To get annoyed when dd(6) learns about Christianity?

[MooPointCowsOpinion]

She is at a non-religious, normal state primary. She is the type of kid who remembers everything she's told and parrots it back, so I hear about her entire day every day at school. Almost every day she tells me they sang this song about Jesus, learnt that story about Jesus, learnt this lesson about Christianity. Every assembly they sing a Christian song.

I am an atheist. I don't want her to learn just about Christianity, all religions are important in a 'this is what some people believe' kind of way but I feel like they're indoctrinating her into Christianity by pushing it so much. I try to counter it by teaching her other religious beliefs and telling her my beliefs, but I know the steady drip drip of information could plant a seed that could lead to what I would consider radicalisation.

I've brought it up with her teacher, she's sympathetic and has given us the option to opt-out but I'd hate for her to feel singled out and to miss important things in assemblies.

Does/did it bother you? AIBU to be annoyed?

Yeah, Revelation does predict that suffering and war will escalate before the end, and that human cruelty will become more depraved, not things to look forward to.

And yes there will be a day of judgment that will be terrible but also righteous as it will be a day of perfect judgement for all of human history. Every miscarriage of justice will be put to right which mean some people are exonerated and others are condemned.

Well, that's lovely, but it isn't what it says in your book.

Rev. 9 1-6:

1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

(that was to Prams)

Yabu if you live in the U.K. It is predominantly Christian. Yes there are people belonging to other religions that live there as well but that will be the case in any country. If you lived in a Muslim country would you be so offended that the children learned about the Muslim religion?? Can I just ask do you celebrate Christmas with your children? I assume from your post that you do not.

Sock,

Some people would say we're already living through those times. And praying for them to come to an end, not praying for an increase in the suffering.

Um. The world i see out of my front window doesn't look like one in which the apocalypse is happening, but okay. I believe your good intentions, and that you personally don't actively petition your god to torture me and my family, but can you see why I might be a bit at the idea that somebody would pray for the end of the world? The world is doing well. Fewer and fewer people living in poverty, less war, lots of improvements.

I'm glad your view is bright.

And may I apologise to you for those people sharing my faith who have led you to believe I would actively be praying for your death destruction and torture? Because the God I know and love is Love through and through, I'm truly sorry that's not been your experience of his followers.

That's not how it ends though sock,

Revelation 21:

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

little, I know how it ends, and I don't think I'm included in the ranks of the people who get their tears wiped away and get to live happily ever after with the being who tortured people for not having the seal of God on their heads. And if I am included, it might sour it a bit for me, all that living through the five months of torture so bad I wished for death stuff.

Prams, you're actually my first experience of talking with someone who prays for the end of the world; it shocked me. No need to apologise on behalf of other Christians; I've not come across ones who've (overtly) wished for me to be tortured and killed. Most Christians I've met have been perfectly nice people, just like non-Christians.

You never know sock, you might be!

prams

To lose a child must be unbearable. I can't imagine it and my heart goes out to you. The love I have for my son is so deep and he is my life. I couldn't imagine losing him and I am truly sorry for your loss.

That must have challenged your faith. It really must. I know how important faith is to people and I know that you must have felt God was there with you at that awful time.

But what kind of God lets that kind of thing happen?

I'm a paid-up member of the BHA, little, I think I probably might as well walk around with a placard saying "God, strike me down!"

I think I don't really see it as praying for the end of this world. But praying for the coming of the new and perfect one.

I don't read revelation as a step by step guide to how things will happen though. I think it's a dream, powerful imagery, a message of hope. All things will pass, all trials and tribulations will cease, and their will be perfect peace.

If it's literal, I'm screwed too, because I'm certainly not one of the 144,000.

Well, if we're both screwed, I'll give you a wicked game of Scrabble if you like. 😁

I think I've lived a reasonably good life. Tried to do the right thing.

But....I might have mentioned my lack of belief in God. And started some threads about that on MN.

