Can any Christians explain refusal to allow a child to visit a temple?

[IndieSkies]

On an educational school visit? The class are visiting a church, a temple, maybe a synagogue. They are looking at the building, hearing abou beliefs, but definitely not taking part in acts of worship. One child from a Christian family has not been allowed to go 'for religious reasons'. Clearly it is not a matter of christian policy for children not to be allowed on educational visits of this kind, or more children would have remained in school. But what could lie behind anyone making this decision as a Christian? (the child's father is some kind of christian minister).

In a very multicultural, multi faith school it seemed a bit of a snub.

The family are dimwitted bigots, end of. And probably racists too - the sort of people who bang on and on about Christians being 'persecuted' when what they mean is 'all these foreigners get their superstitions taken seriously so we are going to insist on extra privileges for ours and make a really big fuss about them.'

No idea! in my church ladies from the local mosque came to speak to the children at Sunday School. I would love my kids to visit a temple, synagogue etc sounds fascinating!

SolidGold - well, no, they are actually a very gentle family, friendly, calm, unlikely to be racist (as black), community monded, have invited children of all faiths and backgrounds to their child's parties, etc, so while your explanation undoubtedly holds true for many 'other culture / religion refuseniks' I think these parents must have had other thoughts.

Would it be that the hindu belief in a range of gods is 'blasphemous' and they didn't want their child in a place where gods other than their god were referred to as god?

I suppose i could ask the mother if I see her, (we chat at the gates) but that seems a bit like vegetarians always being asked 'why are you veggie'!

Community minded. Sorry for typos, am typing in the dark.

Possibly, but as a Christian minister I've let my kids visit Temples etc. I do pull my kids from anything to do with haloween though as this is the complete opposite of my faith.
I want my kids to learn about other world religions

IndieSkies: They're still bigots. People can be pleasant and gentle and still have ridiculous views about the superiority of their own superstitions over those of others, to the extent that they won't allow their DC to be 'contaminated' by different mythologies.

Eaglewings: Duh. Halloween celebrations are part of a world religion ie celtic paganism, which is no more or less valid than any of the other myth systems.

That's interesting, Eagle. I am sure you are sick to death of being asked about halloween, but the way I view Halloween is that in order to appreciate good we need to have a horror of the bad, and that acknowledging halloween is about reminding ourselves of the dark side, not advocating or celebrating it.
Bt that is my metaphorical interpretation because I am not religious, but take part in things on a cultural level - which is not to say in a meaningless or thoughtless way.

But I agree - whatever our individual relationship with religion, knowing about the main world religions can only be an enhancing experience.

SGVB - I do wonder what people have to fear from visiting a temple. Or anywhere else.

Personally I think it's an overreaction - and not particularly healthy. But I think I get where they're coming from.

I imagine it's this: anything that is not with God is against God. As nice as it is to pretend that all things can be true, there is only one objective truth, and one God, and the only proper response is to worship him alone. The only way to God the Father is through God the Son (Jesus), and thus any religion which rejects Jesus is a rejection of God. They wish to have nothing to do with something which is against God.

By the sound of it, they would welcome your questions, if posed out of genuine interest/curiosity and not as an accusation of bigotry. Just ask.

I don't think they're bigots, just maybe feel uncomfortable with it for whatever reason or perhaps haven't thought it through fully.

I have no problem with my dc visiting other places of worship and actively encourage it, we enjoy finding out about other people's ways of life and talking about it together. I think if they are afraid of it that somewhat goes against Jesus' teaching about acceptance and also about God's protection - but each to their own way, I respect people who want to do this if they have thought it through and also talked it through with their dc