Kids’ celebrations, that is. This poll can’t wait till December. Vote!
It is very common for people of all religious persuasions to Christmas.
“Extra time and lose privileges?” I’m not even sure what that means.
I voted for this one, I’m hoping he’ll tell the kids and then when they whine he’ll shout out,
“I AM AN F B I AGENT!”
I voted the “Of course” option but only for my kid. Remove that “We”
When my son was in fourth grade he wanted to join the kids’ choir at the local Episcopal church because a friend was. We (and he) are atheists (or at least agnostic), but we told him of course he could join, if he wanted to and wouldn’t shirk.
And related short story:
The kids always sang at and otherwise were involved in the Palm Sunday service. As a very good reader, he was selected to read a longish Bible passage at the service.
A priest, being aware of our non-belief, contacted us to make sure this was OK. We told him it was fine. He then explained that we might not be familiar with the Bible they used. I told him, I might be a heathen pagan, but I was an educated heathen pagan and was very familiar with the King James Bible.
Then we both laughed.
It really depends. I’d let an eight year old kid go to a Christmas service. I wouldn’t let them go to a faith-healing, especially not as a guest of a “believing” family and without myself. And I might let a 15 year old go to a faith-healing, but I might not. It would depend on the kid.
I also wouldn’t send a kid in elementary school to a VBS run by young-earth creationists, or anything along those lines, though I wouldn’t object to attending a random service. Again, if an older kid wanted to join a youth group associated with such a church, perhaps. But not a kid under 12.
My son is 15 and while we are nominally Catholic, he has friends who are Muslim, Jewish, Hindu as well as various Christian denominations. I am happy for him to attend celebrations with any of them.
If he was younger, say under 12 or so, I would probably let him depending on the family or I would go with him.
Yeah.
Many City Halls in my area give red silk bandannas embroidered with their names to that year’s infant children, on the occasion of the local Fiestas. These have both a religious and civil side; Muslims do not pick up the bandannas because of the religious part. They’ve got no problem bringing their kids to watch the Three Kings’ Parade on the Eve of the Epiphany, though - and from many Christians’ (practicing or nominal) point of view, this is as fine as the lamb from the local halal butcher. The best Christmas Dinner I ever attended was prepared by the three Hindus in my team, who invited the rest of us; that includes the Jew, who had zero problems attending; OTOH our research advisor called asking where the hell were we and was threatened with calling his mother (he was a nominal Catholic).
When I was a young teenager a friend took me to her youth church. They were lying on the floor crying, preaching foul hatred, all out of their minds. It was pretty nasty and terrifying. Then the preacher-guy said that there was someone in our midst today who still needed to accept Jesus etc etc, and they should come forward. People were sneaking looks at me. HELL NO! I quietly trembled among the absolute INSANOS. It was like standing in a pit of T-rexes and trying not to move so they wouldn’t see me and devour me.
Well, a teenager I would allow to go to something like that, but we’d talk before so I could reassure them that they don’t need to feel pressured and if they don’t feel safe (I really, honestly did not feel safe) they can walk out. I would not allow a child to go to something like that. They said despicable things. My parents had had no idea such things existed, they thought “church” meant some gentle CofE.
Nice family celebrations and things that I know are safe and don’t preach hate are fine. Even things that contradict what I teach, I’ll correct it when they come home. The kids I used to work with would come home with all kinds of crap from “tampons are for whores” to “gay = evil” and we’d talk it all through and conclude the opposite again, until the next time the bloody Evangelicals got their paws on them to brainwash them again. My brainwashing was more effective and backed with love, I win.
tl;dr: I’m not worried about them corrupting the innocent, as long as it’s safe.
We have too many friends from too many backgrounds now that I cannot keep my calendar straight. Somebody is observing something almost every day of the year. Why wouldn’t I let my kids participate?
Oddest poll choices I’ve ever read.
My kids are welcome to go to a friends house and enjoy the celebration. We are Jewish and I encouraged them to go and help decorate a tree. Go to Christmas or Easter mass to observe if invited and behave in the polite manner standing when you should so on (but not taking communion). And their friends are welcome to come over for Pasover Seder, for example.
I am not thrilled about a religious inspired celebration in public school. That’s not “can.” And no in our home we are not going to celebrate another religion’s religious holiday. Learn about it sure.
It depends on the activity and the group. I would never let her go alone though.