Continuing with the topical controversies theme...

[LadyGlencoraPalliser]

what do we think of this one?

I think its more to it than meets the eye

i think they're all overreacting a little!

"Jasmine told another pupil 'if you don't believe in God you're going to go to hell'.

"The girl was upset and her teacher asked me for advice about what to do.

"Jasmine was told it is not OK to say that, but it is OK to discuss what you believe with others."

if that's true precius little jasmine is using a form of bullying and Mummy should back off

my kids are raised Christian; I will not have them goinga round trying to scare other kids with talk of Hell.

It really depends on whose version of the story is true, doesn't it? Having said that, DD1 was recently quite upset when one of her friends told her the same thing. And she's eleven. I can imagine a five year old being pretty distressed by it.

That has made me really angry. If anyone told my DS that he was going to go to 'hell' I would go absolutely bonkers.

What an un-Christian attitude that girl's mother has.

I think the mum is being really precious. The head was right, the child needed to be told not to threaten other kids with eternal damnation. Can't start too early teaching your kids religious intolerance... Stupid woman.

I can hardly imagine a state school in England banning people from mentioning God or Jesus, since they have to have communal worship of a Christian(ish) variety. But telling a child not to threaten other children with Hell seems perfectly reasonable, and the mother emailing her church to have them pray about the situation sounds like a serious over-reaction!

I can see another side to it though. DD1's friend is a lovely girl from an evangelical Christian family. She didn't say what she said to be nasty. She really believes that unbelievers are going to go to hell and she wants to convert DD1 so that it doesn't happen to her.
In the case of the five year old she is probably parroting stuff she has heard at home without really understanding it. But her mother should know better.

but the point is she sent an email from home asking for prayers and is now facing disciplinary action

Because the email allegedly contained 'unfair allegations' about the school. Hard to know who is right without knowing exactly what it said.

Of course she said it to be nasty.

She knows 'hell' is a 'bad place'. Why would she say someone would go there if not to be nasty?

BananaFruitBat - the girl I am talking about is a lovely girl and a good friend to my DD. My DD was upset by what she said but very much understood that her friend did not intend to upset her. She goes to an evangelical church and believes in the literal truth of what she is taught there. She doesn't want my DD to go to hell, but she is afraid she will unless she becomes a Christian - because that is what she has been taught to believe.
Now do you get it?

I get that, I have evangelical friends.

And 5 is tiny anyway.

The point is, Mum should ahve dealt with it and said 'sorry darling that's not appropriate in class'- because it isn't.

The reaction from Mum is what is provking it all, and tbh the fact that Mum went to the press does back it up.

However I do agree we don't know the facts.

And the silly bint should know that a child of that age will not go to hell as the unbaptised children go to Limbo - much nicer, but possibly rather less to look at.

I suspect that the mother has exaggerated for effect and been told off by the school for doing so, not facing the sack. Which is reasonable.

I suspect the child was told not to scare other children by threatening them with hell. Which is reasonable.

But there's no story in that...

Jux, the Pope has abolished limbo and let all the unbaptised babies into heaven. Which is nice

In 2007

Message withdrawn

Oh well, they'll have lots to do then. Phew

Mother's should not be allowed to work at the same school their child attend that's all I have to say.

Well that would leave our school very short of staff then.