To be miffed at school for telling DS Jesus loves him

[wwdorado]

DS is 5 and started reception at an infant school that is not (officially??) affiliated with the church.
Obviously I understand that this is a Christian county and they do the Lord's Prayer/grace etc learn about religion (s) but since starting school he has started talking about Jesus and God. All the time. He says he loves god and Jesus and that Jesus loves him.
Someone must be telling him this?
Is this normal?
We are both just WTF - both of us not religious in the slightest.

Someone tell me it's just a phase?

These threads are pointless. No one wants to listen to each other. Just state why they are right. Also you can’t go into the complexities of some of the passages that pp have quoted in a few sentences. Many people feel that this life isn’t without reason and is too complex and well ordered to have been random. An integral part of the AA is submitting to a higher power, admitting that we don’t know and can’t do it all on our own. For Christians that higher power isn’t unknowable but has a name and actions that can be followed - that is Jesus.

Many so called Christians are those things I agree, but a true follower of Christ walks (or in my case tries) to walk a path of love and acceptance as Christ Himself instructs us.

But they also think they are true followers of Christ, as have their predecessors for centuries. How are you sure that your interpretation is right, and theirs wrong?

Incidentally, were you just indirectly saying St Paul wasn’t a true Christian?

For Christians that higher power isn’t unknowable but has a name and actions that can be followed - that is Jesus.

I’m honestly really pleased for them. It enriches many, many lives.

I would just really love if they acknowledged that it isn’t for everyone and state-funded services like education shouldn’t be used to proselytise about a particular faith, particularly to the impressionable.

And yes, presenting and teaching any religion as ‘fact’ (‘Jesus loves you’) rather than as something that some people believe is true is proselytising.

DS wanted to Hindi and convert from the Church of Scotland aged 7.

Please don’t be a dick, OP. Schools teach religion and have nativity plays and talk about Buddhism and all sorts. Just leave him alone and have faith that he will grow up to have critical independent thought just like the other people around him.

Quoting a few commonly trotted out single bible verses (in bold no less!) does not make the view about Christians being bigoted, misogynist and homophobic any less ignorant. Many so called Christians are those things I agree, but a true follower of Christ walks (or in my case tries) to walk a path of love and acceptance as Christ Himself instructs us.

It's standard for people to use bold for quotes on MN in order to indicate that they're not your own words.

Why does the fact that they're "single Bible quotes" make it ignorant to mention them? They're fairly consistent with the rest of the Bible, which generally talks about women as inferior to men.

Unless schools have really changed I don't think they do Lord's Prayer or say grace! I think they give a nod to Christianity in assembly perhaps by singing a hymn because they have to. Most schools keep it super low key.

I also take most of the OT with a big pinch of salt; a lot of the 'rules' were laid down by people doing what they thought was the right thing. Jesus is all about love and forgiveness. I follow Christ... so generally use the NT as my compass.

Jesus says in the NT that he doesn't come to replace the OT, because it's the word of God.

Internet says:

Jesus believed that the Old Testament was divinely inspired, the veritable Word of God. He said, ‘The Scripture cannot be broken’ (John 10:35). He referred to Scripture as ‘the commandment of God’ (Matthew 15:3) and as the ‘Word of God’ (Mark 7:13). He also indicated that it was indestructible: ‘Until Heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the law, until all is accomplished’ (Matthew 5:18).

When dealing with the people of his day, whether it was with the disciples or religious rulers, Jesus constantly referred to the Old Testament: ‘Have you not read that which was spoken to you by God?’ (Matthew 22:31); ‘Yea; and have you never read, “Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babes thou has prepared praise for thyself”?’ (Matthew 21:16, citing Psalm 8:2); and ‘Have you not read what David did?’ (Matthew 12:3). Examples could be multiplied to demonstrate that Jesus was conversant with the Old Testament and its content. He quoted from it often and he trusted it totally.

Throughout the Gospels, we find Jesus confirming many of the accounts in the Old Testament, such as the destruction of Sodom and the death of Lot’s wife (Luke 17:29, 32) the murder of Abel by his brother Cain (Luke 11:51), the calling of Moses (Mark 12:26), and the manna given in the wilderness (John 6:31–51).

The list of examples goes on, and the evidence is clear: Jesus saw the Old Testament as being God’s Word, and his attitude toward it was nothing less than total trust. Many people want to accept Jesus, yet they reject a large portion of the Old Testament. Either Jesus knew what he was talking about, or he didn’t. If a person believes in Jesus Christ, he should be consistent and believe that the Old Testament and its accounts are correct.

I think you should just get him a childrens bible if he wants one.. and if he says jesus lives him just say 'that's nice dear'.
I was raised in a devout catholic family and yet now I'm agnostic. Just because he likes the idea of jesus right now because hes heard about it from someone does not mean hes going to go through life brainwashed by that. I mean who knows maybe he will carry those beliefs into adulthood and ene up Christian... that would be up to him... but it's unlikely isn't it.... it's more likely he will just be interested in jesus for a little bit as a child then hit his teens and think it's all bollocks.
Just leave him to it.
One of the things that hurt me most as a child was not actually having religion shoved down my throat but that my dad was a staunch atheist... whod married into this family of intense Catholics... and he used to lecture me about how it was all nonsense and belittle the rest of the families beliefs to me. At the time I expressed agreement with him but deep down I was hurt because I didnt feel free to develop my own ideas about the faith. He was heaviky criticising the beliefs of people I love respected and looked up to and that was very confusing... not enlightening.
All that's needed is everyone staying their own beliefs and reasons for them.... it's not beneficial to act like someone elses believe are wrong or nonsense because that is just as controlling as forcing religion on someone.
So I would just tell your son that you do not believe in jesus yourself but if he wants to then that is up to him. And I'd just let it play out.

