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[terryl965]

Martial Arts is a form of devil whorship, at Church yesterday I was infromed that my teaching Martial Arts is a form of letting the devil into a person soul. This did not come from the Father of the Church but instead by the lady that teaches Sunday school for my eight year old, she ask why he had a dragons on his coat and he aid he take TKD and she went into a frenzy with him about it being the devils way of taking over a person soul. Now I have to deal with this, What would be the best way of handleing it from a perspective of not offending the Church. We have been mambers there for a long time and most meember know I own and operate a school, but I believe this Sunday school teacher crossed the line with my son. Like to gey everybody else thought on this.

 

[rmclain]

Hi Terry,

I've heard religious people says things like this before. The reality is, most(not all) of these people are very ignorant of other cultures or many things outside of their church. They are the proverbial "Frog at the bottom of the well," - thinking that the small patch of sky overhead is the entire universe.

I would go talk with the person coordinating the Sunday school teachers. I wouldn't want any adult lecturing my child about this.

R. McLain

 

[Bigshadow]

Martial Arts is a form of devil whorship, at Church yesterday I was infromed that my teaching Martial Arts is a form of letting the devil into a person soul. This did not come from the Father of the Church but instead by the lady that teaches Sunday school for my eight year old, she ask why he had a dragons on his coat and he aid he take TKD and she went into a frenzy with him about it being the devils way of taking over a person soul. Now I have to deal with this, What would be the best way of handleing it from a perspective of not offending the Church. We have been mambers there for a long time and most meember know I own and operate a school, but I believe this Sunday school teacher crossed the line with my son. Like to gey everybody else thought on this.

Terry, I don't know if there is a solution that isn't going to be offensive. She apparently has escalated the level civility to a quite an uncivil level.

My personal opinions about what happened, why, and how to handle it is probably best left unsaid.

 

[terryl965]

Hi Terry,

I've heard religious people says things like this before. The reality is, most(not all) of these people are very ignorant of other cultures or many things outside of their church. They are the proverbial "Frog at the bottom of the well," - thinking that the small patch of sky overhead is the entire universe.

I would go talk with the person coordinating the Sunday school teachers. I wouldn't want any adult lecturing my child about this.

R. McLain

Thanks Master McLain and how would you approach this subject without offending anybody.

 

[terryl965]

Terry, I don't know if there is a solution that isn't going to be offensive. She apparently has escalated the level civility to a quite an uncivil level.

My personal opinions about what happened, why, and how to handle it is probably best left unsaid.

Bigshadow if you like you can Pm me with your comments and I probaly feel about the way you do to be honest about it.

 

[The Kidd]

Terry,

I would talk with the teacher, not in confrontative way but in a seeking answers mode. Just let her know that this is what your son said she said and wanted to know if that was true and if so could she please inform you where that was Biblically so you could be better informed as well. This gets her in a teacher role instead of a defensive one, once you open the door then you can continue to ask questions like your wanting to understand. Most likely she has taken something she heard out of context and has generalized it if you gently bring it to her attention thru a information seeking questioning then she will hopefully understand that there is no basis for her belief. Let me know how it goes.

 

[Cirdan]

I`d seriously consider how I like this person to be teaching my kids.

 

[SFC JeffJ]

First of all, I wouldn't let this person instruct my children in anything anymore. I don't think that if you offend her, that the rest of the church would be offended. They know what you do and seem to accept that. It is just this woman who would be offended, and it sounds like she is asking to be.

Jeff

 

[Jade Tigress]

That's just crazy Terry.

 

[MA-Caver]

Terry,
I would talk with the teacher, not in confrontative way but in a seeking answers mode. Just let her know that this is what your son said she said and wanted to know if that was true and if so could she please inform you where that was Biblically so you could be better informed as well. This gets her in a teacher role instead of a defensive one, once you open the door then you can continue to ask questions like your wanting to understand. Most likely she has taken something she heard out of context and has generalized it if you gently bring it to her attention thru a information seeking questioning then she will hopefully understand that there is no basis for her belief. Let me know how it goes.

