I watched this programme and this religious woman said "there are children out there who have never heard of Jesus." I was thinking I wish I was one of them.

Can't wait for that day.

The article cited within this one gives the following statement on their about page.

"Barna Group provides spiritual influencers with credible knowledge and clear thinking, enabling them to navigate a complex and changing culture."

Hah!
[barna.com]

@bingst I skimmed the article, but did notice that some of the concerns were echoed by my religious cousin, who was told this by his pastor. There was apparently a sermon on Generation Z losing faith, etc., and if trends continue, the number of believers will continue to dwindle.

What was the topic for the essay? Or was the assignment more open, where they chose a topic, took a side, and were expected to cite any resources used? Regardless, I'm always happy to see religion-free teachers in schools! I've been fortunate that most of my teachers, while in grade school, had seemed to mostly put their personal beliefs to the side in favor of sticking to the curriculum. But too many places, especially from what I hear of the school systems in Texas, where I live now but never went to grade school.

@DaveBA5150 The assignment was an argumentative essay, and they were allowed to choose their own topic. We have an online resource our school purchases, so it has a few hundred topics with multiple articles to read, etc., and it includes all "hot topics" and more (even a few oddballs like "the 1996 presidential election" and "milk alternatives" ). The only restriction I put on it was no essays on abortion, and they had to run their topic by me first before beginning (to be sure it is something they can actually write an essay on--occasionally they will just randomly pick something I know they have no interest in and won't have enough time to learn enough about to write a competent essay before it is due).

They craft their thesis with a limited subject, a precise opinion, and a blueprint of supporting reasons. So they have to take a clear position on a limited subject with three main reasons of support, and their position has to be such that some fairly reasonable people out in the world disagree with them (I say "fairly reasonable" because usually the kids think if someone disagrees with their position, they have to be unreasonable). Often students want to make it as easy as possible by saying something like, "Human trafficking is bad". No one will likely disagree with that except human traffickers.

I guide the students through their essays as they write in real time on google docs (at least until each of their essays is a couple of pages long, at which point there isn't enough time to really do that). In any case, I often push back on their arguments/evidence as they go in margin notes. Argumentative essays also have a counter argument paragraph in which they briefly (and honestly) give the opposing view, and then explain why that view/argument is wrong. (Invariably students mischaracterize the opposing view, and I have to call them on that also.)

So the reason I exclude "abortion" as a topic is because pushing back on either of the two positions students always take on that issue instantly causes headaches I do not want. I've heard horror stories of religious parents calling the teacher and asking if the teacher accepts the bible, etc., at which point the purpose of the essay is completely undermined not only for that one student, but for the entire class...and sometimes beyond. If kids get the idea that they don't even have to attempt an argument, but float a bunch of bible quotes, I've completely failed as a teacher. (And the pro-choice papers invariably consist of only how terrible religious people are for opposing abortion...rather than grappling with the issue itself. And pushing back against THAT instantly labels me a religious weirdo, at which point I have to explain/defend myself...and I don't have enough energy for that.)

@uuberdude I distill that all down (at the 9th grade honors level) to the fact that they must have evidence to support their reasons, and that their tone/attitude must not carry any weight of their "argument". I did have one student that said aloud that the only reason we can't put our snarky attitude in our papers is because this is in school, but in real life everyone argues with attitude. (I'm hoping he sees that as a bad thing, but I don't know. I didn't have enough time at the end of the year to get into things much more deeply than I had already waded.)

If the kid is in America, there is no forcing an adult to do anything. Of course, if college money is attached, or family relationships, he might feel forced. But if he had straight A's, college money shouldn't be a problem.

@altschmerz
My son and I are Atheists and his parents know that. They've banned the son from going to movies with my son for an entire year. How crazy is that?

@greyeyed123
They're wealthy people. The son feels trapped. He shares my son's outlook to life but told my son he'll be disowned. It's not so easy to be accepted with straight As in South Africa if you're Muslim or Indian. We're not seen as affirmative action cases. so straight As doesn't count for us. Hopefully the son will become another Ali Rizvi.
My older son struggled to obtain a job in SA even with a Master's in Mechanical Engineering. A Maths and Science Boffin! seems they're looking for average, not talent.

My father disowned me in high school for not being subservient enough. I thanked him and walked. I slept in a friend's basement and got a scholarship for college. Incidentally, my father also stole my college fund that I personally worked for that had enough money for 1 1/2 years of college.

@ldheinz
That is beyond words, that your father could stoop so low. I hope you excelled in life though regardless.
I on the other hand was accepted on a full medical scholarship to the UK in1979. ... but my fate was a bit different. The Apartheid Govt In South Africa refused to give my passport.

@TimeOutForMe, years later he asked me why I was upset with him. I said that it had something to do with him throwing me in jail for objecting to his stealing my life savings to keep me from going to college. His response surprised me. He just got a confused look on his face and denied it ever happened. He really believed that it didn't happen. That helps me to understand christians, and how they can deny what they know is true, that their beliefs are obvious BS. It's about what they wish was true, not what they know is true. Knowledge is something to be avoided because it interferes with belief.

@ldheinz
Religious people HIDE behind their religion. Like the pastor that got off lightly for raping his adoptive daughter. Courts are in favour of their so-called faith then and now. The victim remain the victim. How sick is that?: They're raped by faith which is their escape.

@TimeOutForMe, I would have said that crap like that is in the past, but in Tennessee, the governor declared last Saturday to be Nathan Bedford Forrest day, honoring the accomplishments of the founder and first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, an organization noted for lynching "uppity" blacks. So much for my vacation there.

@TimeOutForMe, yes, religious people quickly realize that it's much easier to believe than behave.

@ldheinz
It's like rewarding a kid for bad behaviour, just worse. This wizard lynched human beings!!!