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1) It opened up a conversation between your child and you about religious beliefs they every child will eventually encounter and however unexpected or inconvenient the timing was it's still a chance you may have missed, the child was probably ready for and that a child probably benefited from by having the opportunity to hear the parents beliefs and share their own feelings. 2) The event the children were invited to outside of school was not an event designed to trick them or cheat them in any way. I was an event that a large number of people believe to be a good avenue toward a happier, less lonely and more meaningful way to go about life. It was not an event that is even designed to make money. Most of they people who run such events do it voluntarily out of intent to do good in the lives of those who attend. 3.) Even if a child goes to one of these events they are not forced into anything. They may be asked if they wan to ask Jesus into their life, probably not one on one, definitely not without the choice to decide for themselves what they want and definitely not without YOU the parent knowing they would be in this environment before the question was posed to them. 4) These officials didn't invite the performers to their school with out considering their affiliations and they didn't do it with ill intent for your child. They did it because they thought their student body as a whole would benefit from it. 5) If more non-Christian based groups were out their to promote these character building ideas the performers who the school officials found to promote these positive attitudes and entertain the student body may have been a non-Christian group, maybe even one that shares the exact same views as you. Why knock them for being one of the few out their trying to help promote the basic positive characteristics to young people?6) Ultimately the flyers the children brought home were not advertising all the Christian beliefs or infecting the children with anything other than possible curiosity. They were invitations with intend to being something good into your child’s life. Invitations which you, the parent, have the choice to allow the children to accept and attend or to not accept and not be party to beliefs you the parent don't totally agree with and don’t feel will benefit the child as the inviters do.
Furthermore, I do feel for the autistic child and family that had a difficult discussion due to the assembly. I was not there, but can see that being invited to a Christian function at school by an organization brought into the school by school officials could be a reason for frustration in non-Christian families. Having to explaining beliefs to a child may not have been how you needed to spend that particular day or a very pleasant way to have those type of conversations come up with a child. I only ask that before you condemn the school officials or the Christians who invited the children to other event that you consider a few things.
So, here's my 2 cents….Why so upset that they had an assembly that featured a Christian group? We live in a nation where Christianity is the most prevalent Religion. Pull out a bill from you wallet; it has "In God We Trust" on it. This county was founding on the very beliefs that Christianity conveys. One of which is the very freedom to choose. It teaches that God gave us the choice to believe or to not or to believe in other faiths. Most of the people in the world do practice religion (about 84%) and most of them have chosen Christianity. About 33% of the world’s population is Christian and surveys show that 79% of Americans believe in God, How could you expect it to never show up? In my mind the better argument would be why are "other beliefs" not more prevalent in organizations that are trying to teach "good character" or "healthy lifestyles"? If you’re not a Christian you are free to believe whatever you want and most Christians who understand the scripture will not condemn you for it. They will of course hope that you become "saved" as they believe in their heart that it is a true salvation. They wish it on you because they wish you to not go to hell because that is how they see it and they wish you to have a better outcome than that. Not even that you are bad. They believe that we are all sinners and the salvation comes from asking for forgiveness. Most are wishing it for you out of goodness, not to corrupt you or get you to by them a car. It is true that some religious people are corrupt or misguided, even misinformed, but unfortunate as that is you should not judge all other religious activity other than your own personal beliefs as an assault on your beliefs and life choices. I think this holds especially true for the one that is most prevalent in your country, the majority of this planet and the one that is most commonly found behind groups of people that are dedicated to promoting kindness, fact based positive behavior and coming to the aid of those in need.
Last week I sat in a waiting room while my wife had knee surgery and listened to a lady visiting from Chicago brag to her family about how "she had a blog". She never said what it was about, but the tone and body language clearly suggested that the wanted to show off the fact the she had this blog as if it were a really cool thing to do to her family she apparently didn't see or talk to them very much and was telling them all about her life and brought up her blog several times. It stuck me as a silly thing to have a "blog". I personally don't have time to just go on-line to share my 2 cents; let alone create and keep up with a forum to carry on such activity. What's the point? Who has time for such futile undertakings? I can hardly find time to read regularly and keep up with exercise.
Today I'm doing research on a small activity center I aspire to reopen in my community and that's how I found this article/blog. The activity center is a mini skate-park that will be the very thing that this article and many of the complaints are about. Bringing young people into an environment that fosters a love of Christ, allows them an additional avenue to seek adult council and find friends that are involved in constructive and healthy activities. I wish to do this because I ride and I see are these children running around with out a place to ride and because I believe that they will benefit greatly from this type of environment whether the be "saved" thru it or not.
I'm not a Christian that grew up in a church. I've spent an evenings in my early adulthood arguing fearsomely with a small bible study group a friend invited me to about God, defending that he's not for me and feeling very similar to way some of you probably feel about people trying to "save" you or you children. I'm also good friends with many nonreligious people and people of other faiths such as Muslim and Jewish. This will be the first time I've submitted anything to a blog and do so because I think I've come to understand a little bit about why they are important. They are a little voice. "Your" little voice, good, bad, wrong or right to be heard by whoever what's to read it. That is a great thing in my opinion. Anyone could happen on your thoughts and opinions and be moved positively or negatively by it and that's a freedom and a cornerstone belief that makes the world a better place. It's a privilege that we Americans probably take for granted most of the time. It really seems like they just like to go on them an complain, but we are still fortunate to have the choices to do so. We are fortunate to have a medium where everyday Joe's can have a small voice that has potential to help the world. I pray that all you bloggers out there appreciate it and are blogging with good intentions.