Well I can guess that she got the equation of Dragons = Satan times Dragon symbols/patches equals Satanic worship, from the book of Revelations as it mentions Dragons coming to destroy the good in the final battle of Armageddon. It's like that peace symbol thread (elsewhere on this board) and how some people take things way out of context and put a singular idea onto a symbol.
Talking might help but sometimes some people just can't be convinced. So you might have to pull your kid outta that particular sunday school. Either that or have a talk with the pastor in charge about it.
It's important for parents to occasionally sit in their child's place of learning, be it Sunday School or regular school. Might embarrass the kid for a day (or three) but the parent does get a better idea of what their child is being taught.
In-so-far this inailenable right hasn't been taken away.

 

[Lisa]

First of all, I wouldn't let this person instruct my children in anything anymore. I don't think that if you offend her, that the rest of the church would be offended. They know what you do and seem to accept that. It is just this woman who would be offended, and it sounds like she is asking to be.

Jeff

I agree with Jeff.

She is making some pretty big presumptions based on no knowledge of what she is talking about. I would talk to the Father of the church and tell him your concerns and see where that goes.

 

[Rich Parsons]

Martial Arts is a form of devil whorship, at Church yesterday I was infromed that my teaching Martial Arts is a form of letting the devil into a person soul. This did not come from the Father of the Church but instead by the lady that teaches Sunday school for my eight year old, she ask why he had a dragons on his coat and he aid he take TKD and she went into a frenzy with him about it being the devils way of taking over a person soul. Now I have to deal with this, What would be the best way of handleing it from a perspective of not offending the Church. We have been mambers there for a long time and most meember know I own and operate a school, but I believe this Sunday school teacher crossed the line with my son. Like to gey everybody else thought on this.

As others have said, talk to the eldars of the church and explain to them what happened. Be calm and patient, it will go a long way to make your point. Be concerned about your child, and make it known that you did not appreciate what happened, but like I said in a calm and pateint manner.

I would explain it to my child if I had one, that one person does not represent the whole church and that as far as you know the leaders of the church have not issued a decree stating what she said.


Now, for my RANT! :soapbox:

This is why I do not like religions.

Religions are there for a sense of community, and to help guide people, the problem is that many people take a small piece of it and in their ignorance and desire to belong they condemn others and attack others who are different and or that they do not understand.

I have been condemned because I knew too much about science, "them there atoms and stuff that are made up, if you believe in them you cannot believe in something greater. "

I have seen people attack others and then be guilty of what they are attacking others about.

I would talk to those in charge, and if they do not show concern I would have no problem expressing my concern as I am sure there are other churches down the road. I would also explain that I would have no problem telling everyone that is willing to listen, including the news about their attack on you and your family. The one thing I have seen is that these closed communities perfer not to have too bright a light shined on them, and if comes down to having a woman even if she is a long time member removed from Sunday School, versus your bad publicity and the investigation and questions that might be asked about the other leaders and instructors and what does the Church really support and condemn.

Good Luck.

End Rant! :soapbox:

 

[MJS]

Martial Arts is a form of devil whorship, at Church yesterday I was infromed that my teaching Martial Arts is a form of letting the devil into a person soul. This did not come from the Father of the Church but instead by the lady that teaches Sunday school for my eight year old, she ask why he had a dragons on his coat and he aid he take TKD and she went into a frenzy with him about it being the devils way of taking over a person soul. Now I have to deal with this, What would be the best way of handleing it from a perspective of not offending the Church. We have been mambers there for a long time and most meember know I own and operate a school, but I believe this Sunday school teacher crossed the line with my son. Like to gey everybody else thought on this.

This person seems to have no real understanding of what the Martial Arts are all about. The understanding that she does have is a distorted one at best. You may want to set up a time when you can have a one on one chat with her regarding this. You know her better than I, so I don't know if this'll work, but its worth a shot.

Is it possible to put your son in another class with a different teacher?

Mike

 

[matt.m]

Terry,

I heard a lot of this kind of stuff before. To be diplomatic I would ask her why she felt the way she did. Ask good probing questions as to why in the most unconfrontational way you could.

Let her finish talking, then calmly and quietly tell her of the tennants of Tae Kwon Do, commitment, perserverance, that sort of thing. Talk to her about how Tae Kwon Do involves team work and group involvement and helps with goal setting.

