to watch and facts and figures about food poverty in the UK. Either scroll through some pages with the class, or take screen shots in advance for your PPT.

Make notes of the information gleaned from the website, such as by answering the following questions:

  1. How many people are in food poverty in the UK?
  2. Why do people slip into food poverty?
  3. How does the Trussell Trust try to help?
  4. What does the Trussell trust see as solutions to food poverty?

Ask groups to discuss what seems to inspire this charity and its volunteers. Is this an example of selfless service?

 

Activity 5: Selfless service: what is the inspiration?

Read this article about the langar, sewa and Sikh ethics in modern Britain:

http://theconversation.com/from-the-temple-to-the-street-how-sikh-kitchens-are-becoming-the-new-food-banks-44611

Give out highlighters, ask groups to highlight and then record in a table, these categories:

 

What do they do?

 

Why do they do it?

 

Sikh Langar

 

Trussell Trust

 

 

Complete the table using notes from the above discussion about the Trussell Trust.

 

Activity 6:   Is the struggle for equality a spiritual or practical matter?

Students will now answer this question and present their answers to the class. If you like, break down the question in advance, considering such elements as:

  • What religious teachings encourage people to fight for equality?
  • What non-religious ethical principles encourage people to fight for equality?
  • Is there a difference between religious and ethical inspiration to fight for equality?
  • What causes food poverty, what are possible solutions?
  • Are religious and non-religious answers to food poverty the same or different?
  • Is there practical work done by religious and non-religious groups to tackle food poverty the same or different?

Students should provide an answer to the question using elements of the case studies (Sikh langar and Trussell Trust) as evidence to base their answer on. They should explain their answer.

Students can give a presentation or create one page of A4 as a written answer.

 

An exploration of the contribution of Christian and other groups and individuals to the community.

KS 2&3. Originally written by Dave Francis & Tina Ward. Updated April 2019.

Learning Outcomes

Emerging

  • Offer a definition of ‘community’, including at least three factors
  • Explain, with reference to two examples, how working as a community might help achieve goals

Expected

  • Define ‘community’, including one religious non-religious and one non-religious factor
  • Offer a supported view as to what enables communities to work together to achieve hopes and dreams
  • Offer a supported view as to the contribution of religion and belief in a community achieving their goals

Exceeding

  • Contrast religious support in the community with non-religious support
  • Offer a supported view as to whether there is a difference on religious and non-religious supports to the community

Key words and concepts

religion: ‘an organised collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence’ (Wikipedia, as at 10/02/2014). But note that ‘religion’ cannot really be captured in a single definition. Where are the dividing lines between religion and culture, and religion and ethnicity? Can religious identity be properly separated from other ways of identifying oneself?

belief: acceptance that something exists or is true, especially where there is no actual proof. Also refers here to religious convictions, e.g., that God answers prayers.

atheism: the belief that there is definitely no God.

atheist: one who believes that there is no God.

agnosticism: the position of not knowing, or not being sure about the existence of God.

agnostic: one who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God.

theism: belief in the existence of God or gods.

theist: one who believes in God or gods.

humanist: a person who follows a life system of values and beliefs that is based on the idea that people are basically good and that problems can be solved using reason instead of religion.

community: usually referring to a small social unit or group of people that share a set of values. Can be understood as referring to people who live in a specific geographic area or to a ‘virtual’ group connected, e.g., via the internet, by a common interest.

responsibility: having a duty to deal with something or having control over someone.

voluntary: in this sense, referring to work done without payment.

inspiring: filling with encouragement to do something, especially something creative, ambitious or helpful; sometimes accompanied by an elevated feeling.

character: qualities that distinguish a person, e.g. type of temperament, qualities of mind, their ‘nature’, attitudes or dispositions.

Learning activities

This scheme is designed to take place over several sessions with one or two years in between Parts 1 and 2, e.g., Part 1 in Year 4, and Part 2 in Year 6. Alternatively, the scheme could be undertaken as a cross-phase unit from primary to secondary schools.

You will be using clips from the film Rise of the Guardians. 

Part One

Explain to the pupils that they are going to finding out some more about the place where they live and the groups and individuals in their local communities: the focus here is on Christianity and humanism, but you could choose different worldviews as appropriate. Pupils will be able to explore the things that interest them most in this context and what they start to investigate in their present class, they will be able to follow up in one or two years’ time. The key concept for investigation is ‘community’.