I was a teacher for 13 years in a CE primary although I myself am not at all religious. I strongly believe that all people are equal and that sometimes religion actually gets in the way of this equality. My personal view is that if you send your child to a CE school you must expect that they will required to sing Christian hymns in assemblies and say prayers etc. As someone said before, a CE school is inspected by not just Ofsted but will also have an additional church inspection checking certain basic religious elements are in place. Regarding RE, every parent reserves the right to request iet child's withdrawal from the lesson should they so wish. There is an RE curriculum and it should never be the case that only one religion is studied. At teacher training (although this was some years ago for me now!) it was emphasised that we should always remain neutral in our own views. I worked with an excellent colleague who was a devout Christian but she never once put her religious beliefs onto the children. Yes, they knew she was a Christian and she would answer their questions if they asked about what Christians believe, but in exactly the same way as she would for any other religion. Hope this helps?

St Paul was an early Christian but I’m not sure his attitudes toward women were holy or enlightened. Unlike gospel accounts of Jesus who talked to women freely when it was culturally taboo and had women followers who were encouraged to stop the domestics and sit and listen to the lessons with the men!

I know who St Paul was, cheers. Just because we don’t believe it’s true doesn’t mean than some of us don’t know quite a lot about it.

I was just interested in your assertion that you couldn’t have misogynistic attitudes and be a true Christian, which rules Paul out pretty clearly.

However, most Christians I’ve known (and I used to be one, though clearly not a ‘true’ one) honestly believe that they are the ones doing it right, and those following slightly different paths are the ones who aren’t ‘true’ Christians. That includes the homophobes, the misogynists and the hellfire crowd. So I tend to take with a pinch of salt those claiming ‘true Christianity’, especially when explaining away the more culturally inconvenient aspects of historic Christian teaching.

I think your way is very nice and non-harmful, and I’m sure as part of that you’re careful to be respectful of those who don’t share your beliefs, and the children of those people. In exchange I’m sure most non-Christians will reciprocate (with the usual proviso that arseholes exist across all belief systems and none).

Haven’t rtft yet but when my DD was about that age, she came home one day saying our god was called Allah - lasted a few weeks and, I assume, they just changed to a different religion in RE. At that age, mine just took what she heard very literally.

^My personal view is that if you send your child to a CE school you must expect that they will required to sing Christian hymns in assemblies and say prayers etc.%

Although hopefully schools and teachers do remember that not all parents have a choice about what sort of school to send their kids to.

Your colleague sounds lovely. I wish more were like her.

Absolutely. My own son attends a CE school and we are not Christians. But ultimately CE schools are inspected by the church and therefore have to meet certain criteria as a requirement. For example, I remember an inspector asking the older children if they knew what was meant by the Holy Trinity.
Yes, she was lovely. Heart of gold ☺

You don't have to send your children to a C of E VA school but if you do there will be Christian prayers. I thought we were a tolerant country or trying to be? My DC very much enjoyed their C of E primary school. The Christian teaching they received had the emphasis on love, kindliness and tolerance. How can anyone object to that?

I find what Ribbonsonabox said very compelling. My experience in schools is that the young teens I have worked with have no language or framework with which to explore concepts like God and spiritualality as the general sense they have imbided from our culture is that it is wrong, people who believe are stupid or they have just never thought of it etc. However when they have ‘permission’ from someone who can open up the conversation in a non judgmental way they have lots of questions. I found it very sad and enlightening at the same time.

As PP have said, it's a legal requirement for all schools not affiliated with another religion to partake in a 'daily act of wholly or mainly Christian worship'.

The school can apply to have the Christian part of it disapplied if it doesn't make sense given the school's context (say 80% Muslim but school is non - denominational) but it's a huge PITA to do and has to be renewed every few years. And they then still have to do act of worship daily.

I know this isn't the case here but I find it annoying when people send their child to church school then get annoyed when they come home talking about Jesus. If it is a non religious school ie a County Primary I can see your point totally.

My kids go to a non Church school. The eldest two came home in reception telling me I would go to hell because I didn't believe in Jesus. Interestingly the youngest had a muslim teacher in reception and did not come home saying this. He did learn a lot about Islam but his teacher clearly maintained appropriate boundaries because it was always couched as 'Ms X is a muslim and they believe this' or 'it's Ramadam and so Ms X is doing this because she's a muslim'. This year he has a white teacher and the 'Jesus loves me' has started .

Well if Jesus exists , he’s a loving guy.
Let it go

But that is what the church believes. That Jesus loves you. If you don’t like its teachings take your child out of that church school.

I have no problem with kids learning about religion - as long as they don't just learn about Christianity

Why?

Did you miss the “just” in that sentence?

Learning about other belief systems and non-belief systems gives a better view/understanding/critical thinking skills than actively (but possibly half-heartedly) practicing one, surely?

You could say the Lord’s Prayer 190 days a year for 15 years (nursery to 6th form) without ever thinking about what it means. Utterly meaningless.