Welcome to Gaia! ::

Another quick anecdote!

Once I was late to class and was running through the hall to get there and was forced to stop in the middle of the hall to recite the pledge, just like everyone else who was late, making me even later of course. Since I had no seat to sit in in protest, I sat on the floor. One of our religion-crazed teachers had the balls to say "Oh yea our country is so horrible you can't stand for the pledge" Obviously being sarcastic, so I simply said "No, it's because I dont believe in god!"

You should've seen the look on her face heart

I would like to hear any other stories such as these, especially from any atheists forced to go to Catholic School.

Pfft, your school failed. They can't punish you for not saying the pledge. Freedom of speech thing, IIRC. I just started leaving out that part when I said the pledge. I like my country because I'm allowed to do stuff like that.

I went to a Lutheran private school for a year and a half. It was approximately the size of a port-a-potty and I was one of four girls.

Okay, I actually really liked it there in some ways-- it wasn't ******** DISEASE RIDDEN and dirty and horrible like my first public school, for one thing, but the constant religious stuff was exhausting. I already felt out of place and uncomfortable in church even though I was trying really hard to be a good Christian, so it was awkward being there every day. I didn't feel quite as pious as everyone else, somehow. xD

Thankfully it wasn't a really freaky brainwashy place. We actually got pretty damn good scientific education. I wasn't to the age where they start teaching you about the tough topics like evolution and so on, so it didn't affect me.

But that chapel! No air conditioning! And the uniforms! Long sleeves required on chapel days no matter what the weather's like!

GOD WANTS YOU TO BE ITCHY AND OVERHEATED.

So yeah. Point of post: Not all religious schools are totally a**-backwards insane. They can be pretty nice. But I don't think kids should be forced into going. x___x

Yea I mean dont get me wrong if the school remains informational on the iffy topics like evolution and doesnt constantly shove their religion down your throats, more power to them. I just feel sorry for the kids being forced by their parents to attend, when they couldn't care less about religion. Its not really the schools fault as much as it is the parents.

My English teacher last year liked to go on rants about how all the problems in the world are caused by 'Godless people' who think everything they do is right. She also ranted about how we're a Christian nation and how that will never change (and this is public school, mind you).

I wanted so badly to stand up and ask if my entire nuclear family was evil, but some of my best friends (who are Catholic) were in the class so I decided not to sweatdrop

But if I ever catch her saying that crap again, I'm giving her a piece of my mind.

I went to a private catholic school for a year. It was the worst decision I ever made--and this was before I became an atheist. I don't know that it was terrible because it was catholic... I just know it was awful. Almost all of the teachers and administrators were mean and petty, and all of the students were either lifeless and downtrodden or trouble-making bullies. I was the former...

Well, at least it made me appreciate my public school a lot more.

While in said public school, I did have a rebellious streak at one point where I refused to stand for the pledge of allegiance. Again, this was before I was an atheist--I wasn't protesting on religious grounds, merely on the grounds that it was ridiculous that we were required to renew our oath to our country every single day. It smacked of brainwashing and indoctrination, which of course, it is.

The first day I sat through the pledge, the teacher just gave me a look. The second day, she motioned frantically for me to stand up. The third day, she told me to stand, and I still didn't. That's when I got sent to the principle's office.

I sat and talked to him a long time, but the conversation was boring and repetitive. He would say I had to stand for the pledge, I would say I don't have to, on the grounds of free speech. He would say well, maybe, but you have to stand anyway. Basically, he was acknowledging that I legally didn't have to, but I wasn't leaving the office until I agreed to stand. Finally, I agreed to stand during the pledge, and just not recite it.

Who knows how long I would have been in there if I hadn't. x_x

My parents got called and everything. But I never received any punishment, since I hadn't technically done anything wrong, aside from horrifying my conservative teacher and classmates.

I did get some grief from other students about it, though. I even had some guy I didn't know approach me in the public restroom, ask if I was the guy who wouldn't stand for the pledge, and told me I was pathetic. x_x It was kind of a surreal experience.

My music teacher didn't ever really address Religion..until she showed us the song "Dear God" by XTC; good song and points to be atheist. But alas, she was fired. crying

oh, and at yer first post ribgy: why would they get you in trouble for not participating in something about freedom!?! thats incredibly hypocritical!!!