Survival Guide to a Christian School

[Minerva]

I know this is titled Advice, it's more of a Rant with advice. This is what I've learned from years of going to a Christian School.

1. Prepare to have Creationism shoved down your throat. Yes, no matter what class: History, Science, Bible, Music, Drama, the school I went to tried to shove Creationism down everyone's throats. They even said a Compromise belief wasn't good enough. (I am a Theistic Evolutionist.) They preach good old 6000-10000 year Earth, despite all the evidence against it. (Granted, there is about the same amount for it, and against evolution, but hey, whatever.) I believe that if God can create the world, he can create it in billions of years by any means possible.

2. Find a Friend who shares your beliefs or doesn't care. This one is big. If anyone finds out you're a Theistic Evolutionist, or a Catholic, there will be people that hate you for it. I once went for something, and had things THROWN at me. A shoe, various balls in the gym, and a Tupperware container were some things. Along with pencils, insults, and paper wads. If you have friends who share your beliefs or want to know more, they will defend you.

3. Know the Principal really well. My sister went before, and was a Teacher's favorite. That teacher became the principal. If this happens, you have someone in Authority on your side. They will deal with issues you're facing.

4. Do not! I repeat, Do not call out their hypocrisy. This is a big one, if you call out someone's hypocrisy, prepare to be in a debate over Religion.

5. The final one: do not say "Theirs might just be as correct as ours" when discussing religion. I said this during a debate on Islam, and got a ten minute lecture on what's wrong with Islam. I see nothing wrong with other religions, but they do. So, apparently, discussing Religion is out at a school where Religion is the main factor.

There you have it, Paladin's list of how to survive a Christian School. If there's anything I should add to it, or anything you have to say, go ahead and tell it below.

 

[Kagayours]

Theistic Evolutionist

Eyyyyyyy. *high five* :D

Seriously though, sucks that you had to go through all that. Such levels of intolerance and inflexibility really give a bad name to theists everywhere.

 

[Minerva]

Eyyyyyyy. *high five* :D

Seriously though, sucks that you had to go through all that. Such levels of intolerance and inflexibility really give a bad name to theists everywhere.

I know. It's like

"What did Jesus Preach?"

 

[Kagayours]

I know. It's like

"What did Jesus Preach?"

 

[Archwar]

Well, may Allah help you out with such things. I'm Muslim and go to public school(no matter how much I hate it) and I'm exposed to a lot of things there.

Also, the quran supports evolution. One such verse says something about us coming from plants.

 

[Minerva]

Well, may Allah help you out with such things. I'm Muslim and go to public school(no matter how much I hate it) and I'm exposed to a lot of things there.

Also, the quran supports evolution. One such verse says something about us coming from plants.

Thank you, thank you! I need all the prayer I can get from anywhere if I am to survive this.

 

[Space Cowboy]

"Theirs might just be as correct as ours"

Once upon a time, there lived six blind men in a village. One day the villagers told them, "Hey, there is an elephant in the village today."

They had no idea what an elephant is. They decided, "Even though we would not be able to see it, let us go and feel it anyway." All of them went where the elephant was. Everyone of them touched the elephant.

"Hey, the elephant is a pillar," said the first man who touched his leg.

"Oh, no! it is like a rope," said the second man who touched the tail.

"Oh, no! it is like a thick branch of a tree," said the third man who touched the trunk of the elephant.

"It is like a big hand fan" said the fourth man who touched the ear of the elephant.

"It is like a huge wall," said the fifth man who touched the belly of the elephant.

"It is like a solid pipe," Said the sixth man who touched the tusk of the elephant.

They began to argue about the elephant and everyone of them insisted that he was right. It looked like they were getting agitated.

A wise man was passing by and he saw this. He stopped and asked them, "What is the matter?" They said, "We cannot agree to what the elephant is like." Each one of them told what he thought the elephant was like. The wise man calmly explained to them, "All of you are right. The reason every one of you is telling it differently because each one of you touched the different part of the elephant. So, actually the elephant has all those features that you all said."

"Oh!" everyone said. There was no more fighting. They felt happy that they were all right.


The moral of the story is that there may be a little truth in what someone says or believes. Sometimes we can see that truth, and sometimes not; they have a different history, perspective, and background on what they have been told and what they have seen and experienced. So, rather than arguing like the blind men, we should say, "Maybe you have your reasons."

 

[Minerva]

Once upon a time, there lived six blind men in a village. One day the villagers told them, "Hey, there is an elephant in the village today."

They had no idea what an elephant is. They decided, "Even though we would not be able to see it, let us go and feel it anyway." All of them went where the elephant was. Everyone of them touched the elephant.

"Hey, the elephant is a pillar," said the first man who touched his leg.

"Oh, no! it is like a rope," said the second man who touched the tail.

