Looking for a church - sort of...

[Oddmott]

Long story short... my daughter (5 yrs) attends a public school in Ottawa south, in which she's a white minority. Her school does a pretty good job of educating the students about all the major faiths and doesn't really pander to any one... however, they do a terrible job of cracking down on the Islamic tendency to recruit through social pressure.

When i visit her class (took the pup in last week) i hear a disturbing amount of "Allah this" or "allah that" from the students. And it's rare for a teacher to speak out against it in any way.

As a result, my daughter is often speaking that way at home, lamenting that she doesn't know Arabic and wondering why I/we don't believe in Allah, and who is the God guy who's trying to hurt Allah?

I'm an athiest, but was raised a Catholic (the prudes who outlaw all sorts of fun) and periodically attended a Salem Evangelical Missionary (the crazies who just make up whatever version of Christianity they feel like following this week) church near my house to be in their seasonal plays and concerts.

My experience has been sort of at the extremes of Christianity you could say. But I'm feeling more and more that it's important to somehow combat the religious overtures that are already shaping my kid's mind, by at least offering some sort of balance point.

I'm asking for suggestions of a more middle of the road approach to Christian church that I could take her to, to experience prayer, sermon, hymns, etc. Obviously, for a 5 yr old, shorter services are better than some of the 1+ hr ones.

So.... suggestions?

[FishingMonkey]

If you want to go to church, you could always try to take her to a Unitarian Universalist church. They accept atheists there too.

On the other hand, you don't have to start teaching your kid a religion just because the other kids have one. You can teach her about Islam, Christianity, Roman religion, Norse religion, etc... Teach her to question and not follow the crowd.

Instead of asking why you don't believe, have her start asking the kids why they believe and how do they know? Some of these things might be difficult depending on her age.


You can also take a look at this:


http://www.atheistparents.org/

[Hunter John]

When I was a young lad the folks would take my sister and I to a Presbyterian church on Sunday's . From what I recall they weren't overly preachy and not militant like the born again crowd can be. On the issues at the school I would talk to the principal and the superintendent as there should be no place for any of what you describe in the classroom or the school yard.

[M_P]

Now that summer vacation is here maybe try a vacation bible school. A lot of them are geared towards introducing the young ones with no prior religious teaching to the bible without getting really deep and preachy.

[Oddmott]

If you want to go to church, you could always try to take her to a Unitarian Universalist church. They accept atheists there too.

On the other hand, you don't have to start teaching your kid a religion just because the other kids have one. You can teach her about Islam, Christianity, Roman religion, Norse religion, etc... Teach her to question and not follow the crowd.

Instead of asking why you don't believe, have her start asking the kids why they believe and how do they know? Some of these things might be difficult depending on her age.


You can also take a look at this:


http://www.atheistparents.org/

She's 5, i'm not looking to teach her anything. Just provide a reference point so she sees a different side of a different coin. If all she hears is that god wants allah dead... that's all she'll know/believe.

I can't come down hard on this and squash the talk with reality... because she'll go back to school and repeat everything i say back to the islamic kids and just get in trouble.

When she's old enough to comprehend my views and genuinely understand concepts of free thought, theocratic tyranny, etc we will have many deeper discussions. For now... it's enough that she simply know some of the OTHER beliefs that are out there.

[terrym]

How long before these little 5 yr old children of Allah start treating females like livestock and make them wear a sack over their head? I wonder? I would be looking for a new school and I'm not religious at all.

[Snowwalker]

Sorry but if it's not your faith then it well not do you much good. Some nice people and a man in a funny robe, are not going to effect her as much as peer pressure. If it is not practiced in the home and by the two people that she cares the most about, Sunday school is nothing more then a social group on sunday mornings.

No one can "fix" your kid for you. She will believe what you do, and as you have said you do not believe in anything. That leave the door to her faith open to any religion.

You need to teach her, but I think you had better start studying real hard... A ten year muslum kid could argue you in circle, knows all the tricks. He/she has been training for years.

[FishingMonkey]

You could simply tell her that many people believe different things. And everyone has a different beliefs and some people don't believe any of those things and that's OK.

The one thing I remember reading is that it's important to give a kid a firm grounding in reality and critical thinking.

[Oddmott]

Sorry but if it's not your faith then it well not do you much good. Some nice people and a man in a funny robe, are not going to effect her as much as peer pressure. If it is not practiced in the home and by the two people that she cares the most about, Sunday school is nothing more then a social group on sunday mornings.

No one can "fix" your kid for you. She will believe what you do, and as you have said you do not believe in anything. That leave the door to her faith open to any religion.

You need to teach her, but I think you had better start studying real hard... A ten year muslum kid could argue you in circle, knows all the tricks. He/she has been training for years.

I'm not looking for her to be a Christian (or Islamic or atheist for that matter), i'm simply looking to expose her to something else in order to begin laying the groundwork for future lessons and experience. In the end, it is my hope that she chooses whatever makes her most happy. Whatever that may be has very little bearing on my life.

[FishingMonkey]

Sorry but if it's not your faith then it well not do you much good. Some nice people and a man in a funny robe, are not going to effect her as much as peer pressure. If it is not practiced in the home and by the two people that she cares the most about, Sunday school is nothing more then a social group on sunday mornings.

No one can "fix" your kid for you. She will believe what you do, and as you have said you do not believe in anything. That leave the door to her faith open to any religion.

You need to teach her, but I think you had better start studying real hard... A ten year muslum kid could argue you in circle, knows all the tricks. He/she has been training for years.

Send me into the room with the kid. I'll have him believing in Flying Spaghetti Monster.