Religion classes in school - Megathread

Sarah Hall53 said:Religion is actually an elective subject—kind of like taking Spanish or Computer Science. It’s officially on the school roster and you get a grade for it.
Choir and rhythm classes? Those are just extracurricular activities. They aren't listed on the official transcript and they don't count toward your GPA.
Just wanted to clear that up so we aren't using the wrong terms. (Honestly, back when my family moved into our neighborhood about twenty years ago, they tried to sell us on the idea that religion was mandatory. Nobody bothered to mention that we could just... not go. 🙄 ))

Parents at John F. Kennedy High School in Chicago just got their paperwork to pick electives for the upcoming school year. Specifically, this is hitting parents of seventh graders.

One parent from the Central Park area took to Facebook to vent about the notice they received, saying: "So this is how the religious reform actually works in our local schools. Computer science or Spanish? Who cares; you can drop those in a heartbeat—no signature required. But Religion? Yeah, that's a whole different ballgame..."

To opt out of religion classes, both parents have to sign a formal waiver, whereas for electives like computer science or Spanish, you just leave the box unchecked. It's hard to say why tech and languages suddenly seem less important than religion in this setup.

It leaves you wondering—what happens if a kid doesn't want to take religion, but only has one parent's support? Or what if they're in a single-parent household?

Larry Walker24 said:Parents at John F. Kennedy High School in Chicago just got their paperwork to pick electives for the upcoming school year. Specifically, this is hitting parents of seventh graders.

One parent from the Central Park area took to Facebook to vent about the notice they received, saying: "So this is how the religious reform actually works in our local schools. Computer science or Spanish? Who cares; you can drop those in a heartbeat—no signature required. But Religion? Yeah, that's a whole different ballgame..."

To opt out of religion classes, both parents have to sign a formal waiver, whereas for electives like computer science or Spanish, you just leave the box unchecked. It's hard to say why tech and languages suddenly seem less important than religion in this setup.

It leaves you wondering—what happens if a kid doesn't want to take religion, but only has one parent's support? Or what if they're in a single-parent household?

Ever heard that old saying about "signing a contract with the devil"? It basically means there's no way out once you're in. I think it comes from Catholic traditions... 😀

Larry Walker24 said:Parents at John F. Kennedy High School in Chicago just got their paperwork to pick electives for the upcoming school year. Specifically, this is hitting parents of seventh graders.

One parent from the Central Park area took to Facebook to vent about the notice they received, saying: "So this is how the religious reform actually works in our local schools. Computer science or Spanish? Who cares; you can drop those in a heartbeat—no signature required. But Religion? Yeah, that's a whole different ballgame..."

To opt out of religion classes, both parents have to sign a formal waiver, whereas for electives like computer science or Spanish, you just leave the box unchecked. It's hard to say why tech and languages suddenly seem less important than religion in this setup.

It leaves you wondering—what happens if a kid doesn't want to take religion, but only has one parent's support? Or what if they're in a single-parent household?

Look, for any kind of elective course, there’s a specific procedure you have to follow if you want to opt out....
The way I see it, when a kid signs up for an elective for the following school year, you just don't check the box next to it... 😁so really, this parent has a pretty wild imagination, and frankly, they're saying way more about their own biases than they are about the clergy they're trying to take a swipe at. 😉

So, look—in some schools, principals and their admin teams send out these little surveys every single school year for every grade level. A principal at my friend’s school used to do this all the time, but her IT director and the German teacher actually had to step in and threaten her with an audit. (The thing is, a lot of parents are way too lazy to write a formal request, but if they just have to circle a "NO" on a sheet of paper, suddenly their kids will write it faster than you can say "ironing board." It was causing a massive headache because teachers were losing hours of instruction time just dealing with parents trying to suck up to the principal and bypass the actual rules.) I mean, it's not even about having a wild imagination... some schools really just operate totally outside the regulations.