Ask the pupils to talk to a partner about their ideas of the local community: what different groups are they aware of? What different buildings, including religious buildings are they aware of? Do they know people, including in their own family, who are involved in any voluntary activities? What celebrations or processions are they aware of? Have they been to any big family events recently: baptisms, naming ceremonies, weddings, funerals? Which ones had a religious context and how could they tell?

Get some feedback and then ask them in pairs again to think of different community leaders, e.g., mayor, council leader, priest, imam, minister, vicar, rabbi, sports coach, music group director, cubs/scouts/guides/brownies leader etc. and to talk about what each one might do to fulfil his / her role. What do they think makes a good leader of a community? Where do they think that religious belief might make a difference?

Focus attention on the idea of people’s hopes and fears and dreams and nightmares. Introduce the film, Rise of the Guardians, and play an extract: Scene 2, where the main characters are introduced: the Guardians whose task it is to protect children’s hopes and dreams, and ‘Pitch Black’, the character who wants to replace hopes and dreams with fears and nightmares. Stop the film where the Easter Bunny says, ‘Jack Frost is many things but he is not a Guardian’ (6’ 27”)

Ask pupils to say what they think about these characters and what might make a good ‘guardian’ for children. What do they think is the biggest influence on themselves and others: hopes and dreams, or fears and nightmares?

Next, play Scene 5, where ‘North’ (i.e. Santa Claus) questions Jack Frost about his character and uses a Russian Doll to illustrate his point. Stop the film when Jack says, ‘I don’t know’ (2 minutes). [You could use a Russian Doll, if you have one, to illustrate the point.]

Ask pupils to think of the layers of a person’s ‘character’. Ask them to reflect on what they show to the outside world and what is kept hidden deep inside. What kinds of things might be at a person’s centre? Can they give examples of hidden strengths that might emerge at times of need? Make a list of suggestions on the board.

Ask pupils to draw the outline of a person in the middle of a page, to select at least three words from the class list to describe ‘hidden qualities’ that could best help people and to write them inside the outline. Then, from each word, encourage them to draw an arrow moving outside the outline and to describe a situation where that quality might be of help, e.g.,

  • honesty — admitting you have broken your mum’s flower-vase;
  • or calmness — not panicking in an emergency;
  • or loving — forgiving someone who has offended you.

Next, focus pupils’ attention on the idea of the power of belief and play Scene 12 where the boy Jamie talks with his toy rabbit and then Jack Frost. Stop the film just after the point where the Easter Bunny says, ‘He made you believe… in me?’ (4’ 45”).

Ask pupils to say what they think this part of the story is about and what questions they would like to ask about it? Point out the questions that go deeper into the meaning of the story. How do their own ideas and questions compare with others in the class? Do they think that believing in such things as Jack Frost, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman (creator of pleasant dreams) and Santa Claus are a waste of time, or is there a point to such belief? What happens when children stop believing in such characters?

Next, play Scene 13 where the Guardians and the children make a stand against Stop the film where Jamie says, I’ve got it. I know what we have to do’ (6’ 30”).

Ask pupils to say what they think is important in this scene. In what sense have the children ‘grown up? How important do they think it is that the other children supported Jamie when he decided to stand up against Pitch? What questions would they like to ask Jamie or the other children if they could? Can they say whether they, or anyone they know, have been helped by anyone to overcome their fears and nightmares?

Ask them to ‘hot seat’ (a) Jamie and (b) Pitch. Choose pupils to take their parts and ask the rest of the class to take turns asking them questions and noting the replies. Some pupils might like to suggest alternative replies.

Finally, play Scene 14 where the Sandman returns, defeats Pitch and restores the children’s dreams, and Scene 15 where Jack becomes a Guardian and tells Jamie that he has become a Guardian too. Stop the film when Jack and the Guardians take off in the sleigh and the children wave (6’ 46”). There’s no need to include the final lines of the film where Jack says, ‘If the Man in the Moon tells you something, believe him!’, as this may be somewhat of a distraction!

Ask pupils to say what message they think this scene is giving about human beings. What questions would they like to ask (a) Jack Frost and (b) Jamie? What answers do they think these two characters would give to their questions? In what sense might this film be called a ‘religious’ film?

