Hellobee Boards

Absolutely - not acceptable. I come from a region where religion is serious business (our way is the right/only way), and as an ex-Christian, I do not take lightly the influence it has on youth.

I would pull them out immediately. Not ok for us.

Yes, that would be a dealbreaker for us.

Complex question. In this case, I would be okay with it. What exactly are they expected to do? Lower their heads during a group prayer? I wouldn't have a problem with that. That could be simple respect. Or is it repeating a prayer? Perhaps I need more info. I also think praying is a peaceful and personal act, so I'm not sure it is something I would see as negative.

My first impulse is definitely yes it would bother me, but I think it would depend on the content and the way it's presented. Silent time that can be used for personal prayer or non religious reflection? Fine. Prayer said together or that is presented in a way that is specific to one religion definitely would bother me though

Dealbreaker. Secular education was my #1 priority.

In our current situation- living in the US and picking a town based on school districts it would be a definite deal breaker.

I really can't speak to making the choice if we were living abroad though. Depends on the country, the overall area, and the school options. It's easy to say I would never allow it now but in a very different living situation, who knows.

It would be huge deal breaker.

I'm torn. T goes to daycare at a Catholic school which does not do prayer but the preschool and above does. I've talked to the principal and she said many kids come who are not Catholic. I'm on the fence about changing schools at preschool. But we are still considering private school there. It's a very well respected private school that goes through 8th grade and most classes have less than 10 kids. I wish she could go to private school that is not religious. We will see. We have tilll fall 2018 to decide

We are Protestant so the Catholic thing didn't bug me at first - we would just explain the theological differences - but then I was like well let's say the option was a minority religion with a vastly different theology or basis and they were praying several times a day or engaging in religious rituals or practices and then I was like yeah, nope. So I guess it would bother me.

If I enrolled my kids in a Catholic school it would not upset me that they were then expected to pray according to the Catholic religion.

@honeybear: True. Catholics (I am one) venerate Mary and ask intercession of the saints, but it so much easier to type "pray to" haha

I'm don't take issue with my kids learning about different religions, but I would take issue with my kids being forced to do something that didn't line up with our beliefs.

Interestingly, although I'm atheist, I don't think it would bother me much. My best friend (non-catholic), went to catholic school and she is no more religious after than before. Both my nieces go to a catholic school too and my brother is also atheist. I guess it would depend on how forceful the school was about pushing the religion and if it was otherwise the only good option.

It completely depends on the situation.

I don't know any public school that allows prayer at all anymore, so I can't fathom a situation in which prayer would be required.

That leaves private school as the only type of school where prayer would be aloud, let alone required....and for that my thought is that you shouldn't send your child to a school with a religious foundation if you don't believe in that religion.

I was raised Christian, and even though I'm pretty lax with religion I attended a Baptist college and Chapel was a required "class". As annoying as it was, it was my decision to go to that *private* college and that was one of the required classes....so you can't really complain or protest.