Assembly of God questions.

[AWD]

My wife is taking out daughter to tour a possible kindergarten at a church that is Assembly of God in denomination. Anyone know anything about it? I mean, I don't mind a certain amount of Jesus Loves Me, but I want to know if she's going to be exposed to a bunch of conservative evangelistic propaganda.

Any thoughts? Experiences?

[comsymp]

1. Well, it IS a conservative denomination

Think Jim/Tammy Faye, Swaggart, Trinity Broadcasting Network, etc.

And they ARE an evangelical group. Found this link for some light reading:
http://ag.org/top/beliefs/truths_condensed.cfm

[JitterbugPerfume]

2. Think JOHN ASHCROFT

his father and grandfather were AG ministers

It is the church I was brought up in BAD NEWS

[LibProf]

3. You should

go and see for yourself. And go more than once, first impressions aren't always so telling. Your daughter is well worth spending some time with her at this place.

[Mel]

4. NO NO NO NO NO

I have experience one year (7th grade) they are scary one hour assembly preaching periods everyday speaking in tongues falling down :crazy: and if you want your daughter to get a good education in Science forget about it, it's not going to happen in that kind of school. I had to go to Xtian schools up until the 8th grade and the
Assembly of God one was the worst!

Sorry if I've insulted anyone but having to go too fundamentalist private schools get down on your knees to have your skirt measured, women are less, evil Xtian schools and live with fundamentalists is a fight to get out with your mind in tact the only regret I have is that someone like myself had to waste my time and mind power fighting it.
I also do know the difference in what a Christian is and what I had to endure so I'm not knocking what I call 'the liberals that are like Jesus' I did learn what they said they just didn't seem to get it theirselves if you can understand what I'm saying? In other words they didn't practice what they preached.

I sometimes wonder what I'd be doing if I would of had liberal parents? Who knows? I might of ended up like Ari :-) and well I'm at peace with it now.
I think it gave me grit!

NO NO NO NO NO to that school. I can't believe your even thinking about it. I'm kinda shocked no offense. I can't change what I went through but I can tell you I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

[AWD]

12. Keep in mind....

...this is ONLY for Kindergarten, and it's only for half a day and only for 6 months.

the other half-day she goes to the Jewish Community Center for Daycare, and in April she goes to Montesorri school.

NO WAY will she see anything past Kindergarten.

[madrchsod]

5. i don`t know where you live

and other factors..but.. if you want your daughter to have a diverse education then go to public schools. if you want to have a narrow view then private schools would be best. the biggest problem i see with private schools is their narrow views on the world around them. also -i guess i`m old fashioned,but i always thought religion should be taught in sunday school . check it out for yourself.and see if you feel comfortable with the whole experience. just my two cents,ajusted for deflation

[Quizzical]

11. I disagree, although I concede perhaps regions have an effect.

I went to a private boarding school here in Minnesota, and I couldn't agree less with your statement about private schools having narrow world views. Public schools may have some exchange students, but the school I attended had fewer than 300 students who came from 32 states and 12 countries. In particular, there were 11 students from Japan, 14 students from Korea, 6 students from Taiwan, 6 from China (mostly Hong Kong), and 5 from Canada. It was theoretically an Episcopal school, but really religion was a very small part of its curriculum.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

6. In a word, sure... if you want to raise a religious zealot

or have a daughter that hates you later in life... or both

try something more mainstream, like Baptists or Lutherans, they have schools too

AG's are extremists in the world of extremists. Ashcroft is from one of the more liberal brances of it. Need I say more?

[sugarcookie]

7. I visited one when I was I High School

...I was used to my laid back little Methodist Church and it scared the heck out of me. I don't mean to be disrespectful to anyone attending that church but talking in tongues can be pretty scarey to an outsider. I would attend with her the first time if I were you.

I think they are similar in "beliefs" to a Pentecostal Church. Though they are not as rigid on the the women's dress code and no TV, jewelry and women cutting thier hair.

