Thrown out of Sunday School?????

[ParanoidAndroid]

Hi again,

I just thought I'd bring up a matter that has been bugging me somewhat recently. As the thread title suggests, it's about Sunday School. Just to clarify for people, I never went to Sunday School. I was brought up in a non-Christian home and did not come to Christ until I was in my early 20's. And having never worked with the Sunday School, I cannot say I have any experience or knowledge in this respect.

But something has been bothering me lately about this issue, particularly online as I read through stories of people who deconverted from Christianity and share some of their stories of Sunday School.

One of the more common phrases I hear is something along the lines of:

"they never liked any other question but "does god love everyone", or "did Jesus die for my sins". As such, I was nearly thrown out of Sunday School and my mother was spoken to by the Pastor".

There are always variations on this basic comment, but it's always the same. If a child asks a question that was not in line with the status quo, they were banned, threatened, coerced, or otherwise made to stop. As I said, I never went to Sunday School myself, so I can't say I really know what happens there. But I can't imagine ever saying these things to a kid that was asking questions, even if those questions were questioning their Faith.

So I just thought I'd get a Christian perspective on this issue, and how these kinds of issues are dealt with within the Sunday School format.

Any replies, thoughts, or comments are appreciated. Thank you,

~ Paranoid Android

edit: oops, left in some draft material that I intended to remove *blushes*

double edit: grrr, grammar - that's what you get for posting at 1:30am after working like crazy on uni assessments that last few days

Edited November 22, 2007 by ParanoidAndroid

[Trusting Jesus]

Many Sunday school teachers just us a pre-programmed booklet and follow that. That's good, but it doesn't always answer questions. I think that some Sunday school teachers don't really have the answers either. They are just regular people who teach out of a book. I am not putting them down, may God bless them for stepping into a position like that. In 2 Peter we are admonished to always be ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within us.

In the church my family and I attend has many Sunday school classes so my daughter and my husband and I all attend different classes. My husband and daughter's classes follow a book and it doesn't get realy deep. My class, though, is going through the Bible chronologically and there is a lot of studying involved. I love it! I really think that we need to dig deeper into the Bible and teach a real understanding of it to all ages.

<>< ><>

Nathele

[OneLight]

I never went to Sunday School, nor taught one, but I always thought that there is more Q&A time and not just following a book. I also thought that those who do teach, were teaching due to a calling and not just because of a need being filled. I appear to be wrong on both.

Yet, doing away with Sunday School seems wrong to me. Maybe there should a different focus then just being book learned, not meaning the Bible, of course.

OneLight

[Guest lovinghim4ever]

I've attended and taught Sunday school. I never kicked a child out of Sunday school for asking a question. I always told them that they could ask me anything as long as they were respectful in the way they ask. If I didn't know the answer to their question I simply tell the truth and say, "I'm sorry. I don't know, but I will find out." That response was always okay with them, because the truth truly is always best.