I think I posted this in the wrong thread.
My focus isn't actually on religious education itself, but rather on children's rights, especially given some recent... situations involving that topic.
Of course, parents are primarily responsible for raising their children and instilling specific attitudes and values, yet it often feels as though children are treated as if they have total autonomy over certain matters.
It makes no sense to me for kids to attend religion class just because of social pressure. On the other hand, if attendance is mandated simply as a prerequisite for receiving sacraments, then that’s essentially coercion.
Furthermore, I can't wrap my head around the idea of threatening children with hell; that is truly the absolute rock bottom.
That said, I assume religion teachers follow a set curriculum and administer tests, and presumably, they are held to the same school standards and accountability as any other staff member.
There have been several instances where instructors ended up in court due to such absurdities—imposing personal views—and they are rightfully sued because teaching shouldn't involve intimidation or making someone feel inferior.
I was reading an article recently about a liberal cardinal from the USA who opposes aggressive prayer protests outside hospitals. He supports sharing the sacraments with those who are divorced but were married in the church, and he is "for" the LGBTQ+ community in the sense that he doesn't condemn them and wants to keep the church doors open to them.
Given the rise of these various "movements," I really don't understand how anyone can still use fear to intimidate children.
It seems to me that the church is opening up in all sectors and adapting to the modern world. I'm not sure if that transition holds much weight here in America, since our institutions still feel stuck in the era of the Inquisition.
As for my own experience: I didn't have religion classes in elementary school, but I did in high school. Even then, I don't recall anyone ever asking if I actually wanted to participate, though I know I lost interest in religious questions the moment I hit puberty.😁In high school, everything boiled down to the priest dictating while we took notes; even though I was an honor student, he refused to give me an A, stubbornly sticking to a B. To be honest, I frequently skipped class to grab coffee instead. The topics covered things like contraception and similar issues—not bad subjects, per se, but they were uninteresting to me because I learned all of that from magazines anyway.😁

Jason Ortiz5 said:Ever heard that old saying about "signing a contract with the devil"? It basically means there's no way out once you're in. I think it comes from Catholic traditions... 😀

😂

This is actually quite literal.

Larry Walker24 said:Parents at John F. Kennedy High School in Chicago just got their paperwork to pick electives for the upcoming school year. Specifically, this is hitting parents of seventh graders.

One parent from the Central Park area took to Facebook to vent about the notice they received, saying: "So this is how the religious reform actually works in our local schools. Computer science or Spanish? Who cares; you can drop those in a heartbeat—no signature required. But Religion? Yeah, that's a whole different ballgame..."

To opt out of religion classes, both parents have to sign a formal waiver, whereas for electives like computer science or Spanish, you just leave the box unchecked. It's hard to say why tech and languages suddenly seem less important than religion in this setup.

It leaves you wondering—what happens if a kid doesn't want to take religion, but only has one parent's support? Or what if they're in a single-parent household?

Only one parent needs to sign for enrollment, 🥳
but for opting out, you need two.🍿
I honestly think we should require a notary public to verify these things, just to be safe.
Maybe we should even designate a legal guardian for special cases, so we can ensure a parent isn't manipulating a child's right to spiritual growth.🙂

Regarding dropping German, I actually know of a situation where a student opted out without their parents ever knowing—they just filled out that school survey themselves and forged a parent's signature.

We’re still debating whether or not to sign our kid up for religion class. She hasn't been baptized—honestly, she’s never even stepped foot inside a church, doesn't pray, and we don't really talk about God at home. We just tell her that some people believe in things.

I feel like there’s some kind of value in letting her experience what goes on in those classrooms firsthand—you know, so she can actually form her own opinion instead of just hearing us talk about it. But then again... I can't help but wonder if that's a valid excuse to expose a child to all that nonsense.

Do parents have to make that choice during enrollment, or does it happen later in September?

It’s pretty wild when you think about it—it’s basically the only subject where they teach things that aren't even factually true, yet nobody seems to give a damn. 😍

Tyler Ruiz502 said:We’re still debating whether or not to sign our kid up for religion class. She hasn't been baptized—honestly, she’s never even stepped foot inside a church, doesn't pray, and we don't really talk about God at home. We just tell her that some people believe in things.

