JewsonFirst Article on Chrisitian influences/public schools

[lilwriter85]

The Friendly Atheist had an article from Jews on First about how Jewish students in the South have had and continue to deal with Christian classmates who sometimes to try convert them and they are sometimes harassed or bullied. The article is a bit long.

http://www.jewsonfirst.org/12a/Schools1.aspx

[debrand]

Thank you for the article. I enjoyed reading it. Christian youths are often pressured by their pastors and parents to win converts to Christ. Adults frighten them the kids they will be personally responsible if their friends end up being tortured for an eternity. It doesn't surprise me that there are evangelical efforts in public school. Some parents don't homeschool because they want their children to have an opportunity to evangelize other kids. It is offensive but it is made worse when the adults turn a blind eye or actively take part in the evangelism.

[Emme]

Ugh. It irks me when people do that, but I'm not at all surprised. I know people who are seriously worried for my soul because I'm a Jew. Oy vey!

[lilwriter85]

Thank you for the article. I enjoyed reading it. Christian youths are often pressured by their pastors and parents to win converts to Christ. Adults frighten them the kids they will be personally responsible if their friends end up being tortured for an eternity. It doesn't surprise me that there are evangelical efforts in public school. Some parents don't homeschool because they want their children to have an opportunity to evangelize other kids. It is offensive but it is made worse when the adults turn a blind eye or actively take part in the evangelism.

The evangelical efforts in public schools also don't surprise me. Some of the things in this article didn't surprise such as the horns comments and the part where one man said that the Christian majority in some areas think they can do whatever they want. The recent Kountze, Texas banner controversy is evidence of that.

[pixydust]

Ugh. It irks me when people do that, but I'm not at all surprised. I know people who are seriously worried for my soul because I'm a Jew. Oy vey!

My mother-in-law sometimes cries because my Jewish kids are going to hell. I'm pretty sure that's after she tokes up.

[Emme]

My mother-in-law sometimes cries because my Jewish kids are going to hell. I'm pretty sure that's after she tokes up.

oh man. That is rough! Also, your MIL smokes weed? GASP. What would Jesus say?

[flojo]

Thank you for the article. I enjoyed reading it. Christian youths are often pressured by their pastors and parents to win converts to Christ. Adults frighten them the kids they will be personally responsible if their friends end up being tortured for an eternity. It doesn't surprise me that there are evangelical efforts in public school. Some parents don't homeschool because they want their children to have an opportunity to evangelize other kids. It is offensive but it is made worse when the adults turn a blind eye or actively take part in the evangelism.

This. I used to feel so guilty, and like the worst person ever, if I was not constantly doing somehting to try and convert people.

[Emme]

This. I used to feel so guilty, and like the worst person ever, if I was not constantly doing somehting to try and convert people.

Awwww, that's rough. Idk, personally, my favorite Christians are those who DON'T try to convert people..

I forget what show I was watching, but it involved a tiny child giving a prayer card to a random woman at a bowling alley. and she wanted to be a pedicurist so she could spread the word of Jesus.

[MonkeyMomma]

Awwww, that's rough. Idk, personally, my favorite Christians are those who DON'T try to convert people..

I forget what show I was watching, but it involved a tiny child giving a prayer card to a random woman at a bowling alley. and she wanted to be a pedicurist so she could spread the word of Jesus.

Wait, I know I've seen that too ... Jesus Camp?

[Emme]

Wait, I know I've seen that too ... Jesus Camp?

YES!!! Thank you. That movie was so scary.

[Cannelle]

Great article. Thank you for posting this- a LOT of this happens around here (in TN. Our school district had an ACLU lawsuit against it specifically because there's so much religion preached in the public schools. Being a religious minority or non-religious is very, very difficult down here, and even though the schools were reprimanded, nothing really changed. SO frustrating).

[SisiL78]

I recall singing Xmas songs in Public school and they'd throw in the Dreidl song in order to be "inclusive". This was at a school that was 30 percent Jewish too. I can't imagine the stuff that happens when Jews are a tiny minority. There were also quite a few Hindu kids, a few secular (non practicing from what I recall) Muslim kids, and a bunch of kids that were Aethiest or Agnostic.

After a choir performance where I sung quite a few Jeebus based songs my MOm's reaction (she's a musician) is that these songs didn't even have any musical worth (the excuse used to sing the Xmas songs was that they were sung for their value as music, not as Xmas songs or some such nonsense). Meanwhile if they wanted "Winter" songs there are so many great songs that kids could sing that are wintery and areligious. Whatever.

Speaking of Jesus Camp. I want to see the followup with that little girl when she reaches her teenage years. I hope she realizes what a d-bag her parents were trying to raise and she totally rebels.I sincerely hope this kid gets a nose ring, dyes her hair purple and goes off to major in Women's studies at some East Coast college. She'll probably be much happier than as a Pedicurist for Jesus.

[pixydust]

oh man. That is rough! Also, your MIL smokes weed? GASP. What would Jesus say?

She is a handful! Yes, she smokes weed. My husband said that she looked in the Bible for something to justify it, and came up with something (I think it's probably the one in the OT about all the plants being for the use of people or something). Honestly, I don't care if my MIL smokes, but it bothers me that she is actively breaking laws (growing, purchasing, and smoking it) and turns around and judges me for not believing in Jesus (and in her crazy ways.....Jesus was on her roof one day!) and bad mouths me to people for it!

