YMCA and Christian values

[wtylcf]

just chiming in to say the Vancouver downtown YMCA, when I was a member, was as liberal as was imaginable - if they'd explicitly espoused Christian principles they would probably have had problems existing in gay-friendly super-multicultural Vancouver.

[shaylahc]

I think it depends on where you live. I lived in NC for 14 years and attended YMCAs in 2 different cities (Charlotte and Raleigh) and they most definitely did pray and treat their patrons like they were Christians (even though they say they welcome people of all faiths). My kids attended swimming lessons and camps there, and prayer was part of each activity. Since we are atheists, we just told the children to be respectful, but that they did not have to pray.

I have heard from others that their YMCA is more secular, so I'm guessing it's a regional thing based on what the community will tolerate (we lived in Charlotte for 6 years and never have we been hounded by religious folks as much as we were when we lived there. Even at the school they were spewing religion, it was downright creepy).

[alba]

I used to work at a YMCA in Ontario and it was big on multiculturalism. The only mention of religion was in its mission statement that said something along the lines of "No discrimination on the basis of age, gender, race, creed, disability, [probably something else I've forgotten]". I remember that because I first saw it when I was 8 or 9 and had to ask my mum what "creed" meant.

[longskirtlotsakids]

Our YMCA is a family friendly gym ( or leisure centre for youse oer the watwr thete) and nothing more. We have a few Hindu and Muslim families. Our focuses on vuilding a healthy community through individual health. I love ours.

[Arete]

I just went through the website of the YMCA I currently go to with a fine tooth comb. I can find no rightward shift toward overt Christianization in the web presence. shaylahc brings up a point that their ability to start shoving Christian religious practice into their community services probably depends a lot on the area of the country.

[2xx1xy1JD]

just chiming in to say the Vancouver downtown YMCA, when I was a member, was as liberal as was imaginable - if they'd explicitly espoused Christian principles they would probably have had problems existing in gay-friendly super-multicultural Vancouver.

That would describe my old YMCA. It was a fantastic place, with an awesome Family Development Centre that became our second home. No hint of religion, many gay members, about the most multicultural place you'll ever see, open to all socio-economic levels. The daycare was pretty good about religious dietary restrictions (my daughter was the only Jewish kid, but there were Hindu and Muslim kids on the vegetarian and no-pork lists). The place would have emptied out fast if they embraced an overtly Christian agenda.

[ThatSnark]

North Carolinian here. I had a mom-friend pull her kids out of their very affordable & high quality summer program (mom works and needs summer care for kids out of school) because their advertising neglected to mention the very Christian element of the camp: prayers as they gather, earning beads for memorizing Bible verses, skits at the end of the week on Bible stories-- way, way more Christian content than I can remember from my days there. I remember it being very character-oriented, but not with specific Christian or Biblical instruction.

My friend is Jewish and really did not appreciate the Y's assumption that as a mainstream person, she naturally wanted her kids in a Christian program. The letter she got back with her refund said as much. *hmph*

[docmom]

I guess it really does matter where you live. Our Y is a Y. All the programs are completely secular. My kids go to camp with their Jewish, Muslim and atheist friends. Not a bible anywhere to be seen.

[Jana814]

North Carolinian here. I had a mom-friend pull her kids out of their very affordable & high quality summer program (mom works and needs summer care for kids out of school) because their advertising neglected to mention the very Christian element of the camp: prayers as they gather, earning beads for memorizing Bible verses, skits at the end of the week on Bible stories-- way, way more Christian content than I can remember from my days there. I remember it being very character-oriented, but not with specific Christian or Biblical instruction.

My friend is Jewish and really did not appreciate the Y's assumption that as a mainstream person, she naturally wanted her kids in a Christian program. The letter she got back with her refund said as much. *hmph*

That's horrible!! I'm Jewish & if I had kids & this happened to them I would be pissed! The only YMCA in my area is not affiliated w/ any religion, in fact it's in a mostly Jewish town!

[Cannelle]

The YMCA is Tennessee is explicitly Christian:

http://www.ymcamidtn.org/about/who-we-are

Yup. We don't belong, but I have a friend who used to teach at the one in our suburb and apparently they're quite nuts. I guess you can't say "namaste" in a yoga class (because that would be inviting Satan in or something), someone complained when she played a song that contained the line "You're so damn beautiful," stuff like that. Because Jesus gets rull, rull pissed at your workout music, and he'd also like you to pretend that yoga is about worshipping him. Or something. We don't belong because we can't afford it, but from the crap I've heard (and about how awful some of the women that go there are), I don't think I'd want to join anyway.

[Nickery]

I live in Texas. My Y has members of all faiths but it's definitely Christian- bible in the lobby, bible studies and a few classes that use Christian music. My kids, to my knowledge, have never been exposed to anything Christian and none of the staff have ever talked about God to me. I guess it depends on the director.

[Feberin]

We're members and my son goes to their preschool. We love it and there is not even a trace of religion.