Why do people feel the need to bar their kids from Chrisitanity, but every other religion is OK?

Question

I don't get it. There are so many parents who don't want to "push" Chrisitanity on their child. They let every other religion be a part of their child's life, but anything Chrisitian they feel they need to guard against, for fear they are pushing it. (Schools are the same way - they celebrate Kwanza, teach the principles of Islam in history class, celebrate religous diversity, etc. But mention Christianity and it's a no-no. I am happy for the diversity in schools, but why can't Chrisitianity be just another one of the diverse beleifs?) Why do these parents feel it is wrong to teach their kids Chrisitianity? Why can't you teach Chrisitanity but ALSO teach them that as they learn about the world they may want to explore something else. What is wrong with that? Why is Chrisitianity the only religion in the world that is OK to bash right now?

And, no, I didn't really ask a question, I just had to get that out in response to the "wicca baby's room" question.

Answer 1

Why are so many people being so judgemental based on a question that she asked about pagan or wiccan items being placed in a babies nursery?
Do you think it would be better if she hung a cross with some dead guy hanging off of it over her babies bed? Yeh you probably would. You are a hypocrite. Plain and simple. You're asking why people do not accept your religion in public schools??? They don't accept any religion. It just happens that christianity is the largest in America so it is pushed into schools way too often and gets alot of hype. Kwanza is not a religion.
You are ignorant... do some research before you bash someones post.

Answer 2

I guess I will then just comment on your comment.

I am not sure where you live, but here where I live we push Christianity on our children every single day or every single year.... and we push it on each other too (First question out of someone's mouth when you get on an elevator is, "What church do you go to?")

Kwanza is not a religion, its a cultural celebration.... Think of it as Saint Patrick's day for those of African heritage.

In order to teach the principals of Islam, you are teaching the principals of Christianity. Mohamed came after Jesus, but Muslims still know all about Jesus and worship the same God that Jesus worshiped (just through their own prophet).

Christianity cannot just be another diverse beliefs because most of Christianity is running around trying to convert those of other religions to their team. Between this and all the witnessing we "Christians" seem to be doing on TV these days.... its no wonder we get a bad rep. (Ever notice that on the "Amazing Race" it is those "Praise God" types that are always trying to screw their neighbor the hardest.... the rest of the world surely is.

Secular education is not the place for Religion of any sorts. Probably the best 'diversity' class in religion I had was one called Mythology. The instructor got up and said that he would be treating all forms of religion as mythology and if you had a problem with that you had to leave now..... and many did.

And if you think Christianity is the only religion in the world that is ok to bash right now, try being a Muslim, or Hindi and get on an airplane these days.

Answer 3

Yeah, I just read that question, and she didn't say anything about pushing everything but Christianity. In fact, she purposedly said she didn't want to push ANYthing on her.

Maybe you're speaking in more of a general sense then. Kwanza isn't a religious holiday, it's a cultural thing invented by a Black professor in the States about 20 or 30 years ago.

I've never heard of teaching Islamic principals in school, but it could be something about teaching or trying to explain what's going on in our modern world right now.

I do see what you're saying to a point, but you have to ask yourself how much of that is a backlash from the Christians trying to turn this country into a Theocracy.

Answer 4

I read and answered the "wicca baby's room" questions and do not at all see what that has to do with what you posted here. That mother never once said she wasn't teaching her child about Christianity. You are making a huge leap on very little information.

I'm a pagan parent and I'm very open with my children about my spiritual beliefs and at the same time I am open about other faiths. I don't want to shield them from anything because it is their choice. They must follow the path that best fits them. You will find very little of that openness in Christian families. The kids are brainwashed to beleive one way and all other ways are wrong. We home school and I've seen this first hand from the very conservative, Christian home school families. They teach their children to judge anyone who is not Christian. They shun those of us who do not attend church. Their children will tell non-Christian children that they are going to hell. I've never met people who were more narrow minded and condemning than those conservative Christian parents. I will continue to be open about Christianity with my children. They know about Jesus and I answer any other questions they might have. But if I felt a need to keep them from it, could you really blame me?

The cruelty I experienced and the hypocrites of Christianity are one of the reasons I turned away from those roots and embraced paganism in the first place. Every day I'm more and more grateful I found that path and that I decided to follow it.

I have seen the trend in Christianity bashing that you describe. But I can also see why it is happening. People are tired of that holier than thou attitude.

Answer 5

Well as it was my question that got you so worked up, I'll answer. If you had read the question, I dont want to push ANY religion on my child (like my parents didnt me, and their parents didnt them etc etc), thankfully I dont live in a religious society. That includes my beliefs... I will not push that on my child either, I want him or her to be free to make their own minds up about what they believe in when they are old enough, not brain washed into anything as a young child!
So its nothing against Christianity, if that what my child chooses to believe when they are older that is absolutely fine!

Now can you answer a question or two for me: why do people get so freaked out by people that have different beliefs to you? And why do you not read the question properly before getting all bent out of shape and making some stupid comments that have nothing to do with the question/subject? Oh and I think you need to learn a little bit about Paganism, a lot of people wont like being referred to as Satanists!

Answer 6

I can't speak for anyone else, but I can assure you this wouldn't apply to me if I ever had kids. It wouldn't be just other religions that I'd teach my children about, but Christianity, too, even though I'm an atheist.

I was raised Lutheran, my family remains devout Lutheran, so any kids I'd have would have to know about Christianity or they certainly wouldn't get their grandparents and other relatives on my side.

But just because I teach my children about Christianity or any other religion out there, doesn't meant that I'm indoctrinating them. There's a difference. Indoctrination involves having your child become a member of a religion. Teaching a child about religion involves telling them what various religions believe or don't believe.

Sadly, there may be people who refuse to teach their children about Christianity, yet teach about everything else. There's people like that all over. I'm just not one of them. I won't indoctrinate, but I don't see any need not to educate.

Answer 7

That's a good question. I think the reason is because people tend to think that us Christians push our religion on people, which in some cases is true. Christians are the largest religious group in the U.S., so others feel that thier religion should be equally represented also.
I would like to see all major religions taught and celebrated in school, so no one can fuss about the issue of unfairness... except for athiests.

Answer 8

Doesn't the Bible teach tolerance? My Dad was a Presbyterian minister and he was always tolerant of other beliefs without bashing them.

Obviously, the tolerance thing is an issue for you. I would never condemn someone because they believed differently than I.

My beliefs are an amalgam of things that I have learned over the years that are not strictly Christian, or pagan, or Wiccan or Catholic, or anything else...

Answer 9

Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday. It's about African American heritage. No public school I know of teaches religious beliefs. It is simply forbidden.

What on earth does a Wiccan baby room have to do with school?

Answer 10

I'm agnostic, I don't see the point of any religion to be honest. I want my kids to grow up and be educated about all reglious beliefs and then make their own personal decision.