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I got a call from my daughter's school and I'm really not sure how to feel... (Am I just being paranoid?)
- Thread starter Inugami
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I wouldn't read too much into it. It's probably from some parent that got a secondhand account from their kid about your daughter being separated from everyone else for not participating in their Christmas event/singalong. Maybe they didn't want your daughter to feel left out? Yet, they also went a step too far with the Bible thing and sounds like they left it like an open door for your daughter to know about Jesus? Maybe they're being way too nosey. Maybe in their mind, they feel they are being nice this time of the season. Maybe it's backseat parenting from them. Maybe they're trying to convert your daughter. It's a whole lot of maybes.
Whatever the case, she got free Legos. I'd let it go.
Whatever the case, she got free Legos. I'd let it go.
Cute pictures, sometimes not in verse form
As an aside, I'd say it would be a mistake to never expose your children to the general contents of the Bible. I certainly felt at a disadvantage later as a teenager having to discuss literary works with no religious reference.
I'm Christian and that shit is weird as fuck. You are not paranoid. People need to respect ones beliefs.
I'll say this God be be my witness I'd feel some type of way OP. Mad weirdos out there.
I'll say this God be be my witness I'd feel some type of way OP. Mad weirdos out there.
Kind of how I feel.
Being handed the Bible is bullshit, but them removing your daughter from the class while they practiced Christmas stuff after she made it known y'all don't partake in that is probably fine.
But I agree that Christmas as it's largely celebrated today is so far removed from the religious aspects that I'd strongly consider letting your kids participate in it. It's just a really fun time for kids. There'll be time enough for them to make the more serious decisions concerning their beliefs later, but I imagine missing out on Christmas (or any other holiday) celebrations is a bit weird as a child.
Thats not cool OP I would definitely see if you can get the school to see if they'll look up the footage granted you and your children might not recognize the person dropping off the bag. It also could of been done by a third party maybe a church member of one of the classmates churches. Churches do toy drives this time a year and more than likely include kids bibles.
I'm willing to bet whoever did that to your kids is probably the most hypocritical assholes around especially around Christmas. I hope you get answers.
I'm willing to bet whoever did that to your kids is probably the most hypocritical assholes around especially around Christmas. I hope you get answers.
Highly unlikely that the school would allow this. That footage is generally "need to know", and while the act of giving the gifts might be lame... there isn't really any evidence that the OP needs that information for anything other than individual curiosity.
When you find out who dropped it off at the school, take all the pages out of the Bible, glue the Bible's cover to a copy of a random Richard Dawkins book and then go to their house and stick it through their letterbox with "Happy Holidays" scribbled on the front in flourescant marker.
Well if you wanna go into full paranoia mode then I'd suggest the school probbaly knows exactly which parent dropped it off and is lying to OP, which is why they called OP about the package and not the Police.
Feels like there's an uncomfortable amount of shaming op for not celebrating Christmas.
I honestly only take part in it myself because my family makes me and shoves it in my face constantly, I have to pretend to enjoy it.
Can't escape the Jesus shit around here, it's frustrating.
I honestly only take part in it myself because my family makes me and shoves it in my face constantly, I have to pretend to enjoy it.
Can't escape the Jesus shit around here, it's frustrating.
For all the people saying this is "no big deal", would you be saying that if OP were a Hindu?
A Muslim?
Jewish?
A Muslim?
Jewish?
Because playground politics don't respect the good intentions of parents.
Your kids will be known as the ones who don't celebrate Xmas, and be the ones who have to deal with the same questions year in year out until other kids stop caring to keep on about it.
There's a great South Park skit where Kyle asks for a Pokemon equivalent and his parents do basically what you're doing, and he points out what the reality of being a kid is.
Me: Atheist, 46, Kids 9 & 6.
Find out who sent them the Bible and go tell them to fuck themselves to their faces. That's actually what I would do if not worse. That's some creepy ass stalking obsessive bullshit those fuckers initiated. Put a line down in the sand to prevent further fuckery in the future.
As an atheist, I don't understand other atheists that don't celebrate Christmas. The holiday has been completely secularized. So, having a time of the year to give gifts and be around family should be something you should let your kids celebrate.
On a separate note, whoever sent that shit to your kids needs a talking to. But, you also gotta understand that Evangelical Christians believe they are doing good. It's in the Bible that you have to spread the Gospel, you have to try to "save souls" otherwise you're a bad Christian. They probably see themselves as in the right. That doesn't excuse them or prevent you from telling them to back the FUCK off. Still, that's likely where they are coming from. I know these kind of people, I grew up around them.