I feel like there’s some kind of value in letting her experience what goes on in those classrooms firsthand—you know, so she can actually form her own opinion instead of just hearing us talk about it. But then again... I can't help but wonder if that's a valid excuse to expose a child to all that nonsense.

Do parents have to make that choice during enrollment, or does it happen later in September?

It’s pretty wild when you think about it—it’s basically the only subject where they teach things that aren't even factually true, yet nobody seems to give a damn. 😍

Speaking of nonsense in Catholic religion class:

Why is "faith" considered cool when a father decides to slaughter his only little boy?

I. GENERAL INFO ON RELIGION CLASS
School: Ernest's class Elementary
Grade: 5th.
Teacher: Susan Katie
Unit: IV. BEGINNINGS OF BIBLICAL HISTORY/FAITH
Topic: 2. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
Lesson: 2. 2. Isaac – gift and sacrifice
Key terms: Isaac, gift, sacrifice, trust
GOAL: To illustrate Abraham's trust and his readiness to give everything to God, even his only son, which results in him being blessed with countless descendants.

Abraham had faith in God even during his darkest moments. Especially when it seemed like God was asking for his most precious possession: his long-awaited only son, Isaac..
In today's lesson, we will hear a passage from the Book of Genesis regarding Abraham's willingness to give everything to God, including his only son.

Abraham
sets up the altar, stacks the wood, lays his son Isaac on the wood upon the altar. Now Abraham reaches out and takes a knife to slaughter his son.

Even if the story ends with the boy surviving, Abraham had already slaughtered him in his heart (if he even had one).

Is this really what our kids need?

Growing up, I was constantly questioning everything—it was a total "WTF" moment for me (and honestly, I can't speak for everyone else, but I was lost). I’d just sit there wondering, how is it even possible to walk on water? Like, how did he just feed an entire crowd with five loaves and two fish? It makes zero sense when you think about it.
If prayer actually worked, then why is the world still full of sickness, accidents, and pure evil?

I vividly remember hearing that "those who don't believe won't make it to heaven," and man, I went through this massive internal struggle when I was maybe nine or ten years old. I was wrestling with myself, thinking: if I don't believe, but He *does* exist, then I'm totally screwed—I'll just burn in hell. But if I don't believe and He doesn't exist, then everything is fine. I used to tell myself, "Forgive me, God, but I really don't think You're real because this is just impossible." I even tried explaining to my mom that I didn't think any of it was true, and she just told me to shut up.

That's probably why it might be best for kids to actually be exposed to all these stories anyway—so they can decide for themselves whether they want to listen or believe.
With a little bit of luck, you might even stumble upon a decent religion class teacher.

Tyler Ruiz502 said:Growing up, I was constantly questioning everything—it was a total "WTF" moment for me (and honestly, I can't speak for everyone else, but I was lost). I’d just sit there wondering, how is it even possible to walk on water? Like, how did he just feed an entire crowd with five loaves and two fish? It makes zero sense when you think about it.
If prayer actually worked, then why is the world still full of sickness, accidents, and pure evil?

I vividly remember hearing that "those who don't believe won't make it to heaven," and man, I went through this massive internal struggle when I was maybe nine or ten years old. I was wrestling with myself, thinking: if I don't believe, but He *does* exist, then I'm totally screwed—I'll just burn in hell. But if I don't believe and He doesn't exist, then everything is fine. I used to tell myself, "Forgive me, God, but I really don't think You're real because this is just impossible." I even tried explaining to my mom that I didn't think any of it was true, and she just told me to shut up.

That's probably why it might be best for kids to actually be exposed to all these stories anyway—so they can decide for themselves whether they want to listen or believe.
With a little bit of luck, you might even stumble upon a decent religion class teacher.

The problem is kids don't have a filter yet; they just soak everything up like sponges. And let's be real, religion class isn't about giving an objective look at different faiths—it's basically just training wheels for Catholicism and a way to poke holes in everything else.

I’m with you there—honestly, looking at something like religion class, I see a massive opportunity to actually encourage some critical thinking.
I mean, what's the harm in just asking her what they discussed and getting her take on it? It shouldn't be a big deal.

