You Know What Really Grinds My Gears....The Sequel!

[Ped]

Originally Posted by Flabbibulin

. I recall being congregations basically being told, riding by riding, whom they should vote for in various elections-

This is not limited to Pentecostals or even to religious groups. Many special interest groups (unions, eg) attempt to tell their members who to vote for.

[Ark2]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Would you be upset if your 5 year old came home with material on Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, etc... or how about Communism, Facism, etc..?

These are not learning materials, Gideons spread them with the inent of conversion. Giving them to children who can't tell the difference is wrong.

I have already stated that I would be fine with this, and I would hope that the schools would be explaining what communism and facism are as both of these ideologies have played a significant part of our history.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by Ark2

I have already stated that I would be fine with this, and I would hope that the schools would be explaining what communism and facism are as both of these ideologies have played a significant part of our history.

Agreed, and so has Christianity. But there is a massive difference between having a discussion as part of the curriculum, and allowing a special interest group to use a school as a distribution method to reach young children.

To use your example: learning about communism in school is obviously a good thing. But allowing a pro-communist group to distribute literature solely to promote their cause would be completely inappropriate. "Special interest group X" shouldn't be given the ability to distribute literature to students - it doesn't matter who they are. Schools have a curriculum, and promoting ideas and beliefs outside of that is wrong. Learning about religion, political ideologies, etc. is fine, but leave the zealotry out of it.

Or another example: Today we're learning about the political spectrum. And here's a bag full of materials from (insert political party here). It just isn't right.

[Coach]

^^ Jimmy nailed what I was getting. Obviously educating people on different religious/political ideologies is important, but favoring one over the other or allowing one to distribute materials intended to convert is not appropriate. And I think 5 years old is much to young to properly institute a healthy discussion on these matters. Kids that age generally cannot form their own opinions on such complicated ideas. They believe in Santa and the easter bunny, how can they intelligently discuss and learn about Marxism? Most adults don't understand the difference between socialism and communism, how can you expect a 5 year old to properly discern the difference between education and indoctrination?

[getbak]

It's Grade 5, not 5 years-old. It's not a huge difference, but one probably still believes in Santa and the Tooth Fairy; the other probably doesn't.


I also wouldn't want my kids learning about the environmental impacts of the oil industry from literature supplied by either Greenpeace or Suncor.

[Antithesis]

Originally Posted by Ark2

I think that is being overly protective, but your argument is similar to parents getting upset over the fact that their kids were taught about evolution in school without prior knowledge, so your position is not exactly uncommon.

Respectfully, I think you are confused on the issue here, or don't understand undercoverbrother's concern with what happened.

People who get upset about evolution being taught in school have absolutely no business being upset. The government clearly communicates that evolution and natural selection are to be taught in various Science programs at all schools in Alberta, public or separate.

undercoverbrother being upset about his child being given a New Testament at a public school is valid. First of all, parents should expect that their children can attend a public school without exposure to religious material. There is absolutely no reason for a student in a public school to be provided any sort of religious text. Additionally, your claim that it is a specific group giving out the books and not the school itself is not fully correct. If these books were provided by a group, the school is implicitly agreeing that doing so is appropriate and is endorsing the action. By proxy, the school is providing the books to the students if this is the case.

I would strongly suspect that one of two things has happened here: either a 'rogue teacher' has handed out what they thought were helpful materials to their students, or the school's administration made the foolish decision to allow these books to be distributed on school property to students.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by sun

Dion's unfunny and/or irrelevant gif or picture isn't showing up for me. Anyone else?

Speaking of funny... This one's for you

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Ark2

I think that is being overly protective, but your argument is similar to parents getting upset over the fact that their kids were taught about evolution in school without prior knowledge, so your position is not exactly uncommon.

I had a math teacher back in HS who tried to preach Mormonism to me. I didn't ask him too but he tried anyway. I complained to my principal and had the clown suspended.

Keep your effing religion to yourself and stop shoving it in people's faces or down thier throats.

[Nsd1]

Spoiler for size

Spoiler!

[malcolmk14]

Fun fact: The word 'evolution' doesn't show up in the Alberta Science Program of Studies until Grade 9.

[RyZ]

The over use of the words "bigot" and "hate". At times on this very site. Its getting to the point where it is like the word "epic". They are used so often, for such small differences in opinion that they are becoming trend words that are losing meaning and hold very little impact anymore.