Encourage pupils then to work in small groups to produce a poster in two halves indicating in words and drawings: hopes and dreams on one side and fears and nightmares on the other.

When the pupils have finished or are close to finishing their designs, ask them to add comments on how being part of a community might help (a) fulfil some of the hopes and dreams (b) keep people safe against their fears and nightmares. Ask them to visit other pupils’ designs so that they can compare ideas.

Explain that the class is now going to enquire into a big question: ‘What is the contribution of religion and belief in the community? They will have the chance to identify important features, to reflect upon them and to apply them to their own situation.

Display a series of pictures (at least A4 size) of different community events and features around the room, such as:

  • A food bank
  • Bereavement counsellor or prison visitor
  • Religious charity shop
  • Religious funeral
  • Religious youth group or festival
  • A demonstration or protest
  • Military chaplain
  • People offering comfort to someone in trouble
  • People worshipping in a church or cathedral
  • A religious ritual
  • Street evangelists
  • Sunday school

Ask the pupils to circulate around the displayed pictures for a while and then to stand by the picture they find most inspiring, interesting, confusing or different. Go round the class asking for explanations, then ask the pupils to move again if they want to, to stand by the picture they now find most inspiring, interesting, confusing or different.

Take the two most popular pictures and move them to a prominent position at the front of the class. Share some key aspects of knowledge about the chosen pictures, e.g., which religious/belief tradition the picture features, if any, and some of the beliefs and/or practices of the group.

Encourage the pupils in groups of 5 or 6 to come up with one or at most two questions comparing the two pictures; remind them that ‘open’ questions that go beyond the pictures themselves are likely to be harder to answer and more interesting. Ask them to write their questions on A3 paper. These can then be displayed around the room, on a cleared floor space or on tables.

Ask pupils to circle round the displayed questions. If possible pupils can add comments and extra questions on Sticky Notes and put them on each A3 paper. Invite comments and links. Clear up any ambiguities and ask pupils to stand by their favourite question. Narrow these down by single transferable vote system until one question remains. Ask the group whose question is voted for by the class to explain their rationale and their thoughts. Tweak the question if necessary to make more open / philosophical.

Issue pupils with two tokens / cards, indicating the maximum number of contributions to the discussion that can be made. Steer the enquiry around the main question, building towards better understanding of the issue(s) being raised by the pupils. [In a large class, invite the question generators to make some summary comments about what has been said, indicating, with respect, where they agree or disagree.] Invite a few more comments from those who have not said anything or much, up to this point.

Self-evaluation: pupils raise hands according to whether they have done the things indicated at the start. Did they identify some important features of religion and belief in the community? Did they reflect on what these features might mean? Did they apply their reflections to their own lives?

 

Part Two (To take place over several sessions in the Middle / Secondary school, e.g., in Year 5, 6 or 7)

Remind pupils (and inform new pupils) of the investigation being undertaken into the contribution of religion and belief in the community, the film Rise of the Guardians, the pictures of community events and features, and the question(s) they came up with in the first part of the investigation.

Explain that they are going to take this investigation to a deeper level, enquiring into specific contributions of religion and belief groups locally and how their practices / ways of living reflect beliefs about what is most important in life.

Get pupils to recall parts of the story of the Rise of the Guardians. Bring out the idea that ‘Pitch Black’ is trying to destroy children’s hopes and dreams and replace them with fears and nightmares. The characters who fight against him represent hopes and dreams: Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman and Jack Frost.

Show pupils Scenes 14 and 15 near the end of the film, where the children get together against ‘Pitch Black’ and say, ‘I do believe in you. I’m just not afraid of you’, and the scene where the Sandman returns and Jack tells Jamie that he has also become a kind of Guardian (6’ 46”). Stop the film before the final sentence about the Man in the Moon.

Ask pupils to say what they see in the film that perhaps they didn’t see when they first watched it. Bring ideas of community and responsibility into the discussion.

Ask pupils to then work in small groups to produce a poster of messages learnt from the film. Ask them to reflect on what people can do today to fight fears and nightmares. Prompt their thinking by pointing out that distress, anxiety, loneliness, feelings of worthlessness, etc, all have causes, and provide a list of such possible causes: bullying, violence, poverty, addiction, hunger, disease, illness, lack of love and affection, inequality. Can they add others?