Small tangent here—we ended up buying one of those "princess" accessory sets today; you know, a tiara, a ring, and some earrings. Total junk, honestly. The tiara keeps sliding right off her head, and the earrings snapped almost immediately.

She actually called it out herself—said it was a stupid thing to make, designed just so some kid wants it, leaving parents to waste money on nothing.

It feels like a much better teaching moment to let her experience that than to just refuse to buy it and try to lecture her about why the product is garbage.

Sarah Hall53 said:So, look—in some schools, principals and their admin teams send out these little surveys every single school year for every grade level. A principal at my friend’s school used to do this all the time, but her IT director and the German teacher actually had to step in and threaten her with an audit. (The thing is, a lot of parents are way too lazy to write a formal request, but if they just have to circle a "NO" on a sheet of paper, suddenly their kids will write it faster than you can say "ironing board." It was causing a massive headache because teachers were losing hours of instruction time just dealing with parents trying to suck up to the principal and bypass the actual rules.) I mean, it's not even about having a wild imagination... some schools really just operate totally outside the regulations.

Exactly! It’s like principals and school boards totally disregard the law when it comes to any other elective subject, but the second religion classes come up, they aren't just following the rules—they go way overboard by demanding consent from both parents just to cover their own backs and risk their jobs. And honestly? The state inspectors turn a blind eye to stuff like that 100% of the time.🙄
And you're spot on, this isn't about being imaginative; it's just pure human corruption.

This is my first time posting here, and I honestly wasn't sure if I should even 😁
My son is starting first grade, and during enrollment, they asked about religious education. Should we say yes or no?
We chose yes, but even now—just like so many times before—I find myself questioning if we made the right call. To give some context, I am an atheist, while my husband is a believer (not particularly observant, but he does have faith). Our son hasn't stepped foot in a church, nor does he know any prayers, as we don't pray at home. He is prepared for the curriculum, though; he knows Mom isn't religious, Dad is, and Dad has expressed interest in attending. Truthfully, I'm not even sure he fully grasps these concepts of God and faith yet; he’s mostly just picked up terms like "Sunday school" or "First Communion" from his older friends, and it seems to have sparked a curiosity in him. I would really appreciate hearing from anyone else navigating a similar dynamic in their household.

swiftstag14 said:This is my first time posting here, and I honestly wasn't sure if I should even 😁
My son is starting first grade, and during enrollment, they asked about religious education. Should we say yes or no?
We chose yes, but even now—just like so many times before—I find myself questioning if we made the right call. To give some context, I am an atheist, while my husband is a believer (not particularly observant, but he does have faith). Our son hasn't stepped foot in a church, nor does he know any prayers, as we don't pray at home. He is prepared for the curriculum, though; he knows Mom isn't religious, Dad is, and Dad has expressed interest in attending. Truthfully, I'm not even sure he fully grasps these concepts of God and faith yet; he’s mostly just picked up terms like "Sunday school" or "First Communion" from his older friends, and it seems to have sparked a curiosity in him. I would really appreciate hearing from anyone else navigating a similar dynamic in their household.

We enrolled our little one back in first grade (she’s finishing second now). It was a toss-up, honestly. We went through this mental tug-of-war about whether to sign her up at all. In the end, we decided it was better than having her pulled out of the classroom while the others were in religion class. I even briefly considered just asking if she could stay behind in the room during those sessions instead. I know, it sounds messy and contradictory, but we figured the social stigma of being "the kid who left" would be far more confusing for her than actually sitting through the lessons.

We aren't exactly practicing believers. We celebrate the holidays, sure, but we tend to be critics of the Church as an institution rather than opponents of the curriculum itself. She’s had her fair share of questions. Our standard response? Usually something along the lines of, "That’s just what people believe," or "Go ask your teacher."😁.
Now that First Communion is approaching, some anxieties are starting to bubble up. She's worried about the confession part—what is she confessing for? What does the host actually mean? It’s hard for her to grasp that these are stories and beliefs; she struggles to understand that they don't have to be taken as literal, scientific facts. Now she's just a ball of nerves. To be blunt, I refuse to let fear take root in her childhood. I want her to explore things on her own terms. It's tough explaining that faith is... well, faith. It isn't a proven historical certainty.
We'll see how long she wants to stick with it. As soon as she decides she's done, we're pulling her out. No drama, just done.

