Children as young as two are to be targeted as part of a new campaign to recruit young people back to the church, the Guardian has learned.
The Church of England is planning its first concerted drive to engage under- 18s after admitting that it is comprehensively failing to connect with children and teenagers.
Proposals will be put before the general synod in February that include a blueprint to set up breakfast, homework and sports clubs in schools as well as working in publicly funded toddler playgroups to spread the Christian word.
Guardian (thanks, KirstyJ)
Fascinating….I’ll sit back and watch to see what “Angle” they come at it from on the basis that whatever they’re currently doing don’t work. Possibly Christian playstation games??
There is a potential flaw in this way of persuading people down the Christian route. The children grow up! It also places the assumption that children are easly led down that path, however unless the partents encourage a Christian way of life then that path will very unlikly be adhered to. I came from a non religious background, was never christened etc… However I had Christian friends who attended church every week. I wanted to be part of that community so much I attended with them. Even to the point of joining the Church choir! This may sound contradictory to my first statement, but through that time in my life I questioned the existence of ‘GOD’ (if you will) and creationism (I was 8 yrs old). I even got my friend to ask the Sunday School teacher ‘Who made god, if he made the earth’ I hasten to add I did not get a reply
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The worst thing associated with religion (imho) is the dogmatic indoctrination; Where young children are indoctrinated by family to follow their religion without being able to decide for themselves whether this religion (or none) fits them.
Law should actually protect the “weak” and the “young” so I think that children are not allowed to be baptized and pushed into religion until they have the mental capacity to decide for themselves –easier said then done though.
This is a sickening example of indoctrination.
Recent findings that brands leave their mark very early on:
http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2009/11/brands-leave-their-mark-on-childrens.html
Perhaps the Church should start earlier (didn’t they used to anyway — what happened to baptism and Sunday school?)..
Regards
Dave
This is just wrong… “after admitting that it is comprehensively failing to connect with children and teenagers.” Don’t they see that there is a reason behind this? Every year that passes by religion is sounding more and more like a fictional fairy tale, but attempting to brainwash defenseless children is completely wrong.
Vultures…
After all the press about the church and little children I don’t think this is one of their brightest ideas.
Shame noone noticed it was the law to have worship when my kids were at school. I’d've loved the opportunity to demand equal rites for ritual occult ceremonies complete with demon summoning. Would have been a blast as Harry Potter was popular then.
If all religious and spiritual beliefs were represented (as they should be in this ethical and tolerant land) the children would get extra time off to digest this conflicting information by observing ‘all’ religious holidays, and teachers would gain a well earned rest from trying to educate the ungrateful little oinks.
Alternatively, the church could concentrate on its primary and more gullible target; that of republican Americans. After all, they have more cash than school kids and are more likely to fill the collection plate.
good info in that article…
http://www.secularism.org.uk/
Breakfast, schoolwork etc clubs???? And then harrassing them with christian insights ? Isn’t that more something the parents should have seen to and will see to (praying for dinner that mainly will be I guess, but that’s enough), once a week to church should do the rest). Those who wish to be more into the church will do so at a later age.
Maybe they should buy them …. tons of people willing to pretend to be christian when they are being paid for it, I’m sure. If it is just about the numbers …
Yet another generation lost to the ‘light’…
I really don’t ever see this changing. The only chance I see for it is if all the organized religious groups kill each other off, which would be a form of natural selection and highly ironic. Even then, they’ll most likely take us all with them.
The biggest problems are that being a “Christian” is seen as a virtue and they’re highly organized.
Atheists were ranked the most feared/hated minority and we’re barely organized at all.
I think the last estimate I read was that 19% of Americans were atheists, but good luck finding one outside a Bill Maher forum. My friend is constantly quizzing me because I’m the “only atheist she’s ever known”, she’s 40. My parents don’t want me to tell anybody and insist I not talk about it and should just ‘act’ like I believe.
Good times.
@Sean – they already have those games!
For all the cries of indoctrination, Sunday Schools are often no more than babysitting clubs – the 3 – 7 section of ours involves being told a Bible story then drawing a picture of it. I’m 19, and I ran the 13+ section to find that most of them didn’t really call it ‘their’ faith, but rather, just knew the basics from which they wanted to explore. I know there are some crazys out there, but we’re not all that bad – my group have explored both the Bible and the Big Bang theory (and why believing in it doesn’t make you an atheist) as well as their reasons to believe. We won’t let them get confirmed if their reason is “because my mum wants me to” or “I dunno, they said I should”
So yeah, we’re not all indoctrinating the youth in that crazy way
Wow, that’s disgusting. I still prefer my imaginary religion that allows me to punch all christians in the face..
When are people going to realise that this – doesn’t – work!!! Just because children are young doesn’t mean you can get them to think whatever you want. They’re not robots! I went to a Church of England primary school and came out pagan! Sure, they may just accept the idea of God for a while (I did,) but when you’re six, you don’t tend to develop a passion for what you’re taught in school every day. Like jojoes6969 said, the children grow up! And anything you don’t feel particularly strongly about gets cast aside…
they should try making a collectible card game, or one for the DS. maybe an iphone ap.