the queen is invited as head of state not head of church.

personally, i dont think the pope should be invited as head of state

regardless of whom this pope is, the whole notion and concept of a pope is just rediculous anyway!

Now this is just what drives me insane! Why should you have to play this silly game just to get your daughter into your local school? Apparently studies of the demographics of church attendance show time and again a spike in attendence by families with kids about to start school or go to high school. It's so obvious what is happening!!! Is this what those churches want? People going through the motions of faith solely to get their kid into a school?

And why are church schools often higher achieving? Because they get to select their intake!!! Argh! Give me strength!

And why should they get to discriminate against my kids just because they have honest atheist parents??? For all they know my kids could be raging theists ... which they probably will be when they are teenagers just to press my buttons.

My son is in Year 6, can you tell? This is an especially sore point for me right now.

J.

the queen is invited as head of state not head of church.

personally, i dont think the pope should be invited as head of state

regardless of whom this pope is, the whole notion and concept of a pope is just rediculous anyway!

I thought that he was invited as a head of state by the previous Government and Queen, not head of Church.

thats what i just said

The fact that you find the concept of Pope" ridiculous" is pretty irrelevant. All religions have a 'leader'.

If you are not interested, just say no, what's wrong with that? If they persist then ignore them, shut the door, walk on by, but just say no thanks, end of. They are only people.

At the end of the day, whether it is real, or misguided or they are totally delusional and you think they would be better off in a padded room with their hands tied behind their backs, they have found and believe in a sense of overwhelming and unconditional love, strength and security within their lives and misguided or not, it will no doubt have helped them overcome life's various difficulties, illness, bereavement, depression, hopelessness, heartbreak, insecurity, loneliness and the reason they are knocking on your door, or stopping you in the street, is because they want to share that with you. They don't want you to feel alone in times of need, as merely a fellow human being, despite all you may/may not have done in your life, they don't want you to struggle or be sad.

Now you might think they are trying to brainwash you, you are entitled to think what you want, and believe what you want, as are they, but just remember, whatever they believe and however wrong, misguided or totally insane you may think they are, they are just people, like you and me. They have families and jobs and pets and hearts.

And no, I don't believe in this overly 'evangelical outreach', I roll my eyes when they knock at my door, or are shouting verses from the Bible in the street but I don't judge. I just say no thank you, and carry on.

*steps off soapbox and awaits the obligatory stoning*

I don`t see that they are forcing people to become members of their faith. No more than double glazing salesmen or Avon ladies. We have the benefit of choice. Be grateful for it. In some countries you don`t get choice.

Because they are voluntary aided schools - which means the families contribute towards the buildings costs - and so are able to employ their own admission rules and since they are of a faith, they are entitled to decide that children of that faith should have the right to be educated in an establishment that teaches and practices that faith.

Now this is just what drives me insane! Why should you have to play this silly game just to get your daughter into your local school? Apparently studies of the demographics of church attendance show time and again a spike in attendence by families with kids about to start school or go to high school. It's so obvious what is happening!!! Is this what those churches want? People going through the motions of faith solely to get their kid into a school?

And why are church schools often higher achieving? Because they get to select their intake!!! Argh! Give me strength!

And why should they get to discriminate against my kids just because they have honest atheist parents??? For all they know my kids could be raging theists ... which they probably will be when they are teenagers just to press my buttons.

My son is in Year 6, can you tell? This is an especially sore point for me right now.

J.