Well, if there is any loser out of this situation, its the OP's kids. When youre that young, the concepts of religion and how it relates to society is beyond most of them. My family was never religious and my participating in chorus and X-mas plays never made me consider Christianity. It was a group activity that was inclusive. At that age, all you want to do is fit in.
If it was OP's kids sole decision to announce that they could not p[articipate based on personal beliefs, that more power to them. But if its not, that is undue pressure to your kids to purposefully segregate themselves from activites that have been long secularized .
If it was OP's kids sole decision to announce that they could not p[articipate based on personal beliefs, that more power to them. But if its not, that is undue pressure to your kids to purposefully segregate themselves from activites that have been long secularized .
I know you're probably talking from an American (I think?) point, but as an Austrian atheist, I disagree.
I mean, I'm all about Christmas, it's fun, but here, the Christian Saint Nicholas brings gifts on the 6th of December (just some small stuff), and then, the main gift giving is on the 24th, when the Christkind, literally "the Christ child" brings them. That makes it much harder to divorce the whole thing from religion, IMO, and I'd absolutely understand if someone didn't want their children involved. It's literally Jesus bringing the gifts.
This. Jesus. People talking about surveillance footage like some major crime occurred.
And for God's sake, Santa Claus is secular. Let your kids enjoy that version of the holiday. It's not real shocking someone felt sorry for them.
Well, that's weird. Yeah, American Christman is just Santa Claus and reindeers delivering gifts the night before Christmas.
Who is it then?
Man, if anyone tries to give a child religious material against the parent's wishes, be it a bible, a quran, whatever, that person deserves to be called out and stopped from pulling that shit again.
Let me send anonymous qurans to loads of Christian kids, see what happens.
I mean, if you think about Christmas, it's less weird than Santa, as a concept. Christ is born, christ brings gifts. But absolutely understandable that it sounds weird to Americans... just wait till you hear about Befana , the Italian Christmas Witch.
Oooh if not worse! Such bad assery!
Or you could behave like a calm, rational adult and explain to them why you did not appreciate their gesture, which would likely result in an apology and explanation that they thought they were doing something good.
I don't think you understand what the word "literal" means.
Joking aside they shouldn't do that. At best you're a werido for sending someone else's kids anonymous gifts. You could always turn the tables by anonymously donating a ton of Quran and then use whatever excuse they used.
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Man, your willingful obtuseness is something.
In the Austrian system, kids are told that LITERALLY, Jesus is bringing the gifts. Where's the issue with that statement? I'm talking about Christmas as a tradition, it should be obvious that I don't mean the actual giving of the gifts.
I had one of these as a kid
It's just an abridged bible that details the important stories and waters down the violence because your kid probably doesn't need to be told those parts in detail, similar to how you'd show your kid Disney's Sleeping Beauty instead of the original story because the animated one omits the rape, or how Hercules omits him murdering his entire family.
Nah man. Fuck that subversive shit. People don't act like that unless they are passive aggressively trying to undermine you or say you are not welcome. You put your fucking foot down or I promise you it will not end.
I'd go to her class and ask who was being thoughtful to get your daughter gifts. Play it nice, make the kid whose family did it feel special and will squeal on their family. Then contact the family thank them for the gifts, but then explain why the bible gift is trying to evangelicalize your family and that was not okay.
If they make a fuss about it report them to the news. It will make headlines and the family will feel dumbfounded and not understand why they made a mistake and face the wraith of being exposed. Or take the criticisms to not do it again.
If they make a fuss about it report them to the news. It will make headlines and the family will feel dumbfounded and not understand why they made a mistake and face the wraith of being exposed. Or take the criticisms to not do it again.
It sounds like some unsolicited evangelism from someone else's parents. My guess is that one of the kids in the Christmas class (innocently) told their parents that your kid doesn't celebrate Christmas, and those parents decided to "spread the word" to yours.
It's intrusive the same way any sort of hard sell evangelism is, though whoever sent the package probably feels that they are doing the right thing. Some churches encourage this sort of thing. It's disrespectful of course when this stuff is unwelcome, but I wouldn't call it malicious, and I wouldn't call it an attack or harassment unless it keeps up. These things are usually well-intentioned from the perspective of the giver. Thus the care taken into wrapping every gift. It might even be some other kid in the class who was taught to act like this to "non-believers".
Alternately, it may just be that someone's parents felt bad about your kid not getting gifts for Christmas and decided to give some. The Bible was just thrown in on top. Religious families will sometimes throw in stuff like bibles just because they think everyone should know about it, the same way someone non-religious might throw in a self-help or life advice book or something. It's not necessarily a targeted attempt to convert your kid, though I can see how it may seem that way from your perspective.
