OnTheBrink Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 If 'indoctrinate' means 'teach', then I'm quite happy for my children to be taught about religions and to choose one to follow if they wish. I'm at the atheist end of agnostic, but the boys go to a Christian school. If they wanted to choose a religion, that would be fine with me. My only reservations would come if they chose a religion which caused them to vilify those who did not agree with them. Laura No, I mean "teach as if it's the only right way to think." I prefer to "indoctrinate" my daughter with my personal beliefs and the beliefs of my church. I believe as a Christian it's my duty to teach dd the ways of the Lord. If she rejects, that's on her shoulders, good or bad. I have no issue with teaching her about other beliefs and faiths, but I do take issue with a public entity instilling a certain world-view into her that's contrary to my own beliefs. And no matter what belief system you (general you, not you specifically) adhere to, all parents teach their children their belief system. You can't NOT teach it with every thing you do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Is not talking about God the same as being Godless? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 [quote name=Kathleen in VA;2346331 The plain fact is that a school system designed to accommodate all children will necessarily be godless and for a Christian' date=' that is not acceptable. It never has been acceptable - it's just that many folks are just now seeing that. Does that mean that schools trying to be inclusive by not talking about God are Godless? What do religious parents do if they simply can't hs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Does that mean that schools trying to be inclusive by not talking about God are Godless? What do religious parents do if they simply can't hs? Well, as Daisy said and which I have already stated I agree with, I believe in a sovereign God and I believe it is possible in that situation for parents to send their children to ps and teach their beliefs to their children at home. It is not ideal, but I've known families where this is the case and their children seem to be doing ok. It just requires extra diligence on the part of the parents. I would be very careful not use that as an excuse to send my children to ps and I would weigh the situation carefully if I found myself in a situation where I felt I had no other choice but to send my children to ps. It may be that I am not considering everything or I am not willing to sacrifice as much as I need to - everyone is at a different place in their walk with the Lord and it may just be a matter of time until a parent in this situation realizes that they must make more sacrifices than they were originally willing to make in order to homeschool. Hypotheticals are not all that helpful. Particular real-life situations are much better to discuss because they might actually present a situation that can be resolved after some digging and searching out. I think God provides us with general principles by which to guide our decisions and it is clear in Deuteronomy 6 that His will is for parents to guide their children's educations. However, when Daniel, Meschach, Shadrach and Abednigo were taken captive by the Babylonians and taught in their educational system, God showed grace and kept them safe. The same happened with Moses when he was taught by the Egyptians. God can provide the grace to withstand evil influences when they are not avoidable. But, as I said, I would be very slow to defer to the public schools and would consider every possible angle before I came to the conclusion that I had no other choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiCO Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Yes I have. Many athiests attend Unitarian Universalist churches and they look EXACTLY like the classic type church you may imagine with one big difference: all beliefs are discussed and respected. Just because they allow atheists to attend their church does not make them an atheist "church". I am an atheist, and I do not agree with the tenents of Unitarianism. I tried my local Unitarian church, because I like the concept of having a "church" community- but I couldn't handle their politics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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