Engage the small groups in a ‘Give an example’ activity, where they agree on a good example of where such causes [bullying, violence, poverty, addiction, hunger, disease, illness, lack of love and affection, inequality] have led or could lead to making life worse for people. Get some feedback from the groups on their examples and ask them to say how they think such problems can be solved. Are such problems easier for people to solve if they are members of communities?

Show pupils the list of possible contributions made by religion and belief communities on page 4 above. Ask them to narrow the list down to the one or two that seem most interesting or important to them. Can they give reasons for their selection?

Ask pupils to prepare for the visit of a member of a local community of religion/ belief by preparing questions they would like to ask about their beliefs and practices as members of that group. [Invite and prime your visitor to expect such questions!]

At the next session, introduce a visitor from a particular community group to the class. Encourage the visitor to offer a brief presentation outlining how they came to be in that group and on what sort of activities the group engages in, including any festivals, celebrations, and different sorts of religious and other meetings. Then invite pupils to ask their questions.

When questions and answers are exhausted, encourage pupils to work in small groups on a (digital) presentation that addresses the question, ‘What did religions and beliefs ever do for us?’ If it’s possible for your visitor to stay, encourage them to circulate around the groups offering suggestions and insights. Remind pupils about their work on the Rise of the Guardians film, and ask them to add any ideas they have on:

  • the way different groups, including religious and humanist groups, might have an impact on people’s hopes and fears, dreams and nightmares;
  • why people may belong to different religion and belief communities;
  • what challenges that might bring;
  • whether having religious beliefs makes a difference;
  • further unanswered

Ask pupils to work on their presentations ready to show in the next session.

Allow some time for pupils to complete their presentations and then to show a selection. [Others could be made ready for upload to the school website.] Offer feedback in terms of pupils achievements in answering the set question.

This presentation aims to help Key Stage 3 students investigate the ideas of atheism and agnosticism in Humanism.

These materials and links were provided for RE:ONLINE with the kind assistance of the University of Lancaster ‘s Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion

Wednesday, 18th April 2012

Duration 1:46:15

A Level

AQA – Religious Studies: AS Unit H, A2 Unit 3F

Edexcel – Religious Studies: Units 1-4

OCR –

WJEC – Religious Studies: RS 1/2 CS; Religious Studies: RS 3 CS

This is a Faith debate featuring Charles Clarke, Julia Neuberger, Linda Woodhead, Lisa Appignanesi, Maleiha Malik, Michael Nazir-Ali and Peter Jones. It focuses on the issues surrounding religious freedom.

Students could be given the same issues as used in this debate and asked their opinion on them prior to watching the discussion, revisiting them later to see if any of the views expressed had caused them to change their minds.

This programme is suitable for use with A level students studying philosophy, ethics, and religion and society. However, the debate is quite long and it would probably be sufficient for one lesson to listen to the opening presentations. The Question & Answer section could be a useful second lesson or make worthwhile extension work.

Questions for debate

On the one hand, how much freedom should religious people and groups have to express their convictions? On the other hand, how much freedom should there be for others to express convictions which may be hostile or insulting to religion and religious people? In both cases, where do we draw the line, who decides and how?

Conclusions from the debate

There is a majority democratic consensus, expressed in part through legislation, which sets limits on religious (and secular) freedoms. Where religious expressions do not cross this line (e.g. display of religious symbols) freedom should be unrestricted. Where they do (e.g. refusing to conduct civil partnerships for gay couples), negotiation amongst the parties involved may be able to reach an accommodation or compromise. Mechanisms for such negotiation may need to be strengthened. There may also be cases where religious people can refuse to act against the democratic consensus on grounds of conscience, but there may be a price to be paid (e.g. those who cannot work on Sundays make up time elsewhere; conscientious objectors in war contribute in other ways).

Research Findings

The issue has come to a head recently because of a number of controversial rulings under new equality legislation in which the duty of equal treatment (especially on grounds of sexuality) has clashed with the exercise of religious freedom (e.g. when a Christian registrar refused to marry gay or lesbian couples on grounds of conservative Christian conscience).