[salin]

17. from what I understand

from one who is very well versed in different denominations (worked for years in a number of bible colleges), yes the Pentacostals are more rigid about the dress (for females: don't cut hair, always wear dresses, etc.) both denominations talk in tongues. BUT the AoG are more rigid about talking in tongues - it isn't "when it moves you" it is that you are somehow suspect if you do NOT speak in tongues. they seem to be more extreme on charismatic part of the faith.

Even if there was no specific religion being taught in the school, I would not send a child of mine to a school run by this denomination unless I learned the individual church was rather renegade and "liberal" (which might just mean there isn't as much social pressure around the issue of talking in tongues).

[salin]

18. clarification

I know this from a good friend (and many conversations with said friend) who worked for years in a number of bible colleges. Rereading it almost looks like I was saying that I had worked as such. Clarification is important in that I can't answer the question, from experience, just have had numerous conversations on similar topics with this person who is very knowledgable on the topic.

[sugarcookie]

19. I've got to admit the only reason I visited

was because of a crush on a boy who attended. I remember him telling me after the service that they were against dancing. My teenage heart was crushed. lol...I gave up dancing for all of two days. After the third day all I could think was "I've got to dump him before Prom."


Thanks for the explanation. I sure didn't know the pressure to talk in tongues was greater for AoG.
edit: spelling

[Catch22Dem]

8. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Please, for your child's sake, don't bury them in religion at kindergarden age! What's wrong with public school?

[AWD]

14. She can't get in

..to public shool.

Despite being smart enough, her birthday is October 22nd,. and they refuse to allow her in if her birthday is after October 1st.

And I refuse to let her sit in daycare for a year while other kids her age are beginning school.

[LearnedHand]

9. They do ALL the weird s**t...

speak in tongues, prophesy, cast out demons, etc. I sure wouldn't expose a 7th grader to them because it could scare her away from churches altogether. If it's important to you that she be involved in religious upbringing, I'd keep her as far away from these wingnut zealots as your geography will allow.

[listenup]

10. they scared the god out of me when they

started gathering around the front of the church area and someone started talking in tongues. Excuse me, but no one interpreted the supposed god words, and it freaked me out.

[sugarcookie]

15. I remember praying silently to myself

...that the ghost wouldn't try to get in me. All I could think was "God, please get me out of here!"

But those are the kind of thoughts you have when you are younger.

[ButterflyBlood]

13. AoG are the complete, total, speaking in tongues fundies

avoid at all costs.

[TrogL]

16. Absolutely wacko

Do not let your child anywhere near these people.

[blessedleader]

20. I was AoG for four years

Never went to school there. . . but Ashcroft did visit our church once and sang to us. (before he was Nazi-in-chief) There's some good people and some bad people. . . really depends on the church. . . the one I went to had 2000 members, so it ran mostly middle of the road, because it wanted them to all keep coming. . . any of them with a smaller amount of people. . . . I'd be intensely afraid of. I'd probably talk to them like I was open to evangelistic propaganda to get a true answer out of them. . . if you come out and say, "I don't want my kid to be a freak like y'all" they might lie to you straight out and tell you what you want to hear. . . if there's a more mainline option, go for it. . . I went to a Methodist pre-school and I don't remember any doctrine being tossed around. (as if I would. . . I was 4. c'mon. ;-))

[MI Cherie]

21. My experience with AoG was scary ...

All nice-nice inside the building, but darn near got hit in the parking lot on numerous occasions! They couldn't wait to get away!

Also, my parents got heavily involved for years. They helped with senior lunches, mailings, etc. When my mom got sick and couldn't do for them, I don't remember ANYONE visiting. The minister only showed up for her funeral because he got paid. NO ONE else came, that I recall.

Even worse for my dad. NOBODY ever checked to see how he was doing. Once you quit putting $$ into the collection plate, they don't care. Not one person from there called or showed up for his funeral, either.

I call that hypocrisy