Often, a person accusing someone else of "spreadig hate" that they become far more hateful than the person they are chastising.

It makes everyone on all sides of every issus look bad.

**hides and waits to be accused of bigotry**

[DuffMan]

this head exploding thing is gmg's, 2 worlds colliding, pewsh

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I know that the Gideons are distributing them. If they want to allow other organizations in then fine.

The point is that I as a parent was not informed that the Gideons would be coming into the school to give my daughter a book full of ####.

The school should have informed the parents this was happening.

Do you know for a fact a note wasnt sent home?

Somewhat related when I was growing up in rural Alberta around grade 5 or 6 there was an option to take a religious class at a public school. Notes were sent home and anyone who wanted their child excluded could do so as it wasnt part of the cirriculum.

Most of my friends wondered why my parents would want me excluded since our family does read the B but they didnt believe in the way the church taught it so they wanted me excluded.

Have you called the school to see what actually happened. I am in full agreement with you, if this was distributed or tqught at school without prior notice being sent then that is a problem and I would take it to the school board. I am sure some left wing CBC Calgary news person would love a story like this and it seems if you want anything actually done in Cgy then complaining to the media seems the most efficient form of protest.

If there was a letter sent home and it wasnt brought home then that is a different issue and different discussion. I find it hard to believe there wasnt even any notice posted on the school calendar.

[mykalberta]

What really GMG is the recent news stories about parents trying to ban what other parents can pack in their kids lunches or snacks.

Tell your kid not to eat my kids lunch and I will tell my kid not to share and there shouldnt be a problem. As someone who hopefully will soon be on the child bearing path I could care less about another kids allergy. It wouldnt prevent me in the least from what I choose to send for lunch/snack with my child.

And if I have a kid with an allergy I will tell them to only eat their own meals and nothing else. Fkn pisses me off reading this crap about dairy free pancakes and then upset they were served with syrup - fk u lady.

[CampbellsTransgressions]

Potholes. I miss driving a beater.

[puffnstuff]

Originally Posted by CampbellsTransgressions

Potholes. I miss driving a beater.

Were you driving east on Anderson going past Southcentre? I was following a car there today and he hit a giant pothole in the right hand lane, I knew it was there and had moved over to miss it, but he hit it dead on and then pulled over and stopped.

[burn_this_city]

Ideally the city would take a warm day like Saturday to patch up some of the really bad ones, but I doubt we'll see anything until spring.

[CampbellsTransgressions]

Nope, westbound McKnight beside the airport. The right lane has a few gaping ones.

It seems like every year McKnight has some problem due to the weather.

[rotten42]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

What really GMG is the recent news stories about parents trying to ban what other parents can pack in their kids lunches or snacks.

Tell your kid not to eat my kids lunch and I will tell my kid not to share and there shouldnt be a problem. As someone who hopefully will soon be on the child bearing path I could care less about another kids allergy. It wouldnt prevent me in the least from what I choose to send for lunch/snack with my child.

And if I have a kid with an allergy I will tell them to only eat their own meals and nothing else. Fkn pisses me off reading this crap about dairy free pancakes and then upset they were served with syrup - fk u lady.

I would say I hope that you have a kid who is anaphylactic to peanuts so you can experience as a parent what it is like to know that simply having the kid next to your eating peanut butter can kill your kid…..but I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Pure ignorance!

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

What really GMG is the recent news stories about parents trying to ban what other parents can pack in their kids lunches or snacks.

Tell your kid not to eat my kids lunch and I will tell my kid not to share and there shouldnt be a problem. As someone who hopefully will soon be on the child bearing path I could care less about another kids allergy. It wouldnt prevent me in the least from what I choose to send for lunch/snack with my child.

And if I have a kid with an allergy I will tell them to only eat their own meals and nothing else. Fkn pisses me off reading this crap about dairy free pancakes and then upset they were served with syrup - fk u lady.

This seems like a really short-sighted view on the topic. Sure you can advise your child not to share food, but that doesn't take into account the multitude of other scenarios that are likely to occur when kids eat.

I am not saying food fight in the cafeteria, but I am sure you can acknowledge that food gets on kids hands; sandwich crusts /left over food get left around; kids playing before they wash their hands; etc. etc.