Lawrence Torres56 said:Exactly! It’s like principals and school boards totally disregard the law when it comes to any other elective subject, but the second religion classes come up, they aren't just following the rules—they go way overboard by demanding consent from both parents just to cover their own backs and risk their jobs. And honestly? The state inspectors turn a blind eye to stuff like that 100% of the time.🙄
And you're spot on, this isn't about being imaginative; it's just pure human corruption.

No, it's much simpler than that. A person could just read the article and look at the photo of the questionnaire provided.🙂 But I suppose it's much easier to live in some sort of parallel universe where you can just ignore uncomfortable news and pretend everything being reported is just a complete fabrication.

Tyler Ruiz502 said:We’re still debating whether or not to sign our kid up for religion class. She hasn't been baptized—honestly, she’s never even stepped foot inside a church, doesn't pray, and we don't really talk about God at home. We just tell her that some people believe in things.

I feel like there’s some kind of value in letting her experience what goes on in those classrooms firsthand—you know, so she can actually form her own opinion instead of just hearing us talk about it. But then again... I can't help but wonder if that's a valid excuse to expose a child to all that nonsense.

Do parents have to make that choice during enrollment, or does it happen later in September?

It’s pretty wild when you think about it—it’s basically the only subject where they teach things that aren't even factually true, yet nobody seems to give a damn. 😍

Tyler Ruiz502 said:Growing up, I was constantly questioning everything—it was a total "WTF" moment for me (and honestly, I can't speak for everyone else, but I was lost). I’d just sit there wondering, how is it even possible to walk on water? Like, how did he just feed an entire crowd with five loaves and two fish? It makes zero sense when you think about it.
If prayer actually worked, then why is the world still full of sickness, accidents, and pure evil?

I vividly remember hearing that "those who don't believe won't make it to heaven," and man, I went through this massive internal struggle when I was maybe nine or ten years old. I was wrestling with myself, thinking: if I don't believe, but He *does* exist, then I'm totally screwed—I'll just burn in hell. But if I don't believe and He doesn't exist, then everything is fine. I used to tell myself, "Forgive me, God, but I really don't think You're real because this is just impossible." I even tried explaining to my mom that I didn't think any of it was true, and she just told me to shut up.

That's probably why it might be best for kids to actually be exposed to all these stories anyway—so they can decide for themselves whether they want to listen or believe.
With a little bit of luck, you might even stumble upon a decent religion class teacher.

Tyler Ruiz502 said:I’m with you there—honestly, looking at something like religion class, I see a massive opportunity to actually encourage some critical thinking.
I mean, what's the harm in just asking her what they discussed and getting her take on it? It shouldn't be a big deal.

Small tangent here—we ended up buying one of those "princess" accessory sets today; you know, a tiara, a ring, and some earrings. Total junk, honestly. The tiara keeps sliding right off her head, and the earrings snapped almost immediately.

She actually called it out herself—said it was a stupid thing to make, designed just so some kid wants it, leaving parents to waste money on nothing.

It feels like a much better teaching moment to let her experience that than to just refuse to buy it and try to lecture her about why the product is garbage.

Go back and read what you wrote one more time, then ask yourself: is this really what a kid needs at the start of their schooling? Is the goal of first grade to debate the existence of God, or is it to learn how to read and write, do basic math, and recite numbers and colors in English?

If you’re looking at enrolling a kid who’s already tackling all this stuff back in first grade, maybe they won't be bored out of their minds in class—though honestly, I wouldn't recommend jumping the gun like that either way.
Using those two hours of "religion class" in the library is actually a pretty smart move; it’s a great chance for kids to practice their handwriting or math if they're struggling, or even spend some quality time with a speech therapist if needed. Plus, once they finish their work, having that time to just hang out and play outside is absolutely priceless.
They’ll have plenty of time to question the entire universe once they hit puberty anyway.