Tell her of the positives that Tae Kwon Do has not only mentally, but physically and cerebrally.

That is how I would approach it. I think my first sentence to this woman would be something along the line of "I am horribly sorry that you don't understand what Tae Kwon Do is about. What questions or thoughts do you have?" Get her talking and just sit there quietly and wait for her to finish.

Good luck pal,:asian:

Matt

 

[exile]

First of all, I wouldn't let this person instruct my children in anything anymore. I don't think that if you offend her, that the rest of the church would be offended. They know what you do and seem to accept that. It is just this woman who would be offended, and it sounds like she is asking to be.

Jeff

Ditto to Cirdan, MA-Caver, RichP, and especially JeffJ. Terry, this is a kind of thinking that suggests a pathological view of the world. I've run into people like that who think that juggling is a form of devil worship, if you can believe it...

Carl Sagan's last (and terrific) book was titled The Demon-Haunted World. The woman teaching your child seems to live in that world, somewhere in the 14th century rather than the 21st. This is a kind of hysteria that, along the lines RichP points out, is fundamentally divisive and leads, not to fellowship but to witch-burning. I'm certainly not going to give anyone any advice, but if I were in your situation, I'd find another teacher for my child pronto.

 

[PeaceWarrior]

Terry,

I would talk with the teacher, not in confrontative way but in a seeking answers mode. Just let her know that this is what your son said she said and wanted to know if that was true and if so could she please inform you where that was Biblically so you could be better informed as well. This gets her in a teacher role instead of a defensive one, once you open the door then you can continue to ask questions like your wanting to understand. Most likely she has taken something she heard out of context and has generalized it if you gently bring it to her attention thru a information seeking questioning then she will hopefully understand that there is no basis for her belief. Let me know how it goes.

I agree

this is a good viewpoint too IMO: http://www.pastornet.net.au/response/articles/34.htm

 

[MJS]

Interestingly enough, I came across this. Now, after reading that, I can see what this woman must be thinking. After looking a little more, I came across this. Obviously, there are a few variations.

Mike

 

[mrhnau]

Terry,

I heard a lot of this kind of stuff before. To be diplomatic I would ask her why she felt the way she did. Ask good probing questions as to why in the most unconfrontational way you could.

Let her finish talking, then calmly and quietly tell her of the tennants of Tae Kwon Do, commitment, perserverance, that sort of thing. Talk to her about how Tae Kwon Do involves team work and group involvement and helps with goal setting.

Tell her of the positives that Tae Kwon Do has not only mentally, but physically and cerebrally.

That is how I would approach it. I think my first sentence to this woman would be something along the line of "I am horribly sorry that you don't understand what Tae Kwon Do is about. What questions or thoughts do you have?" Get her talking and just sit there quietly and wait for her to finish.

Very well said. Her beliefs have likely been grounded for a while now. Just be respectful. I've heard alot of that kind of stuff before. Here are some things she might bring up....

mediation
spirits (I've read a decent amount of MA books that discuss spirits)
origin in a country/society/understanding w/ an "incorrect" religion

Its going to be hard to confront this w/out some kind of rift. She will likely not look at you or your children the same, regardless of the outcome.

 

[Cirdan]

Carl Sagan's last (and terrific) book was titled The Demon-Haunted World.

A very good book indeed.

 

[Naha]

Terry,

I would talk with the teacher, not in confrontative way but in a seeking answers mode. Just let her know that this is what your son said she said and wanted to know if that was true and if so could she please inform you where that was Biblically so you could be better informed as well. This gets her in a teacher role instead of a defensive one, once you open the door then you can continue to ask questions like your wanting to understand. Most likely she has taken something she heard out of context and has generalized it if you gently bring it to her attention thru a information seeking questioning then she will hopefully understand that there is no basis for her belief. Let me know how it goes.

I think you need to speak with the teacher first so that you can be sure about what was exactly said. It has been my experience based on my years in the teaching profession that sometimes children misunderstand exactly what happened. This may not be the case at all. However, I would want to be sure first. I have had many meetings where the parent came in with one set of facts and the actually occurance was different. You might want the father present so that there is a neutral presence.

I understand that people don't always understand things outside of their experiences. You might end up helping her understand something she doesn't now.