"Oh, no! it is like a thick branch of a tree," said the third man who touched the trunk of the elephant.

"It is like a big hand fan" said the fourth man who touched the ear of the elephant.

"It is like a huge wall," said the fifth man who touched the belly of the elephant.

"It is like a solid pipe," Said the sixth man who touched the tusk of the elephant.

They began to argue about the elephant and everyone of them insisted that he was right. It looked like they were getting agitated.

A wise man was passing by and he saw this. He stopped and asked them, "What is the matter?" They said, "We cannot agree to what the elephant is like." Each one of them told what he thought the elephant was like. The wise man calmly explained to them, "All of you are right. The reason every one of you is telling it differently because each one of you touched the different part of the elephant. So, actually the elephant has all those features that you all said."

"Oh!" everyone said. There was no more fighting. They felt happy that they were all right.


The moral of the story is that there may be a little truth in what someone says or believes. Sometimes we can see that truth, and sometimes not; they have a different history, perspective, and background on what they have been told and what they have seen and experienced. So, rather than arguing like the blind men, we should say, "Maybe you have your reasons."

True, you're right, you are very right. Every religion is of sorts, an aspect of God.

 

[Salsacookies]

I guess I got lucky in my school. It was more of a generic public school (Just put ALL the grades in the same building (EVEN the K-4)). The teachers were strict and kinda mean when teaching, but pretty cool otherwise. There were idiots, but they were passive aggressive jerks who prefer to just jab at you with words, and there was no religious persecution amongst the students (We had a German student who didn't believe in God, and the worst she got was some mild argument with the teachers, and she had plenty of friends, including me), and the students argued with the teachers over religion,(they feel having the students figure out who they are is better than sheltering and oppressing them.)

The students didn't like it much because they thought the teaching was stupid, so they went to homeschool.

 

[Minerva]

I guess I got lucky in my school. It was more of a generic public school (Just put ALL the grades in the same building (EVEN the K-4)). The teachers were strict and kinda mean when teaching, but pretty cool otherwise. There were idiots, but they were passive aggressive jerks who prefer to just jab at you with words, and there was no religious persecution amongst the students (We had a German student who didn't believe in God, and the worst she got was some mild argument with the teachers, and she had plenty of friends, including me), and the students argued with the teachers over religion,(they feel having the students figure out who they are is better than sheltering and oppressing them.)

The students didn't like it much because they thought the teaching was stupid, so they went to homeschool.

I guess living in the Bible belt also helps what I said.

 

[Salsacookies]

I live in Oklahoma. Tornado valley!

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

I'm glad I went to a public school and not a religious school.

Granted, when I was a kid my Mom was first looking at a Catholic School.
They only reason she turned it down was because they weren't willing to co-operate with the therapy I needed at the time.

But then again, my parents are Casual Christians, so odd's are I would have been pulled from the Catholic school fairly quick anyways.

Though question, does your religious school have mandatory uniforms?
That's something almost every religious school in my area has to deal with, but none of the public schools do.

 

[Salsacookies]

Just need a polo for us

 

[Minerva]

I'm glad I went to a public school and not a religious school.

Granted, when I was a kid my Mom was first looking at a Catholic School.
They only reason she turned it down was because they weren't willing to co-operate with the therapy I needed at the time.

But then again, my parents are Casual Christians, so odd's are I would have been pulled from the Catholic school fairly quick anyways.

Though question, does your religious school have mandatory uniforms?
That's something almost every religious school in my area has to deal with, but none of the public schools do.

I went to Catholic School for about a year, and the quit due to issues with students. This one is "Non-denominational" and no, we have a Dress Code, but not a Uniform. There are some that do in our area, though.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

Dress code as in "Nothing vulgar" or a more strict one?

 

[Minerva]

Dress code as in "Nothing vulgar" or a more strict one?

Nothing Vulgar, revealing, no skulls, no skirts above the knee. Etc.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

no skirts above the knee. Etc.

Lord kill me now...

 

[LunaValentine]

Nothing Vulgar, revealing, no skulls, no skirts above the knee. Etc.

@Gen. Gwazi Magnum this is pretty average in my area for public schools....except for the skulls I don't know the rules on that one. But to be fair....it's not followed as well as it should have been.

 

[Minerva]

Lord kill me now...

Also, no V-necks for girls. (Literally the most disobeyed rule. And no one cares.)

stupidest one: No flip flops.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

@Gen. Gwazi Magnum this is pretty average in my area for public schools....except for the skulls I don't know the rules on that one. But to be fair....it's not followed as well as it should have been.

My school's only rule has tended to be nothing vulgar.
High shorts, skirts etc are allowed.

Granted some students weren't allowed via parents, but it was allowed by a school and some students would wear such things during the Spring and Summer months.