to think that some non-religious parents over-react just a teensy-weensy bit when their children are exposed to religion in the most benign form?

[SueBarooeeooeeooooo]

s'ok if I am. But threads complaining about this sort of thing are a regular MN feature, and I can't help thinking that some parents seem tremendously precious about it. We're Christians and it often comes up that not everyone believes the way we do, and I talk to my children about it and they wander off and scribble on the lounge walls again.

I've seen people complaining about Christian mums and tots groups, simple 'thankyou' prayers and christian charities. I am 100% ok with you bringing your children up atheist, theist, or chocolate-worshipping. Honestly, if I whipped myself up into a panic over every mention of different beliefs or none that my children encounter, I'd never get anything done.

(Please note, this is not a church schools whinge, I'm against selection on religious grounds.)

Ruty, really? I find the Jesus-politics issue gets squished about from right-wingers and left-wingers alike. It's the big thing whether you're Jerry Falwell or Hilary Clinton - I've got Jesus on my side...

I think Christians can certainly be involved in politics, but I think the message of Jesus is much, much bigger than party politics.

Yes! They were quite young actually.

I thought they were really sad myself, especially when i thought about all the great fun i was having at their age.

Eh?

Science, surely, provides a completely God-free (should you so wish) vehicle for talking about the Universe.

funny how St Francis, a wealthy man with great status, gave up all his riches to the poor when he had discovered Christ. He must have got the wrong Christ, obviously.

I'm not talking about party politics at all Sue. I'm talking about a revolutionary code of human conduct, both spiritual and practical, that would change the world forever, if we all chose to follow it. No party follows Christ's teachings at all.

Well, quite.

We are currently trying to deprogramme DS, who is rather taken with Genesis...

Does any of this have to be explored with toddlers though, justa.
Neither of mine have ever asked under-3 where the world comes from.

Can't you say Genesis is a great parable on how the earth was made but now through science we understand more about it?

I do, I do.

But he is a very literal chap.

And TBH, he prefers the Genesis story...

No party follows Christ's teachings at all.

----------

Ah, we are in agreement Ruty.

EricL, oh these things can be quite fun, it's like a big road trip, and for young people who want to work with children or do dance etc. it can be useful.

I think it's cheesier than Michael Ball singing in a cheese factory, personally.

Can't you just say Genesis went downhill after Gabriel left?

Bo-boom.

Sorry

I don't like education and politics mixed with religion.
As a personal faith, good grief I do not care and have a lot of respect for and interest in it, even if it's not my way.

Sue, your OP sounds really like the line that people take when one tries to object to church involvement in education (for lots of reasons that people have already given on the thread and threads passim). You try to make a reasoned statement and you get "oh for goodness sake! It's just a bit of hymn singing and the odd prayer! They don't have a clue what it means - what are you, some sort of bigot or something??"

(Just to interject: my 3-yr-old does ask where the world comes from and indeed how we come to be moving through space etc - have put off discussion of actual quantum theory for now>

How can politics not be mixed with religion? At least one's own politics. Everyone's moral code, however it is developed, must surely determine their political opinions?

Pruner - lol. You'll note, though, that i said pre-3 .

I'm not sure people do over-react all that much, do they? I attended a p&t group once and at the end we were told to hold our babies up and sing a song for Jesus.

I was most surprised, and half-asleep at the time.

They like to get you when you're either a) tired and vulnerable and maybe a bit vulnerable or b) a very young child.

I'm okay with staring them down.

Anyway Sue - aren't you HEing to avoid nasty secular types with their creepy views about fossils and things? That could easily be seen as a slight overreaction to those of other faiths non?

We've got masses of religious books here, all faiths. I say 'Yes some people think that, and let's see what other creation stories there are.'

and pruner, give it a go! the big bang theory goes down brilliantly esp with ds who was scarily into explosives... and chaos.

TM - I agree with you, I am just not a fan of co-opting the 'God' banner to back up ones own political views, iyswim. By all means, have your faith inform you convictions, but to claim that your politics are God's politics is shaky ground, imo.

And, just because it's come up again, this isn't about religious schools...

100x, good grief yes, but if I'd sent them to school, I'd have to put up and shut up about what they were taught there

Actually Sue, that was in repsonse to Pruni's point about politics and religion not mixing...

But I completely agree with not co-opting God into your argument. I am a leftie, you are right-wing. If we both claimed God was on our side...

Actually Sue, that was in repsonse to Pruni's point about politics and religion not mixing...

But I completely agree with not co-opting God into your argument. I am a leftie, you are right-wing. If we both claimed God was on our side...