I live among a lot of true believing Christian's and I try not to step on any toes. I'm quiet about my non-belief but today DS pretty much outed me.

I picked up DS and his friend from play-school today and walked in on a conversation between DS, his friend, and a teacher about Easter.

The teacher was saying "... because he was resurrected. He is alive again!"

DS was irritated by this and he said: "But he's dead! He was tortured by the Romans and he died!"

Teacher (trying to comfort him): "But he's alive again."

DS: "But my mom doesn't believe that! She said when you die, you're dead."

DS's friend (from a very religious family): "Well, I believe it!" (That Jesus was resurrected).

Teacher looked up at me. The shock was written all over her face. She quickly changed the subject and the boys got their backpacks and we left.

On the way to the car, I told DS that he is right. I don't believe that Jesus came back to life. When you die, you are dead and usually then, not even a Dr. can help you. Especially not after you've been dead for three days. I reminded him of the dead bird we found in the yard and the squashed slug on the playground.

I also told him that his teacher believes that Jesus was resurrected, and so do a lot of other people. They can believe what they want, just like we can believe what we want. I don't believe that a person can be dead for three days and then come back to life but that is just what I believe. When he's grown up, he can decide what he wants to believe.

I may be without a carpool after this (depending on how much the little friend tells his mom) but this was too important to me to just let slide.

I believe that it is harmful and dangerous to teach kids that Jesus was dead for three days but then came back to life.

a teacher of all people should keep their opinions to themselves! Or at least say "well, that's just what I believe" instead of stating is as fact.

In a play school of religious affiliation it would be expected that such beliefs are taught as fact.

If nothing else, your son just got an education in how the world has differing views and beliefs and one has to choose for oneself.

I would say very well done. I wish I had heard that conversation at his age.

I can't believe a teacher was teaching that to your child. I like that your son had no problem standing behind his beliefs.

A Sunday School teachers asked her students if they knew what the resurrection was and one little girl said this:

"Yes - and if it doesn't go away in four hours you have to see the doctor."

Unfair! Unfair! I had a mouthful of water when I read that and now I have a soggy computer.

? was this a Public School?

I don't understand your term Play School

Play school can mean pre-school, what is called Nursery and Reception in the UK or pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten in the USA, or similar programmes for children of around that age.

Its baby sitting and teaching children not to eat crayons and gives mom 2 hours a day to vacuum and checkout exhamster

Play-school is a form of nursery/daycare/preschool for (preschool-aged kids) in some countries but with trained teachers. Where I live, there are no purely "public" play-schools. They are largely state-funded but do have some church funding (Catholic or Protestant).

Yes, this allows them to teach religion. One church service/month and the typical near holiday "true" meaning-of indoctrination.

This is how it is and we live with it. It is no surprise to me that they teach some religion.

It is frustrating though that his teacher stated her opinion as a fact and not as a belief. Especially since they accept children from all faiths (they must because of the state funding). Not really a smart way to teach tolerance IMHO.

But, I stand by my opinion that teaching that a person can die and come back to life three days later to impressionable young children is harmful.

BI Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Play-school is a form of nursery/daycare/preschool
> for (preschool-aged kids) in some countries but
> with trained teachers. Where I live, there are no
> purely "public" play-schools. They are largely
> state-funded but do have some church funding
> (Catholic or Protestant).
>
> Yes, this allows them to teach religion. One
> church service/month and the typical near holiday
> "true" meaning-of indoctrination.
>
> This is how it is and we live with it. It is no
> surprise to me that they teach some religion.
>
> It is frustrating though that his teacher stated
> her opinion as a fact and not as a belief.
> Especially since they accept children from all
> faiths (they must because of the state funding).
> Not really a smart way to teach tolerance IMHO.
>
> But, I stand by my opinion that teaching that a
> person can die and come back to life three days
> later to impressionable young children is harmful.


Sounds like you know what's up...
You can't take what someone else offers you but refuse the strings that are attached to it.

You do have the option of funding your own day care, right?

At a play school with religious affiliation it would naturally be expected that a teacher would state beliefs about religion as fact.

Indeed. There are some children's pre-school programmes such as Head Start in at least certain parts of the USA which are government-run. However many play schools are privately-funded, of which many are of some particular religious affiliation, and it is not only allowed but also often expected that some teaching of religion will be part of the instruction for the kids. That would be a key purpose of sending a child to a religious pre-school.

Even when a religious school accepts children of different faiths, the school will still teach the doctrine of its affiliated religious denomination. Given that it is a religiously affiliated school, I don't think what the teacher said is out of line. I would consider what she said to be unacceptable in a public school.

I am still pissed off at a nanny we once had who hammered Jesus into my kids without my permission or knowledge

I taught in a Catholic elementary school and was told I didn't have to be Catholic but I couldn't teach anything that was against Catholic doctrine. When I would get asked by my students about afterlife things I would tell them, "I don't know." Sometimes they would push it and I'd say, "I don't know and neither does anyone else. It's just one of those things nobody can answer for you."

Even the Catholics have to admit they don't know the answers. They only believe in certain answers. I was happy to tell them what the Catholic church "taught" but I never admitted that I knew anything about those teachings. It never got me into trouble.

On the lighter side: One little girl asked me about the Garden of Eden and what went on there. I told her I didn't know and neither does anyone else. She got very angry and told me that I was a teacher and I should know everything. If only..... ; )

When it becomes difficult to engage in parental activities because of arguments over spooks, I have to wonder what kind of society I'm living in. We should be far beyond that.

Isn't that the truth, Don. And then to have the kids showing the way, while adults look on mortified.

Congrats to BI on her son - and to her for affirming his in class statements rather than telling him to lie and hide his feelings. Right on!

It is good to clarify that different people share different ideas about that (or any) religious belief and especially to let the son choose what he wants to believe. :-)

Unitarian kid tells her Baptist friend "My kitty died."

Baptist kid says "Well, your kitty is with Jesus now."

Unitarian kid asks "What does Jesus want with a dead kitty?"

which means that all christers are actually agnostics.

It's kind of terrible to live in a world where people look at you in shock for not believing in outrageous, impossible paranormal claims!