To be honest, reading your take makes me think I might actually want my own kid to pick religion class in high school, just so she can start questioning everything they teach in those lessons.🙂
🙂

swiftstag14 said:This is my first time posting here, and I honestly wasn't sure if I should even 😁
My son is starting first grade, and during enrollment, they asked about religious education. Should we say yes or no?
We chose yes, but even now—just like so many times before—I find myself questioning if we made the right call. To give some context, I am an atheist, while my husband is a believer (not particularly observant, but he does have faith). Our son hasn't stepped foot in a church, nor does he know any prayers, as we don't pray at home. He is prepared for the curriculum, though; he knows Mom isn't religious, Dad is, and Dad has expressed interest in attending. Truthfully, I'm not even sure he fully grasps these concepts of God and faith yet; he’s mostly just picked up terms like "Sunday school" or "First Communion" from his older friends, and it seems to have sparked a curiosity in him. I would really appreciate hearing from anyone else navigating a similar dynamic in their household.

In our house, we hadn't planned on enrolling our kids in religious education at all, so when that form came across my desk, I circled "no" without a second thought. In fact, I have to admit I didn't even bother asking my son what he thought, mostly because I didn't imagine it would carry much weight for him at that age. However, throughout the summer, he became so incredibly persistent about wanting to take those classes that we eventually decided that letting him attend was probably the lesser of two evils. He’s always known where we stand on these things; we tend to be quite open and communicative in our family. It actually caught me off guard how little it bothered him that what he hears at school differs from what he hears at the dinner table. He cruised through elementary school, and once he hit middle school, he chose ethics classes entirely on his own without us hovering over him. When I finally asked him later on if he considered himself a believer, he simply told me he hadn't made up his mind yet😁.

I can't quite pin down what's weighing on you in all of this. I'm not entirely sure why, given your specific situation, you're even considering signing him up. It seems unlikely that those couple of hours a week are going to radically pivot the entire trajectory of his life, whether he spends them in a classroom or tucked away in a library. Then again, I suppose one has to wonder what lasting impact those lessons will have if you aren't ultimately expecting him to follow a path of active faith

northerncobra27 said:In our house, we hadn't planned on enrolling our kids in religious education at all, so when that form came across my desk, I circled "no" without a second thought. In fact, I have to admit I didn't even bother asking my son what he thought, mostly because I didn't imagine it would carry much weight for him at that age. However, throughout the summer, he became so incredibly persistent about wanting to take those classes that we eventually decided that letting him attend was probably the lesser of two evils. He’s always known where we stand on these things; we tend to be quite open and communicative in our family. It actually caught me off guard how little it bothered him that what he hears at school differs from what he hears at the dinner table. He cruised through elementary school, and once he hit middle school, he chose ethics classes entirely on his own without us hovering over him. When I finally asked him later on if he considered himself a believer, he simply told me he hadn't made up his mind yet😁.

I can't quite pin down what's weighing on you in all of this. I'm not entirely sure why, given your specific situation, you're even considering signing him up. It seems unlikely that those couple of hours a week are going to radically pivot the entire trajectory of his life, whether he spends them in a classroom or tucked away in a library. Then again, I suppose one has to wonder what lasting impact those lessons will have if you aren't ultimately expecting him to follow a path of active faith

The child was enrolled because it was his own wish, even though, as I mentioned, I feel he doesn't really grasp the complexities of the church or faith yet. I didn't want to simply say "no" on his behalf without giving him a voice in the matter. My primary concern is how he will navigate the situation, given that he will be learning one thing at school while having different views at home. Naturally, I also worry about how he might feel being the only student in his class not attending. At this stage, I believe it is better for him to attend this year, see the curriculum firsthand, and then make an informed decision next year about whether he truly wants to continue. 🤔

