Why do some Christians automatically think that I am immoral for not subscribing to their beliefs?

Question

I asked a question moments ago stating in the details that I believe in evolution (and am an atheist) but had considered sending my children to Christian school because my boyfriend is Christian and they may offer a better education. (Note: I said 'considered'.)

I received this response:

'They do let people know what nonsense is out there. I'm sure schools of all sorts do.

You know your boss didn't handle Himself well maybe but I would listen to him. Don't send your kid to a Christian school if they are not being taught at home. The others will suffer.

Christian schools have strict guidelines. They memorize verses (I'm sure to your horror) they have chapel, and focus around why we do things and not other things. It is a cleaner environment You will not here the f word and cuss words. If you curse at home and your kid is exposed to all kinds of junk there will be nothing of interest for them there.'

I'm not sure why this person automatically assumed that I would use foul language in front on my children just because I am an atheist. I guess this all goes back to the ol' "you can have morals without religion" debate...

*Ugh*

Answer 1

Regretably some Christians are small minded and believe that anybody who does not follow is automatically guilty of the worst behaviour, thus bringing disrepute on the majority. The saem applies to whatver you follow.

Perhaps you should also consider that you are may send your children to that school for the wrong reason. IE its a good school, but you should only send them to it if you want them to have a Christian education and not for how good it is.

You thus risk having all your family against you on belief grounds and not just your boyfriend on occasion. The children will also expect you to be supportive and knowledgeable about what they do at school. You seem to disqualify yourself in that and saying ask Daddy all the time is hardly likely to gain repect in their eyes, n'est-ce pas?

The hardest job in the world is to raise children who are well balanced. You have a unique opprtunity for that. Not weighting the scales against you would seem wise.

Answer 2

Some people are just ignorant. I heard a pastor say that people who skinny dip in natural hot springs and smoke grass don't have any morals. God created both the human body and the grass. How would he know what morals this person has if he never bothered to ask?

This could be a sign from God that you shouldn't take your kids there because of all the ignorant people they will be stuck with. Or maybe it's a sign that this school could use some kids who could educate them about atheism. Poor kids are so young they will believe anything, they shouldn't have to think about religion until they are much older.

I thought when I was kicked out of my church, I would live in the gutter but now I have more reason to be a righteous person; because it seems right to me and I want to be while I don't have to. It's who I am. Maybe it's like that for you.

Answer 3

I know I'll get a bunch of thumbs down but oh well here goes:

I think the answerer was just giving you an example. I don't think s/he assumed anything ... the sentence did start of with "if". I think they were trying to tell you that Christianity is incorporated into the daily lessons of the student, and kids always bring that stuff home. If that kind of thing bothers you, I wouldn't even consider taking the child to a Christian school.

I think perhaps you've read more into it than was intended. The answerer made no assumption that you are immoral at all, but you assumed that's what s/he was thinking.

For myself, the fact that you'd even consider it shows that morality is also important to you and your family.

Answer 4

While I agree that to some extent your children may become confused with what they receive at home versus what they receive at school, it would be in their best interest to attend whatever school can give them the best educational leg up. As a Christian, I would find it hard to send my child to a christian school because so many denominations are so varied in belief that is is almost impossible to find a happy medium. I think If it were to come to a choice outside of public school, I would probably homeschool. That way I could insure that the moral standards I hold, be they of Christian nature or simply societal mores, would be best reflected to my child.

Answer 5

Some people are just too quick to judge. They have ideas of groups of people when they really don't know. I am a Christian, and it's kind of painful to see how some Christians react to people of other religious beliefs. No one truly knows if God is existant, and if so which religion is the most correct. All we can do is study the theories and just go with what we feel is right. For me, I agree the most with Christianity. I believe that there is a God and He is good. People should respect other people's religious views since we don't know for sure. If for you, you don't believe in God that is your right. It doesn't make you a bad person it is just what you happen to believe. As for enrolling your children in a Christian school, if you don't want your children to grow up as a Christian, I wouldn't do it. However, if you don't mind the possibility and likelihood of them becoming Christian, and you feel it would be good for their education...then go for it.

But...I guess the thing to remember is that it's not just religious people who can be judgemental about religions...it's some atheists too..everyone should just lighten up.

Good luck. =]

Answer 6

you be conscious, the disconnect between Christians and atheists the following is that Christians are raised on custom. They comprehend God via issues the church made up later, and from memories heavily extracted from the Bible. at the same time as they do study the Bible, they look over the blatantly immoral aspects, because the cognitive dissonance it would want to reason them is so extreme that their brains do not even hassle. they don't actually trust in hell, even those that say they do, because they numb themselves to what it would want to easily be like (the very undeniable truth that toddlers won't be able to attempt this makes me ask your self if practise the hellfire doctrine to human beings less than the age of 18 should be considered infant abuse). they don't idolize a God who adores those issues because the God they idolize by no skill did any of that; theirs is a God made from noticeably hymns, readings from the Gospels, and the feeling of sacredness you get in a pretty church construction. They study questions like those and are at a loss for words and disturbed by technique of those accusations. Atheists see issues in yet otherwise in basic terms because their minds are more suitable open (on the topic of religion, a minimum of--i do not mean to intend atheists are oftentimes more suitable open-minded, because they easily are not). Then they get disgusted with what they study and accuse Christians of being evil. What they are not expertise is in case you replaced a number of the names and gave Christians pick Bible passages and instructed them it become from the Quran, they could say "Wow, Muslims particular are evil!" and then you may want to provide them a similar passages from the Bible and they would not even squirm uncomfortably, because the cognitive dissonance avoidance mechanism takes over ("properly it really is diverse, it really is the actual God, no longer a pretend Muslim god"--they do no longer help the moves yet they help the actor, which leads them to downplay the atrocity of the moves to ward off cognitive dissonance). To someone like me status outdoors of the finished debate that is all very obvious and intensely problematical.

Answer 7

Hunny, PLEASE do not think that MOST (i noted that you said "some" in your question) christians think that way. now, i will say that it's true that they will have a religion class, go to meeting (chapel, whatever)...that may be something you want to consider, IF you don't want your child exposed to that; and i'm not automatically assuming that you don't, please don't misunderstand...i went to a catholic high school, out of necessity, just like your child, because the public school SUCKED, much to my baptist fundie mother's dismay...LOL!
my point is i was exposed and "had" to learn about catholic doctrines, go to mass, had nuns and brothers for teachers, etc., but i didn't convert...
you just got some ignorant answers, and i'm sorry about that.

Answer 8

I don't think all those that are not Christians are immoral. But I tend to break the mold quite often. Sorry you feel this way towards Christians. Don't let the "Bible-thumpers" in here be all you judge Christians on, there are "good" ones out here too. Take heart.

Answer 9

A better question would be how could one have a sense of morality if they actually follow and understand what the Christian faith preaches and accepts.

It's a religion that represents the worst of a culture far inferior to our own in acting in a reasonable and civilized mannor.

Answer 10

Because they believe all morality and virtue come from their god. So if you don't believe in their god, you clearly aren't a moral, virtuous person. In other words, you're evil.
That kind of semi-illiterate, ignorant, hateful diatribe is pretty typical of evangelical Christians and their "peaceful, non-judgmental" religion.