It's the fiery pits for me.

Religious education is part of the National Curriculum. Schools HAVE to teach it, it's the law. Parents are entitled to withdraw their children from such lessons if they wish but you can't have your cake and eat it. Either she learns about it and you ignore it, or she feels excluded and doesn't study it.

Spare a thought for the teachers who have to teach it when they might not believe in God either...!

YANBU
It absolutely infuriates me too.
We're atheist and we're experiencing exactly the same issues.
Children should be taught about all religions in an unbiased way at state schools.
Unless at a specific faith school (which I personally very much disagree with), I don't feel that one religion should have a heavy bias.
I absolutely detest the fact that my children are constantly dealing with Christian songs in assemblies; the Lord's Prayer, etc, but that if we exercise our right to remove them from collective gatherings then they feel left out.

School should be for learning in my opinion.
Religion should be for home/places of worship.

NobodyKnowsTiddlyPom - again, this isn't about the curriculum where there is an unbiased and diverse teaching of what some people believe. This is about Christianity being spoken as fact in school assemblies, when many people do not want their children being taught old stories as truth. When religion/god is proven, then it can be taught as fact in schools. Until that day (that's never coming), it should be kept in churches.

*We believe that God is grieved by the suffering and has set a plan in motion to rescue the world from suffering and death through Jesus

When Jesus returns we believe he is going to renew the earth, not destroy it. It will be without death and suffering. When people long for him to return they are longing for him to save the world, not to destroy it.*

According to the bible, god was capable of creating the entire universe in just seven days. If he is unhappy with the way things are, WHY DOESNT HE JUST SORT IT OUT?

I see this with the 'he sent his only son to die for our sins so that mankind could be forgiven' brigade all the time.

The bible tells of god being the most powerful, most loving, most forgiven being (ignoring the contradictions in the bible that also indicate that god is murderous and vengeful) surely if he wanted to forgive our sins- why wouldn't he just forgive them??

Why 'set a plan in motion' that involves us all dying at the end of it....why not just snap his celestial fingers and put us all back to utopia again, with no knowledge of good or evil?

Spare a thought for the teachers who have to teach it when they might not believe in God either

It's actually quite easy if you don' believe in God or have a faith as you can explain what each religion believes.

You just don't bring your views into it. It must be more difficult if you are belong to one faith and have to teach about another faith.

I had this today with DS (5) He's also at a normal, non-chruch primary.

He came home to day telling me about Jesus who died and came back to life and it was TRUE!!

I don't mind him learning about religion. It's the fact it's being presented as "TRUE MUMMY!" instead of "some people believe" and delivered along with learning about other religions that grinds my gears

YABU. What do you suggest the school does OP? Stops teaching about Christianity to fall in with your wishes, but maybe against the wishes of all the other parents? Surely when you went about choosing a school for your dc you knew this particular school taught Christianity, and if you felt so strongly about it you could have looked at other schools who accommodated your ideals at that time. Or did your wish to send your dc to a high achieving school trump your principles about religion?

It's definitely the 'it's true' part that is bloody annoying. After much reading and thinking on the subject, I have decided to tell my DD that it's not fair for someone to tell her something is definitely 'true' without proof.
That means that what I believe (religion is a terrible thing) and what others believe may be different, and she is allowed to tell people that they are mis-using the words 'fact' and 'truth' if they misrepresent belief as either. I don't take that decision lightly, because I am a teacher and I know how hard it can be to deliver a lesson or an assembly.

DS wants to be a scientist. I told him a good scientist looks for evidence.

I think the "proof" approach and the "some people believe that but others believe x and y" is the way to deal with it

Although DS told me it HAD to be true because it was on the white board. Apparently the whiteboard is gospel ;)

Livelove you ok?
You know I'm talking about a non-religious, bog standard, state primary right?
Also, there is a difference between teaching about Christianity; and representing it as fact. It isn't fact. No one should lie to a child and tell them these stories are definitely real.