Matthew 6:5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.” Matthew 6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”
Proseletyzing is the name of the game, along with the sin of self aggrandyzment. Belief is the hiding place of this religious conundrum. There is no entry to common discussion or logic since belief covers it all from cradle to grave. Wrapping a head around the idiocy of being born with sin and spending a lifetime trying to get out from under is insanity writ large.
I'm a Christian, and I endorse this message. Here's another scripture that we are often taught when we are learning about sharing our faith: 1 Peter 3:15 "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" EVERYONE WHO ASKS YOU. DO THIS WITH GENTLENESS AND RESPECT. So we are taught only to share with those who asks, and not to get in anyone's face, but if they ASK, we can tell our personal story gently and respectfully. I am always careful not to put down what anyone else believes in doing so.
Where I live, it is very diverse. A low percentage of people attend church. There are many immigrants from eastern countries so we have Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc. You would think the schools would have adapted. I have noticed one difference: vegetarian food. The cafeteria now notes one vegetarian item per day. However, it is usually still American food and not necessarily what they can eat! What I still saw as my young adult kids were growing up was secular "Christian" activities in the classroom all the time. Most people like these because they think they are Christian if they have an egg hunt and a Christmas tree and ignore it the rest of the year. Bunnies and eggs have little to do with Easter. They are symbolic of new life, so there is nothing wrong with them for Christians, but why do this in school?? The religious implications are obvious and I'm sure children of other faiths feel pressured to participate. Spring is a great time to celebrate Earth Day, plant a garden, study anything about plant life, the climate, weather, etc. The thing that angered me the most was the great effort my son's Kindergarten teacher put into St. Patrick's Day. She had my son believing Leprechauns were real and gave homework to make a Leprechaun trap. Neither of us is good at "crafty" things, so it took forever. I agree that it's a great hands-on project - but why put the burden on parents to complete it in one night, with the child believing they have to "catch a real leprechaun"? I could go on, but you get the point.
Football coach can go home and pray with his family.
Proseletyzing is the name of the game, along with the sin of self aggrandyzment. Belief is the hiding place of this religious conundrum. There is no entry to common discussion or logic since belief covers it all from cradle to grave. Wrapping a head around the idiocy of being born with sin and spending a lifetime trying to get out from under is insanity writ large.
f.
I'm a Christian, and I endorse this message. Here's another scripture that we are often taught when we are learning about sharing our faith: 1 Peter 3:15 "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" EVERYONE WHO ASKS YOU. DO THIS WITH GENTLENESS AND RESPECT. So we are taught only to share with those who asks, and not to get in anyone's face, but if they ASK, we can tell our personal story gently and respectfully. I am always careful not to put down what anyone else believes in doing so.
Where I live, it is very diverse. A low percentage of people attend church. There are many immigrants from eastern countries so we have Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc. You would think the schools would have adapted. I have noticed one difference: vegetarian food. The cafeteria now notes one vegetarian item per day. However, it is usually still American food and not necessarily what they can eat! What I still saw as my young adult kids were growing up was secular "Christian" activities in the classroom all the time. Most people like these because they think they are Christian if they have an egg hunt and a Christmas tree and ignore it the rest of the year. Bunnies and eggs have little to do with Easter. They are symbolic of new life, so there is nothing wrong with them for Christians, but why do this in school?? The religious implications are obvious and I'm sure children of other faiths feel pressured to participate. Spring is a great time to celebrate Earth Day, plant a garden, study anything about plant life, the climate, weather, etc. The thing that angered me the most was the great effort my son's Kindergarten teacher put into St. Patrick's Day. She had my son believing Leprechauns were real and gave homework to make a Leprechaun trap. Neither of us is good at "crafty" things, so it took forever. I agree that it's a great hands-on project - but why put the burden on parents to complete it in one night, with the child believing they have to "catch a real leprechaun"? I could go on, but you get the point.
Football coach can go home and pray with his family.