Is it hypocritical for an agnostic to enroll child in christian school?

Question

Here's my dilema. I'm agnostic, but I want to put my 11 year old in a private school because the public schools are and have not been working for her. She needs to be in smaller class rooms so she can get a little more one on one and kids just can't get that in a public school. The problem I'm having looking for a private school is that they're all christian schools. I have nothing against christians, I just don't have the beliefs that they do. What do I do??????

When my daughter was younger, I taught her to pray and believe in God. I've never tried to push my belief on her, or shall I say lack of. I grew up believing in God and all that stuff, but my views changed about 4-5 years ago. While she knows I'm agnostic, I still tell her she has the choice of believing or not.

Answer 1

No it is not hypocritical, especially for an agnostic. Agnosticism acknowledges that there is the possibility of the faith, yet views it with skepticism.

It is great that you want the best education for your child. I would strongly caution you to check out the private school beforehand.

Based on my own experience in this area, make sure that the school has state licensed teachers. Many places do not require private school teachers to have an actual teaching degree. When inquiring about local "Christian" schools, I asked about licensed teachers--I was flipply informed that their teachers were "ordained by God."--Which is all well and good but are they licensed by the state?

Also, some private schools still use corporal punishment, and will require you to sign a contract stating that they can arbitrarily administer this without contacting you first.--I had a big problem with this; any person can have a bad day and just take that out on your child.

Further, many "Christian" schools will not accept people of other denominations/faiths/or ambiguity of faith.

The private school that I found the most accepting, in my area, was the local Catholic school. It has state licensed teachers, didn't care that I was not Catholic (many of their students aren't of that faith), DID NOT USE CORPORAL PUNISHMENT in any form, had a great student/teacher ratio, and a high academic standard.

Answer 2

It depends on the emphasis of religon in the school. With some private schools, you can't even tell the difference between private and public except for the usual examples of uniforms, smaller classes, more tutoring, more extracurriculars & more parent/teacher involvement. However, some Christian ones want a child to take a class on the Bible every year, go to worship services with other students at the church that sponsors the school, many pray in class and/or at meals, stricter punishment based on the morals of the denomination (Catholic, Mormon, Methodist Baptist, etc), and some other things that some people just don't agree with. Also, the cost of many private schools, no matter how old your child is, is very expensive. Many offer scholarships, but usually only to select few students who come from famiies with a low or fixed income. Others also offer aid to those with academic, athletic, and artistic talent. Private schooling is a great idea if you're willing to truely put the effort into your child's education. Many private schools expect parents to help out either in donations and/or time periodically. However, sending a child to a Christian school without having a strong Christian faith yourself or not wanting to build upon your Christian background is a recipe for disaster. Your child will come home full of life wanting to talk about how God loves them, and you won't know what to do because religion isn't your life, it's theirs. Don't let that happen. I do praise privae school, because I went to public school and barely survived. But in a way, public also exposes children to the dangers of the world a lot more, and gets them more a taste of the real world a lot more than a secluded religious private school would. I give you all the information I can, but only you can make the decision that will change you child's life forever.

Answer 3

I dont think it's hypocritical.
If it's for the quality of the education, that is a good reason.
The quality of the education is more important than the religion.

Not all Christian schools are heavily religious. If it's a Catholic school, for instance, it's probably fine. I would only be woried if it was a real nutcase evangelical school.

Do some reason beforehand and see how much of a role religion plays in the school's policies.

Also, just because you are agnostic does not mean your child needs to be. However, even if your child is agnostic, I dont think going to a religious school would be too much of a huge deal. They can't FORCE him to accept Jesus into his life or anything. He still has freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Answer 4

As long as you don't have a problem with your child learning about Christianity, that shouldn't be a problem.

She may be required to attend services and such at the school. She will most likely have classes in religion. If you don't have a problem with this, or with your child possibly adopting the Christian faith as a result of her study, then fine.

Answer 5

no longer inevitably. you may delight in the variations of others with out believing interior of a similar element. we've Catholic faculties in my section the position about 30% of the students at the prompt are not Catholic and that i understand atheists (and those of different religions, which include Muslim and Jewish) who attend, the college doesn't have a difficulty with that and they knew in develop of the priority. those faculties do not ask the father and mom and scholars to signal a fact of religion as some college would. They do assume them to help the college, purely as they'd the different deepest college. the students typically ought to attend amenities on the colleges i study, as do all different non-Catholic students, yet they check out it as a studying experience. i'm advantageous the college hopes that the non-Catholic students would see the way, yet in the experience that they settle for non-Catholic students, they have a tendency now to not be pushy. a minimum of the colleges i understand. we are thinking a Catholic severe college for my son, we are no longer Catholic, even though it is an mind-blowing college, and it is close by, and many youthful ones from his non-non secular deepest ok - 8 attend there for top college. In my section, the properly Catholic faculties with a larger percentage of non-Catholic students tend to be more suitable severe priced than Catholic faculties with a decrease percentage of non-Catholic students. yet they're nonetheless a lot less severe priced than similar properly non-non secular deepest faculties.

Answer 6

Are you going to let your child make the decision themself, whether to be a believer or not? If so then they will get to hear both sides that way. I would'nt push my own beliefs on my child.

Answer 7

I see no harm in it.