to think religion should be a private matter not forced onto other people

[Anna99]

Basically I was at a toddler session in the local town hall (not church hall) which I regularly go to and normally has no religious songs etc.
Towards the end of the session a couple turned up with puppets and set up a stand to do a show. Not recognising them I didn't twig this show would have a religious slant so I stayed for it.
After a very boring and moralistic show about a boy who didn't do as he was told and could therefore not have any ice cream there was a talk about following the bible and some songs which mentioned god etc.

AIBU to think people should keep their religion to themselves and not try to ram it down my throat when all I want is a cuppa and a chat with some other mums?

Who organises & runs the toddler session?

YADNBU - Wonder who invited them to sell their dubious wares?

I'd be tempted to ask for some empirical evidence.

Brainwashing toddlers is the lowest of the low.

YANBU.

The pre-school DD1 attended was in a church hall although not run by any regligious organisation. The children said a ssmall prayer at the beginning of each session (a non-secular one just being thankful for their friends, family, etc) to show their respect for where they were.

I didnt have any objection to this but it was mentioned at her first session so we could opt out if need be.

I dont think a toddler session in a town hall is the right place for this and it seems a bit OTT.

the one I took dd to was in a church hall but there was no religion involved in it at all. The church simply permitted the group to use the rooms.

I think YANBU to find that puppet show out of place. So is it a church group of some kind setting up and running this toddler group? Sounds a bit heavy handed to me. How did you hear about this group then?

Had you had any prior notice this was going to be happening? What about the other people there, what did they say/think?
Seems a bit odd for them to just turn up without giving people the chance to opt out.

YANBu

a lot of toddler groups are held in church halls and it can be hard to find a group with out a religious slant. It would be quite annoying finding religious propoganda at a toddler group held in the local town hall.

YANBU, complain, complain, complain.

Well from their perspective (the place where it's all true) they are trying to help you.

Puppet show in itself would annoy me if I thought it was going to be a 'cuppa and chat' session, as you have to be quiet and watch rather than chatting.

I don't think the puppet couple are at fault here - but whoever runs the group and invited them along should not have done so. Certainly not without giving everyone prior notice that it was a religious show.

If the group normally had a religious content, that would be different, but when there is none normally it's unfair to drop something like that on you without fair warning.

why don't you ask the organiser what that was all about?

Your thread title is NU, but in this case you weren't having religion forced on anyone. It was being presented, you could have walked away at any-time.

No explaination before they started up but I later found out the couple were the vicar and his wife so I think people assume everybody knows who they are.
The group advertises itself as "run by mums for mums" and invites all to come along. I guess the mums who run it were approached by the vicar and were happy for him to come in.
Glad people have said ianbu, I was wondering how much more of this there would be once DD starts preschool/school.

mayor - my DD was fascinated by the puppets, she'd have screamed if I had removed her once I twigged what it was all about and it wouldn't have been very fair on her.
I'm not going to complain or anything, just wondering why this was considered ok when people have such varied beliefs.

I think you should politely point out to the committee that, since it is normally not a religious group, they ought to let people know when there is going to be a group coming in to do an activity which is religious. Or in fact actively promoting anything.

I don't know what preschools are like, but you definitely will find a lot of this in most schools, because they are required to have "communal worship" which is "mainly Christian" - you can opt out for your child, but that has its own problems.

I am a Christian, but YADNBU this is I dont agree with and a bit I know that though a few Christian denominations do evangilising but for personally, I dont like it. It is one thing in the street to do it as people walk past but not at a toddler group for young children.

I think that toddler groups and preschools should be more transparent re. religion. I went into DD's nursery class to help out recently and found out that they all say a prayer (hands together, head bowed - the works!) before they go home. I had no idea and think its a bit OTT for 3yos tbh.

Oh I should probably also declare that I am a Christian. But I think you should have the choice, and the information needed to make that choice, when it comes to religious activities at a toddler group.

YADNBU

YANBU.

Fortunately toddlers are used to many fairy stories so are unlikely to be brainwashed by the occasional puppet show.

I find the praying thing mentioned by Undercover more pernicious.

I don't like the sound of that undercover, but I remember having to say grace in a similar way all through primary school so I guess it's not that uncommon.
Went to a wedding recently and was suprised to discover I know the lords prayer word for word which feels a bit like brainwashing considering it was the first time I had been to a church service.

Not a church school - is a nursery class linked to a bog standard primary.

I really don't understand your problem- if the moral of the story was right- i.e. to be well behaved what does it matter if it is religeous?

We celebrate christmas- do you have a problem with nativity plays?