The focus of religious freedom debates has shifted in the last decade from controversy over the right of Muslim women to veil to controversy over the right of Christians to display religious symbols and act (or refuse to act) on the grounds of their faith.

Controversy is currently being stoked by two extreme minority groups: aggressively secular groups on the one hand; aggressively conservative Christian groups on the other. The majority population, both religious and secular, is more ready to reach compromises and accommodations.

There are three separable issues in this debate:

  • the freedom of religious individuals
  • the freedom of religious groups
  • free expression which may involve insult to religion

Cases being brought under Equality Law have to do with (A). Some exemptions from equality legislation have been granted to religious groups (B).

With regard to (A) the question is how far this freedom extends, and whether it ever gives grounds for not obeying a law, or flouting majority opinion and sensibility. What rights can be granted minority views, and who bears the cost of individuals or groups acting against a majority position on the grounds of conscience?

With regard to the freedom to insult religion (C), where insults do not amount to incitement to religious hatred, this can only be a matter of voluntary restraint rather than legislation. Recent cases of ‘censorship ‘ (e.g. closure of the play Behzti which insulted some Sikhs, or the Mayor of London’s refusal to allow Christian anti-gay advertising on buses) seem arbitrary (why not stop other things which insult e.g. Jerry Springer the Opera which was insulting to Christians?) suggesting that the threat of public protest on the part of those who are ‘offended’ is more influential than consistently applied standards (e.g. respect for those whose deeply-held beliefs are being insulted).

After watching the discussion, it is worth returning to the students’ views to find out if and how their personal opinions have been influenced or changed by what they have heard.

After discussion, if there is time, it would then be worth watching the 18 minute summary below to clarify and crystallize the thoughts and views expressed.

Additional content is available at http://faithdebates.org.uk/debates/2012-debates/religion-and-public-life/what-limits-to-religious-freedom/

These materials and links were provided for RE:ONLINE with the kind assistance of the University of Lancaster ‘s Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion

Wednesday, 7th March 2012

Duration 1:42:01

A Level

AQA – Religious Studies: AS Unit A, A2 Unit 3F

Edexcel – Religious Studies: Units 1-4

OCR –

WJEC – Religious Studies: RS 1/2 CS; Religious Studies: RS 3 CS

This is a Faith debate featuring Charles Clarke, Linda Woodhead, Ed Husain, Marat Shterin, Mark Sedgwick, Matthew Francis and Mehdi Hasan. It focuses on the issues surrounding radicalisation, with particular reference to Islam.

Students could be given the same issues as used in this debate and asked their opinion on them prior to watching the discussion, revisiting them later to see if any of the views expressed had caused them to change their minds. For extension work students should look at the different meanings of radicalisation, extremism and terrorism. They might also consider the life of e.g. Adolf Hitler, as a case study, because of the ‘positive’ impact of Mengele’s work on genetics.

This programme is suitable for use with A level students studying philosophy, ethics, religion and society and Islam. However, the debate is quite long and it would probably be sufficient for one lesson to listen to the opening presentations. The Question & Answer section could be a useful second lesson or make worthwhile extension work.

Questions for debate

What is ‘radicalisation’ or ‘extremism’? Is it unique to Islam? Is it always religious? Is it a new and unique phenomenon, or just a new label for certain forms of terrorist violence? And what can research tell us about its causes and how to prevent it?

Conclusions from the debate

As currently used ‘radicalisation’ often includes too much and too little. Too little, because it focuses attention only on Islamic or religious forms of terrorism, and too much because radical ideas and ‘Islamism’ do not usually lead to violence and are too widespread for security initiatives to counter (attempts may be counter-productive).

As for what causes recent incidences of extremist violence, there is a growing consensus that there are multiple causes including: a sense of grievance and isolation, belief that violence can remedy a perceived problem, and contact with networks and images that glorify the use of violence.

Research Findings

‘Radicalisation’ is a new word, but the process whereby groups and individuals with religious or secular commitments turn violent is not new, and past and present research, e.g. that on New Religious Movements and various forms of terrorism, should not be ignored.

What needs to be explained (and countered) is not the embrace of radical ideas, which is widespread and always has been, e.g. communism, but why some groups and individuals embrace violence, which is rare.