[Cannelle]

After a choir performance where I sung quite a few Jeebus based songs my MOm's reaction (she's a musician) is that these songs didn't even have any musical worth (the excuse used to sing the Xmas songs was that they were sung for their value as music, not as Xmas songs or some such nonsense). Meanwhile if they wanted "Winter" songs there are so many great songs that kids could sing that are wintery and areligious. Whatever.

My friend complained to her daughter's chorus instructor when 100% of the choral songs at their concert were religious, and got this answer: "There just aren't any non-religious choral songs!" Because apparently the teacher has never heard of the internet, or can't be arsed to look, or really just wants to push her religion on the kids under the guise of art. Maybe all three.

[slh12280]

She is a handful! Yes, she smokes weed. My husband said that she looked in the Bible for something to justify it, and came up with something (I think it's probably the one in the OT about all the plants being for the use of people or something). Honestly, I don't care if my MIL smokes, but it bothers me that she is actively breaking laws (growing, purchasing, and smoking it) and turns around and judges me for not believing in Jesus (and in her crazy ways.....Jesus was on her roof one day!) and bad mouths me to people for it!

I find this so amusing. Getting high for Jesus!

[Emme]

She is a handful! Yes, she smokes weed. My husband said that she looked in the Bible for something to justify it, and came up with something (I think it's probably the one in the OT about all the plants being for the use of people or something). Honestly, I don't care if my MIL smokes, but it bothers me that she is actively breaking laws (growing, purchasing, and smoking it) and turns around and judges me for not believing in Jesus (and in her crazy ways.....Jesus was on her roof one day!) and bad mouths me to people for it!

Oy vey, that is super hypocritical of her. You don't get to grow, buy, and smoke weed and then turn around and judge others!!! Pretty sure Jesus said judge not lest ye be judged....

Also, Jesus was on her roof? She sounds like a trip.

[FJSharkJump]

Pedicurist for Jesus

This should be one of the post count titles. :lol:

[ElphabaGalinda]

I recall singing Xmas songs in Public school and they'd throw in the Dreidl song in order to be "inclusive". This was at a school that was 30 percent Jewish too. I can't imagine the stuff that happens when Jews are a tiny minority. There were also quite a few Hindu kids, a few secular (non practicing from what I recall) Muslim kids, and a bunch of kids that were Aethiest or Agnostic.

After a choir performance where I sung quite a few Jeebus based songs my MOm's reaction (she's a musician) is that these songs didn't even have any musical worth (the excuse used to sing the Xmas songs was that they were sung for their value as music, not as Xmas songs or some such nonsense). Meanwhile if they wanted "Winter" songs there are so many great songs that kids could sing that are wintery and areligious. Whatever.

Speaking of Jesus Camp. I want to see the followup with that little girl when she reaches her teenage years. I hope she realizes what a d-bag her parents were trying to raise and she totally rebels.I sincerely hope this kid gets a nose ring, dyes her hair purple and goes off to major in Women's studies at some East Coast college. She'll probably be much happier than as a Pedicurist for Jesus.

Sounds exactly like my choir experience, and the school was 30% Jewish too. What bothered me was they assumed we'd know all the Jesusy Christmas songs, so they didn't teach them like the other songs. But i had never heard of any of them before. Fortunately there were lots of Buddhist and Muslim and other Jewish kids in choir too, who were just as confused. Hannukah is such a minor holiday that it bugs me a dreidel song counts as being diverse. We sang a few winter songs, but they were mostly jesusy, and it made me really uncomfortable. The only other alternative was not taking part in the performance, and that wasn't fair. No one ever tried to convert me, probably because in Canada that's so rare to begin with, and although there was a Christian club, there was a Jewish club and Muslim club and a lot of clubs centered around specific countries. So Christianity was very much considered the norm or the default, which is why no one thought it was a big deal to sing Jesus songs or do arts adn crafts related to Christmas and Easter and never acknowledging major holidays from other religions (and Hannukah is not a major holiday).

[sparkles]

When I was a kid prayer was still allowed in school (and every assembly began with the Lord's Prayer) so it was no surprise that we had a CHRISTMAS concert that featured only Jesus-y songs, despite the fact that our school was nearly 50% Jewish (suburban NY). In one class, we were also assigned--yes, assigned as part of homework--to bring in ornaments for the classroom's Christmas tree. My mother just about had a fit and gave me a menorah to bring instead. The teacher was not amused, especially after my mother paid her a visit. But the menorah went up.

Thankfully, by the time my daughter was in school (mid-90s) in a very ethnically and religiously diverse district in NYC, the Christmas concert had morphed into the Winter concert and nary a Jesus-y song was to be heard, nor any other religious tune for that matter. Although after hearing Go Tell Aunt Rhody screeched out on recorder and Suzuki violin year after year, even the most fundie song would have been a welcome change.

I don't think I could have lasted as a non-Christian in the Bible Belt without, um... belting someone.

[GeoBQn]

My dad went to a public school that was 90% Jewish and they still only sang Christmas carols at the winter concert. My grandmother went with a group of parents to storm the principal's office in protest.

The only incident that I can remember when I was in school was when I was in elementary school music class and I refused to sing a song from our textbook because I read ahead and saw it was about Mary and Jesus. The music teacher called my mom after school. I'm not sure what she thought was going to come out of that conversation, but my mom sided with me and asked why she had been teaching a song about Jesus in the first place.