swiftstag14 said:This is my first time posting here, and I honestly wasn't sure if I should even 😁
My son is starting first grade, and during enrollment, they asked about religious education. Should we say yes or no?
We chose yes, but even now—just like so many times before—I find myself questioning if we made the right call. To give some context, I am an atheist, while my husband is a believer (not particularly observant, but he does have faith). Our son hasn't stepped foot in a church, nor does he know any prayers, as we don't pray at home. He is prepared for the curriculum, though; he knows Mom isn't religious, Dad is, and Dad has expressed interest in attending. Truthfully, I'm not even sure he fully grasps these concepts of God and faith yet; he’s mostly just picked up terms like "Sunday school" or "First Communion" from his older friends, and it seems to have sparked a curiosity in him. I would really appreciate hearing from anyone else navigating a similar dynamic in their household.

Well, what can I tell you... I’m not a believer and I don't go to church. My husband is, though he doesn't go much anymore either... but he's still considered a believer. For Christmas, we buy gifts, he fasts, but I don't... he goes to church every once in a while, but I never do. My little one had their First Communion last year; I went to the church and just stood there, feeling a bit out of place... honestly, I didn't really feel a connection to it.
Now, as my child gets older, I'll let them decide whether to continue with religious education... I won't force anything or tell them what to do; I'll let them make their own choice... I'm fine with whatever happens.
My daughter refuses to go to religion class, absolutely no matter what anyone says... and she won't be going. She said she doesn't want to go, and she doesn't care if she's the only one who doesn't. To her, it's just boring.
That's just how things work in our household.
If they want to go, let them go... you can always withdraw them later if they change their mind.
It isn't going to change anything for you personally... you might end up attending a Communion service eventually, and that’s that.
Or you could just stand by the door, much like I did...
It was actually quite interesting watching everyone else go all out—ordering cakes, pastries, and planning big celebrations for Communions🤣 whereas for me, it was just another ordinary day.🍿
And for Easter egg dyeing, we just dye the eggs and play the egg games, that's all... I never observe any fasting periods.

Oh, definitely; at our school, there was a case where a child attended the religion classes, but the parents didn't want them to take Communion, so it didn't happen. Neither the child nor the parents really wanted to go through with it... yet the child still attends the classes.

Some people certainly found that unusual...

coppermarlin14 said:Well, what can I tell you... I’m not a believer and I don't go to church. My husband is, though he doesn't go much anymore either... but he's still considered a believer. For Christmas, we buy gifts, he fasts, but I don't... he goes to church every once in a while, but I never do. My little one had their First Communion last year; I went to the church and just stood there, feeling a bit out of place... honestly, I didn't really feel a connection to it.
Now, as my child gets older, I'll let them decide whether to continue with religious education... I won't force anything or tell them what to do; I'll let them make their own choice... I'm fine with whatever happens.
My daughter refuses to go to religion class, absolutely no matter what anyone says... and she won't be going. She said she doesn't want to go, and she doesn't care if she's the only one who doesn't. To her, it's just boring.
That's just how things work in our household.
If they want to go, let them go... you can always withdraw them later if they change their mind.
It isn't going to change anything for you personally... you might end up attending a Communion service eventually, and that’s that.
Or you could just stand by the door, much like I did...
It was actually quite interesting watching everyone else go all out—ordering cakes, pastries, and planning big celebrations for Communions🤣 whereas for me, it was just another ordinary day.🍿
And for Easter egg dyeing, we just dye the eggs and play the egg games, that's all... I never observe any fasting periods.

Oh, definitely; at our school, there was a case where a child attended the religion classes, but the parents didn't want them to take Communion, so it didn't happen. Neither the child nor the parents really wanted to go through with it... yet the child still attends the classes.

Some people certainly found that unusual...

Haha, our situation is almost identical. We do all the decorating around Christmas because, apparently, putting up lights is great, and we enjoy the Easter dyeing with colors, but we lack the religious sentiment. I wonder what will happen when the time comes for communion (if they still want to proceed with it). I haven't stepped foot in a church in the town where we live. Ultimately, we will see how it unfolds, and then in a few years, I'll be facing the exact same question with my younger child.😵