To object to a religious song at a baby class?

[SecondTimer2019]

I take my baby (6mo) to a baby sensory class and this week the theme was 'rainbows'. At the end one of the songs played was 'Who put the colours in the rainbow?', which I remember from my childhood.

It asks who created all the amazing things in the world and ends by saying things like 'It can't be chance' and 'God made all of these'.

I'm not religious and think this environment should be secular. Obviously my baby can't understand the lyrics yet but I still feel it is inappropriate.

I'm thinking of contacting the organisers to let them know my feelings.

AIBU?

When my children were toddlers/babies I took them to groups that were held in church settings. They were fab!! They used to sing all the religious nursery rhymes, carols, Easter bits and Bob's etc.
I'm not religious in anyway, shape or form but, bought a children's bible, sang to them...
It's done them no harm.
My eldest is 17 and she will state " I'm not religious! I'm not sure what I believe but, there has to be something "

You're over reacting!!

YABU.

Go and start your own woke group and compose your own songs.

It excludes anyone who isn't Christian
Of course it doesn't - Christianity is just one among many religions that have a god.
The word god on it's own is common to almost all religions.

According to Google Christianity is the UK's main official religion.

Go and start your own woke group and compose your own songs

Wanting to have secular options is “woke” 😂

YANBU, I'd feel the same way. But it's possible that whoever's choosing the songs hasn't even clocked that it's a religious one - they're just picking songs they know of that fit the theme and are what they perceive as being kiddy-friendly. If it keeps happening that religious songs are part of the class, and you don't like it, then maybe mention to the person running it that you didn't realise there was a religious element and see what they say. FWIW our kids went to a state school that wasn't officially religious but turned out to be quite that way inclined ... we gave our kids the choice of sitting out the religious stuff or joining in, and they opted to join in. We gave our own take on things at home and had discussions about it.

Extraordinary how deeply ingrained Christian privilege is in our society.

It really isn't extraordinary, though. It should not be a surprise in a country where there is a national church led by the head of state and where the national anthem is a direct appeal to the Christian God.

By all means dislike it and campaign to dismantle it but don't be surprised that Christianity underpins pretty much every institution in our society.

I don't think it is Christian privilege. I genuinely wouldn't be offended if they sang a song about any other belief in any situation.
It is a song.

Why do a lot of non secular people celebrate Christmas and Easter? They are major Christian festivals and schools are full of carols, nativity plays etc throughout December. Genuine question?

“ Go and start your own woke group and compose your own songs.”

Depressingly, I’ve tried a couple of atheist groups and found them packed with woke.

You are probably right OP in that a song with that message should not necessarily be used in a paid for class.

However, I would be really careful in how far you take your objection to things like this, and how much you let your children see you make a fuss about things, that in the scheme of things, are very unimportant.

A lot of young people today seem to feel that they have to always be in "safe" spaces, where nothing infiltrates to upset and disturb their very narrow world views. Children and young people need to be much more resilient to things that offend them. They are perfectly capable of making their own minds up about religion, politics and everything else, in my opinion.

I totally agree with you and had the same dilemma, at a baby class which was definitely not cheap and definitely not in a church hall!

These classes are a way people develop communication with their babies. So of course we care what we're singing about. You wouldn't be happy to sing them songs with e.g. swearing in, would you? So the words do matter.

I think we should sing secular songs to be inclusive. Also, sing and sign songs about god etc are teaching baby stuff that's not relevent to us, where we could be learning other ones!

There are loads of song options so it's not necessary to bring religion into it.

So I totally see where you're coming from.

“It's done them no harm.
My eldest is 17 and she will state " I'm not religious! I'm not sure what I believe but, there has to be something "

[Hmm]

If you’re in the UK, your national anthem is literally ‘God save the queen’.

If you live in the US, your money literally says ‘in God we trust’.

We live in 2019 AD. The world is literally based on religion.

This reminds me a bit of the family who are Jehovah witnesses at our primary school. Their dc are not allowed to do any kind of RE, or take part in any of the assemblies that have any kind of religious meaning to them. There are so many things those children miss out on. No mother’s day cards, no Christmas, Easter, Divali, Chinese New Year, or any other festival celebrated by anyone. The school do a lovely mother’s day/Father’s Day/Christmas sale and the dc aren’t able to be part of that. No nativity plays, no learning Christmas carols. In my opinion, it’s really sad.

Are you going to object to all of this things too op? Or are you just bothered about the rainbow song at baby sensory?

I'd be with you on this one OP. I wouldn't be impressed at drive-by religioning in a secular class that I paid for, especially at something like baby sensory that is a huge franchise all over the country. This is not Jane running a local group out of the church hall. As a one-off I'd let it slide but I'd say something if it was more common than that. It's not fair on the non-Christians in the room.

But then I believe secular should be the norm, especially for state schooling, so I accept I'm in a minority on this.

And as for Christmas... It's just faux naivety to pretend not to realise Christmas is just as much a secular festival now as a religious one. If I went to a baby sensory Christmas class (and I did last year), I'd be singing along with Jingle Bells but raise an eyebrow at Away In A Manger. My Christmas will be celebrated with gusto, without so much as a nod to a baby born in a stable.

FFS

I'm thinking of contacting the organisers to let them know my feelings.

Good for you, they'll probably appreciate a good laugh I'm sure that your attendance isn't compulsory.

a pagan festival 'winter solstice' was hijacked by christians and renamed christmas as has been other so called 'christian related' events i.e easter. As a pagan i could really take offence at all of that but what the heck.be the way happy new year to fellow pagans, it was great night on the 31st, oh,hang on most people call it halloween as opposed to samhaim.

Maryann1975, it doesn't make sense to try to draw a parallel with religious songs and Mother’s Day/Father’s Day.

Are you going to object to all of this things too op? I don't know about the OP, but I'd have no objection to Christian-based songs etc as long as elements from other religions like Divali and Chinese New Year are recognised too. The problem is the use of Christian elements to the exclusion of others.

especially at something like baby sensory that is a huge franchise all over the country. This is not Jane running a local group out of the church hall. As a one-off I'd let it slide but I'd say something if it was more common than that. It's not fair on the non-Christians in the room.

What drivel. This is a business, not a service. They are only accountable to the OP insofar as they accept her money for the service they advertise. Provided they are not turning her away on the basis of her religion or lack thereof, they are doing nothing wrong.

I wouldn't worry about it, my DD got to about 8, before she realised that God wasn't some farmer named God

Just counter balance it as she grows with explaining in an age appropriate way about different Gods & belief systems & how all & none are equally valid, but she doesn't have to believe any of it if they don't want too

Extraordinary how deeply ingrained Christian privilege is in our society.

I think it's more extraordinary that these threads always demonstrate how many people fail to realise that the UK is not a secular society, and does not claim to be.

Could have been worse OP...they could have sung I can sing a rainbow...
Red and yellow and pink and green orange and purple and blue
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Red and orange and yellow and green blue indigo and violet
what rhymes with violet?
You need to chill out and listen to Joe Joe Joe Joseph

I went to a non-secular school. I even went to the local Kingdom Hall once with my Jehova's Witness aunty as she was baby sitting me. I went on school trips to mosques and I regularly visit synagogues etc when visiting new cities. I'm an atheist.

What's wrong with being exposed to other religions? Should no child ever listen to religious music, visit a church or a mosque either if they are not religious? It's what allows us to form a balanced opinion for ourselves.