It is impossible and often counter-productive for states and their security forces to counter radical ideas. This does not mean that extremist beliefs do not need to be contested, but there are more effective ways to do this, e.g., good education, including in religion and theology, and active initiatives in civil society.

Violence is always over-determined – there are multiple causes, many paths, and no single ‘conveyor belt’ to violence. There are situational, strategic, social and individual causes. This means that the move to violence can be explained in retrospect, but not accurately predicted in advance (two people with exactly the same circumstances may act violently in one case and not in another).

One dynamic observed in some of the research is the existence of an ‘us-and them’ (minority/majority) mentality combined with a sense of grievance. If the ‘minority’ then starts to attract criticism and repression by agents of ‘the majority’ this can lead to a vicious cycle of escalation.

The importance of (individual) belief as a driver of action tends to be overestimated. Involvement in social networks is arguably more important. Also important and underestimated is access to images, aesthetics, cultures and practices of violence which are not exclusively Islamicist but can be harnessed to Islamist ideas – as well as to anti-Muslim ideas.

There is no evidence to support the reality of ‘brainwashing’, nor of de-programming or de-radicalisation where these are equated with quick processes which bypass normal modes of socialisation, cognition and volition.

Practical Suggestions

‘Radicalisation’ includes too much. The holding of radical, intolerant attitudes, is widespread in all societies. It is the move to violence which needs to be understood and countered.

Counter-radicalisation policies have spread the net too wide. This is both ineffective and can be counter-productive when it engenders an us / them mentality and sense of grievance in a ‘target’ community.

Counter-radicalisation should follow established counter-terrorism pathways, which rely on gathering good intelligence and looking in a focused way for indications of interest in violence, involvement in networks advocating such violence, and other indicators of a move to violent action.

It is not the business of the state to prescribe or proscribe particular theologies, any more than particular political ideologies – so long as they operate within the law. It is, however, legitimate to educate and argue against false beliefs.

The model of human behaviour which holds that beliefs are the ‘drivers’ of action is misleading; practices, emotions and relationships are just as important as beliefs.

After watching the discussion, students should revisit their views to find out if and how their personal opinions have been influenced or changed by what they have heard.

After discussion, if there is time, it would then be worth watching the 22 minute summary below to clarify and crystallize the thoughts and views expressed.

Additional content is available at http://faithdebates.org.uk/debates/2012-debates/religion-and-public-life/what-have-we-learned-about-radicalisation/

These materials and links were provided for RE:ONLINE with the kind assistance of the University of Lancaster ‘s Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion

Wednesday, 13 February 2013

Duration: 21:14

GCSE

AQA – Religious Studies A: Unit 2; Religious Studies B: Unit 2

Edexcel – Religious Studies Units 1-7

OCR – Religious Studies A: B604; Religious Studies B: B603

WJEC – Religious Studies A: Units 1, 3, 6-8; Religious Studies B: Unit 2

A Level

AQA – Religious Studies: AS Unit C, A2 Unit 3A

Edexcel – Religious Studies: Units 1-4

OCR – Religious Studies: Unit G572

WJEC – Religious Studies: RS 1/2 CS

This is a Faith debate featuring Abdul Majid Katme, David Albert Jones, Gerard Hughes, John Harris and Linda Woodhead. It focuses on stem cell research and abortion.

The poll carried out prior to the debate shows that an increasing majority of people in the UK are in support of abortion:

YouGovThose in favour of: 2005 2011 2012 2013
Raising or retaining 24 week limit 29 42 39 46
Reducing the 24 week limit 43 37 37 28
Banning abortions altogether 12 6 6 7
Don’t know 16 15 17 19

 

Students could be given the same questions as used in this poll and others which can be found in the pdf (see below) and asked to vote on them prior to watching the debate, revisiting them later to see if any of the views expressed had caused them to change their minds.

All the people polled were 18+ so it could be worth comparing both the initial and final views of students with the YouGov results to see if there are any indications that young people, possibly more ‘modern’ in their outlook, give very different answers to the questions.

This programme is suitable for use with A level and GCSE students studying ethics, medical ethics, religion and science and sexual ethics.

The debate is suitable for high-performing GCSE students though may need explanation.

