Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

"If you don't love God, you're siding with the devil."

77 replies

CrumbsOnTheFloor · 06/12/2011 21:44

So espoused my 5 year old dd this evening.
who told you that?
My teacher.
Which one?
All of them.

AIBU to think that she is being indoctrinated?

She attends a c of e primary school. Not really my fault, I didn't get my choice of non denominational school as it is very over subscribed.
As background, My DH and I are Buddhist so Atheist/Humanist. Whether my kids practice my religion or another is up to them. They obviously will get to know my beliefs but they will choose what to believe in by themselves, like everyone does. How on earth can this sort of teaching, as if it is just a fact, have a place in the education of a 5 yr old in 2011?

OP posts:
Original poster
CrumbsOnTheFloor · 06/12/2011 22:28

I don't want to worry all the Christians. She maybe couldn't remember which particular teacher said it but I get that in this school its a bit of a theme. My older daughter in the school says that her teacher does not do this but I do remember her in reception having similar.

OP posts:
Beamur · 06/12/2011 22:29

Nativity is confusing my little girl no end. We haven't talked much about religion as I think its a bit of a difficult concept for a 4 yr old - but at the moment she thinks both Jesus and Mary are being born in a barn.
I am not hostile to religion but would rather my child not be exposed to it just yet. I really would not be happy with her coming home and saying what your dd has said - that kind of comment can get very screwed and upsetting for a child.

TeamDamon · 06/12/2011 22:34

We tell DS all the stories - the Greek, Norse and Egyptian myths as well as the Bible stories - to show him the range of things people believe in. That helps him to understand that there are many different ways that people have found to make sense of the world.

FreudianSlipper · 06/12/2011 22:34

i thought if you beleived in god then you beleived in the devil but not beleiving in god is not siding with the devil as you would need to beleive in god to beleive in the devil. does the devil not cancel out the good work god does

i woudl not be happy at all if ds was told this at school and surprised at a c of e school a catholic school maybe (from experiences my friends have told me)

i am nontheistic, so i have beliefs (buddhist ish) but do not believe there is a god or gods :)

Mum1369 · 06/12/2011 22:37

I can hear marianne hyperventilating from here......

Beamur · 06/12/2011 22:38

I think the thinking goes something along the lines that - in the absence of God, there is a space for evil (the devil).

TeamDamon · 06/12/2011 22:40

But that makes God sound rather passive - he actually created the devil when he hurled Lucifer from heaven.

Original poster
CrumbsOnTheFloor · 06/12/2011 22:44

As it happens, I have got a load of Myths and Stories off the Book People for DD for Christmas. She won't be interested, but hey, I tried.

OP posts:
CheerfulYank · 06/12/2011 22:45

Hmm...I remember hearing a little girl say something like this once and I was Shock...and I'm a Christian. I would think it odd that she was told something like this at school

OP do you believe in rebirth? I'm so interested in peoples' religious beliefs! :)

FreudianSlipper · 06/12/2011 22:45

not sure about other religions but in the old,new testament there is much written on the devil and in the koran

but then other religions where people worshipped the earth, spirits, followed those that were not one of the prophets and so on this was seen (and still is by some) as a form of devil worshipping

and as for picking and choosing whats suits us best i am thankful that for the majority of people who are religious that they do practise their religion as it suits life today

Beamur · 06/12/2011 22:46

True, but I'm struggling to find the right words - a relationship with God is an active choice by an individual, but the presence of evil is passive. So if you do not choose to believe in God (but he exists anyway - and therefore by default, so does Lucifer or whatever you want to call him) then the absence of faith allows evil in.

Original poster
CrumbsOnTheFloor · 06/12/2011 22:46

Hell yeah!

OP posts:
UnexpectedOrange · 06/12/2011 22:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Mum1369 · 06/12/2011 22:52

Unexpectedpagan is right. It's the absolutes that are wrong. Our school teaches all religions ( but not otherwise) but tends to err on a overall absolute of Christianity. I would prefer for him to be taught all religions or otherwise and make his own mind up in time. But I guess he'll do that anyway.

Gentleness · 06/12/2011 22:57

Not all Christians believe in the devil / Lucifer thrown from heaven etc. Believing in the devil is NOT an inevitable result of believing in God. Just saying.

FreudianSlipper · 06/12/2011 23:02

i am confused as the devil is mentioned in the bible

Beamur · 06/12/2011 23:02

Does the belief in the devil stem from certain branches of the Church? A friend of mine who is a very committed Christian always thought that Judas was deeply misunderstood.

MarianneM · 06/12/2011 23:03

I can hear marianne hyperventilating from here......

Hehehe! I was busy sounding off in the ex-poly thread!

CheerfulYank · 06/12/2011 23:03

Hell yeah, you believe in rebirth?

JustRedbin · 06/12/2011 23:09

I think that christians need a devil to explain the existence of evil. If the devil doesn't exist, then their god must be responsible for creating evil.

Mum1369 · 06/12/2011 23:14

Sorry marianne, obviously not sitting with bated breath as anticipated, I am pleased to hear! As an ex poly student...

Gentleness · 06/12/2011 23:18

Happy to debate devil/evil in the religion area (after a sleep). My point for this thread was just that the philosophical or theological explanations of what your daughter was told don't cover all strands of Christianity. Sorry - not meaning to derail - I just reacted to the (possible) assumption that all Christians would agree with it.

Original poster
CrumbsOnTheFloor · 06/12/2011 23:21

Oh! Cheerful. Yes I did mean that. To be honest, it is quite a complex belief in Buddhism. Its not quite the same as in the Hindu concept of Rebirth but definitely Buddhists believe in life after life.

OP posts:
chipmonkey · 06/12/2011 23:28

If I were God, the first thing I'd do would be to do away with the devil. And I do believe in God.

Original poster
CrumbsOnTheFloor · 06/12/2011 23:31

But Lucifer, the devil, was a fallen angel, wasn't he? So kinda crucial in the debate of good and evil?

OP posts: