Why should religion have any influence on our lives?

[Michael B]

So Fidel (apt name, by the way), how do you teach religion on an equal, or even a truthful basis, if you don't let them teach claims that are fundamental to their faith?

You are clearly advocating suppression of religious education. Why not be honest about it and defend it rather than tying yourself in knots by trying to say at the same time that you're not advocating suppression of religious education and then saying that you don't believe religions should be able to teach that they have the truth?

It should be obvious to all (and to you really, I think) that you are advocating suppression of religious education.

So taking your example, the freedom of education I support is the freedom for Christians to teach their children (at home, at Church, in study groups, or at a school that parents choose to send their children to) that "Jesus rose from the dead". And I fully accept the freedom of Muslims (again at home, in Mosques, in study groups or in schools that people choose to send their children to) to teach their Children that "Mohammed was the last Prophet of God". That's the freedom we have in the UK (we have choice in schooling, representing the communities that the schools serve), and that's a precious freedom that exists in our pluralistic society.

You're talking about private individuals in their own home. That's beyond the control of the state. People are free to teach whatever they want (well, actually, they're not) in their own home and in places of worship.

I am talking about schools (even private ones which, by law, cannot teach exclusively one religion at the expense of teaching about others, actually) and matters where the state has some authority or duty of care.

Nothing I am advocating is even remotely totalitarian. In fact what I've posted is much, much more accurate of current UK education policy than what you've posted. Keep claiming I'm tying myself in knots all you want but it's far removed from reality.

The OP was about removing influence of religion from society. My response was in counter to your claim that you need to physically remove them (however that's done) and I believe it still stands. You don't need to physically do anything. Just not teach one thing as true and others as false.

And I really wish you'd stop randomly putting 'atheism' or 'atheists' into your posts. I've not mentioned atheism once, but you keep saying it as though it's a bedrock of my argument.

Look up secularism instead, and egalitarianism.

I was talking about schools as well Fidel (have a re-read - I specifically mentioned schools for both Christians and Muslims as examples). Both our children went to brilliant faith (Catholic) schools where worship, prayer and teaching of Christian faith were warp and weft through the school day (10% of the curriculum, from aged 5 to 16)*. This is the precious freedom we have in the UK, and parents (who pay for the schools through their taxes) love and want this freedom to choose schools that fit with their beliefs (or lack thereof) and values.

Do you support this freedom, and choice, that we have in the UK?

*P.S. They also received a very good education in what other faiths teach (and their curriculum discussed what atheists and secularists thought). They visited other places of worship and had believers of other faiths explain their faith to them - not just a teacher saying "Jews believe this", but having a Jew say "We, as Jews, believe this". They were brought up to respect people of all faiths and none, and to know that different people believe different things, but that was not in opposition to teaching the Christian faith and having Christian worship and prayer every day. We respect the right of other faiths to teach what they believe to their children, even when we know they are teaching that Christianity is wrong. That's pluralism. That's tolerance. That's a mature society.