A projected summary and conclusion of the statistics produced is:

  • There are essentially two groups

–       Pro-life anti-abortionists

  • Bare life

–       Pro-life pro-abortionists

  • Fulfilled life
  • Not a religious / secular issue, but between two competing understandings of ‘life’

The debate focuses mainly on the question of when life begins. The distinction drawn here is between a human being and a human person. It is argued that the foetus becomes a human being and is recognisable as such but does not become a human person until it is able to function as a person with related senses etc. There is some discussion of ensoulment from a Muslim viewpoint. Questions are also raised about abortion following rape, a pregnancy which can harm the mother and also a foetus which is known to have severe disabilities or other conditions which may seriously limit its quality of life.

The law on stem cell research is also discussed and to what extent it could or should be changed.

After watching the discussion, it is worth returning to the students’ views to find out if and how their personal opinions have been influenced or changed by what they have heard. For extension work students might consider how these ideas might affect different Christian denominations e.g. Roman Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

For 6th formers it might well be possible to watch the discussion straight through, however, for younger students it might be advisable to watch each segment at a time (there are clear breaks between each part). After discussion, it would then be worth watching the two-minute summary below to clarify and crystalize the thoughts and views expressed.

Additional content is available at http://faithdebates.org.uk/debates/2013-debates/religion-and-personal-life/abortion-soul-of-the-embryo/

These materials and links were provided for RE:ONLINE with the kind assistance of the University of Lancaster ‘s Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion

Wednesday, 2nd May 2012

Duration 1:35:31

A Level

AQA – Religious Studies: AS Unit H

Edexcel – Religious Studies: Units 1-4

OCR –

WJEC – Religious Studies: RS 3 CS

This is a Faith debate featuring Aaquil Ahmed, Charles Clarke, Cole Moreton, Grace Davie and Linda Woodhead. It focuses on the main trends in religion and values in Britain.

Students could be given the same issues as used in this debate and asked their opinion on them prior to watching the discussion, revisiting them later to see if any of the views expressed had caused them to change their minds. Extension work could focus on multicultural / superdiverse, responses and trends.

This programme is suitable for use with A level students studying philosophy, ethics, and religion and society. However, the debate is quite long and it would probably be sufficient for one lesson to listen to the opening presentations. The Question & Answer section could be a useful second lesson or make worthwhile extension work.

Questions for debate

How has religion in Britain changed since 1945? What are the main differences between the 1950s, the 1980s and the 2010s, and what are the continuities? How does all this relate to wider social trends? How are these changes being reflected in the media and what part might be played by social media?

Conclusions from the debate

There are significant continuities, including the fact that a half to two-thirds of the population still identify as Christian, and the churches continue to play an important role in society. However, the overall profile of religion in the UK – and of Christianity and the churches – has become far more diverse. Most importantly, the form of religion and the way in which people are religious has changed: there is much more individual choice and selection, less traditional ‘belonging’, and religion supports a much wider range of identities.

Research Findings

The myth of secular progress received a series of shocks from 1979 (Iranian revolution) through 1989 (fall of communism) to 2001 (twin towers attack) which revealed the limitations and blind spots of a perspective which held that religion would inevitably decline and that the rest of the world would follow where secular Europe had led.

The religious profile of the UK has changed significantly, and change has been most evident since the 1980s:

  • the historic churches have suffered severe decline (attendance has more than halved since the 1980s)
  • the overall profile of the Christian churches has changed: there are now more Baptist and independent church goers than there are Anglicans or Roman Catholics
  • non-Christian faiths have grown in numbers and profile, with Islam being the largest. These are not merely ‘imports’, but take distinctive forms in the British context
  • alternative spirituality has grown dramatically since the 1980s, and its wide influence is most evident in the world of holistic or alternative healthcare (‘mind, body and spirit’)
  • numbers identifying as ‘non-religious’ have grown, though not all of these are secular (some also identify as ‘spiritual’). Atheists remain small in numbers, but are increasingly vocal in the media and public debate.

Overall, the religious and secular profile of the UK has become increasingly diverse since 1945. It is not merely that there are more ‘religions’, but there is much greater diversity of religious identity, even in relation to the same religion.

Maybe, as always, after watching the discussion, students should also consider Islamophobia and Muslim teachings on equality.

After discussion, if there is time, it would then be worth watching the 24 minute summary below to clarify and crystallize the thoughts and views expressed.