I'd say toss the book if you're not interested at all. You can keep the toys, or maybe give them to the school or donate them somewhere if you don't want to feel like you're accepting gifts from these people. You should probably tell your school to stop accepting gifts like these, and to just politely decline if whoever it is tries again.
It's intrusive the same way any sort of hard sell evangelism is, though whoever sent the package probably feels that they are doing the right thing. Some churches encourage this sort of thing. It's disrespectful of course when this stuff is unwelcome, but I wouldn't call it malicious, and I wouldn't call it an attack or harassment unless it keeps up. These things are usually well-intentioned from the perspective of the giver. Thus the care taken into wrapping every gift. It might even be some other kid in the class who was taught to act like this to "non-believers".
Alternately, it may just be that someone's parents felt bad about your kid not getting gifts for Christmas and decided to give some. The Bible was just thrown in on top. Religious families will sometimes throw in stuff like bibles just because they think everyone should know about it, the same way someone non-religious might throw in a self-help or life advice book or something. It's not necessarily a targeted attempt to convert your kid, though I can see how it may seem that way from your perspective.
I'd say toss the book if you're not interested at all. You can keep the toys, or maybe give them to the school or donate them somewhere if you don't want to feel like you're accepting gifts from these people. You should probably tell your school to stop accepting gifts like these, and to just politely decline if whoever it is tries again.
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As someone who grew up not being able to celebrate Christmas because of my parents' fucked up, cultish religion... I would strongly encourage OP to let their kids experience Christmas. I always resented my parents for robbing me of that during my early childhood. Still kinda do, if I'm being honest.
Christmas is 100% secular if you want it to be. I don't see the logic in depriving a child of the experience all of her friends will have.
Yeah sounds like Christian parents overstepping and being concern trolls. I feel you op. We are non practicing but we don't make it a point to tell others unless they get pushy and we have to lay it out for them. My teenage daughter has a friend who constantly has her parents inviting her over to their home for dinner and to hang out with their daughter we even allowed her to visit their church because our daughter didn't want to disappoint her friend and she was curious and that's all fine except that one occasion when she told us they tried to have her go into a tub of water. Yep they tried to baptize her. Dickheads.
Well that's how you said it. And you don't have to tell your kids that it is Jesus bringing them the gifts. Just like I don't tell my children that Christmas is Jesus birthday.
Ultimately I don't give a shit what you do. Your post was just worded in an odd way. Like if you celebrated Jesus would actually show up and give your children gifts.
At most this is typical of evangelicals rudely overstepping their bounds. But that's all it is.
My guess is, upon hearing you're atheist and don't celebrate Christmas, the teacher or some student said something to someone and they got your daughter some gifts.
It's coming from a place of compassion, but also ignorance. I don't think they are trying to indoctrinate your daughter. I don't think it was only because you're atheists, it was the addition of not celebrating Christmas, which would certainly trigger any evangelicals.
My guess is, upon hearing you're atheist and don't celebrate Christmas, the teacher or some student said something to someone and they got your daughter some gifts.
It's coming from a place of compassion, but also ignorance. I don't think they are trying to indoctrinate your daughter. I don't think it was only because you're atheists, it was the addition of not celebrating Christmas, which would certainly trigger any evangelicals.
Heh. I'm atheist (but come from super conservative background). We still do secular "Christmas", but I don't talk about the religious bits much. My dad bought our kids some "nativity" story book a few years ago. I think I waited till they'd forgotten about it and trashed it. I feel a bit bad about it writing that.
We live in Asia though, so our kids see a lot of religions all the time. It helps make it a little less difficult to explain religious stuff to them without saying "I think your grandpa is crazy". A little. I still feel uncomfortable talking about it though. I dread those conversations more than the sex ones.
They tried gifting her freaking bible. That's a literal attempt at trying to indoctrinate.
Lots of illustrations and summaries of bible stories - as opposed to actual bible verses.
There were definitely deaths. Fratricide, death by mass flooding, Goliath downed by a sling, crucifixion, etc. But no rape, no incest - unlike original bible.
My children's bible had some terrifying pictures, like the page with a horned, winged Satan flying at Jesus who's hallucinating/fasting in the desert. In my house, the children's bible was more like another storybook, but it did carry some extra weight in my mind because I knew Christianity was a living religion with a lot of ardent followers, even though religion wasn't really a thing in my house
Get the surveillance footage.
Sue them.
Report them to the news.
Anything else, folks?
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