Additional content is available at http://faithdebates.org.uk/debates/2012-debates/religion-and-public-life/main-trends-in-religion-and-values-in-britain/

These materials and links were provided for RE:ONLINE with the kind assistance of the University of Lancaster ‘s Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion

Wednesday, 8th February 2012

Duration 1:33:33

A Level

AQA – Religious Studies: AS Unit H, A2 Unit 3F

Edexcel – Religious Studies: Units 1-4

OCR

WJEC – Religious Studies: RS 1/2 CS; Religious Studies: RS 3 CS

This is a Faith debate featuring Charles Clarke, Linda Woodhead, Dominic Grieve, Kim Knott, Therese O’Toole and Trevor Phillips. It focuses on the issues surrounding religious identity in ‘superdiverse’ societies.

Students could be given the same issues as used in this debate and asked their opinion on them prior to watching the discussion, revisiting them later to see if any of the views expressed had caused them to change their minds. Extension work could be carried out in relation to sub-cultures.

This programme is suitable for use with A level students studying philosophy, ethics, religion and society, Christianity and Islam. However, the debate is quite long and it would probably be sufficient for one lesson to listen to the opening presentations. The Question & Answer section could be a useful second lesson or make worthwhile extension work.

Questions for debate

How do we live well together in an increasingly diverse society, and how does religion contribute for good or ill?

Conclusions from the debate

Since the 1970s the UK has been the most successful country in Europe at integrating an increasingly wide range of religious identities and allowing them agency in society. This achievement should be more widely recognised.

But the success means that religious identities are now so diverse that it is no longer as helpful to think of a small number of ‘world faiths’ which make people ‘Hindu’, ‘Muslim’, ‘Christian’ etc., and which must relate to one another in a ‘multi-culture’. Many people are now religious ‘in their own way’, there are many varieties of Hindu, Muslim, and Christian, and religious identities are inflected by ethnicity, gender and so on. The concept of ‘superdiversity’ may now be more helpful than ‘multiculturalism’.

Research Findings

Britain leads in Europe in successful multi-faith work and integration of religious groups; many such groups are now significant agents in civil society; New Labour achieved a great deal in supporting multi-faith and inter-faith work; the Coalition government is continuing this work with more confidence but less cash.

Religious diversity is no longer a matter of homogenous religious communities (Christian, Muslim, Hindu etc.) living side by side and together. Earlier talk of ‘multiculture’ can be unhelpful if it perpetuates this idea.

The decline of organised forms of religion has been accompanied by a multiplication of religious groups, more individualised religious identities, and multiple forms of belonging.

People do not have singular identities, but mixed ones (religious, gendered, ethnic and so on). It depends on context which aspect comes to the fore – often people ‘mobilise’ one aspect of their identity only when it is under threat.

Practical Suggestions

The UK should be more positive about how much has been achieved in terms of integrating a huge range of different identities, including religious ones – the bad news stories tend to eclipse the good news. Emphasis should continue to shift away from the state giving a small number of religious group identities what they ‘need’, to supporting freedom of conscience of individuals (liberty and toleration), and making sure that the life-chances of people are not limited by their identities (fairness and equality).

Insofar as there is a ‘host culture’ it is, and should remain, one which is hospitable to religious difference and freedom of conscience. This is the majority position, and whilst more exclusivist minorities retain their normal rights, they do so within this broader framework.

With ever-increasing diversity there will be more challenges. In order to meet these there needs to be:

  • understanding of the civic ‘rules of engagement’ which make it possible to live peacefully together and to reach agreement
  • creative partnerships with the state, including financial support for religious and other initiatives which encourage integration
  • awareness of how policies (e.g. on counter-terrorism) can foster the misleading idea that there are homogenous religious identities which wholly define people (e.g. ‘Muslim’)
  • better mechanisms, especially at local level, for dealing with religious disputes and reaching agreement.

After watching the discussion, it is worth returning to the students’ views to find out if and how their personal opinions have been influenced or changed by what they have heard.

After discussion, if there is time, it would then be worth watching the 20 minute summary below to clarify and crystallize the thoughts and views expressed.

Additional content is available at http://faithdebates.org.uk/debates/2012-debates/religion-and-public-life/religious_identity_in_superdiverse_societies/