@
xtremeteal4life
Again I think you give kids in general FAR too little credit for knowing what they believe, standing up for what they believe, and knowing when there is really not an issue to fight about.
You have no idea what it's really like for some of these kids. Notice that a few of the brave younger ones (late teens, early twenties) actually admitted a difference in beliefs and most of the other ones (athletes) have said they just go along w/it.
Actually I do because those brave younger ones are my children. My three kids (23, 19, 12) grew up in a Christian church. We attend services together, pray together, enjoy the fellowship of our church family, and try to relax on Sundays. However, my oldest daughter has from a fairly early age said she does not believe in Christianity. She still attend church with us because she enjoys the fellowship, time with family, and respects our beliefs. Sometimes she will pray with us and sometimes she won't. There has been times when she refused to go foward for Communion and times when she did not. Either way, our family and even more importantly our church family has loved her. She was open about her beliefs in high school and received no issue with it. I hope someday she will bring Christ into her heart but I will love her and respect her either way.
My middle child (19) questioned Christianity as well but decided to go through confirmation classes at the age of 14 so he could learn more. At the end of the class he decided to not join the church as he was still unsure of his beliefs. I along with our whole church family embraced him for his dedication in learning about our religion and for not making a decision until he was sure. He willingly sat with his confirmation class during the service while the rest of the kids went forward to join. He was never judged for his decision by me, our family, or his peers at church.
My youngest (12) attends church regularly and has a close knit group of friends there. She is beginning to ask many questions and I welcome them all. She will attend confirmation classes in 2 years and will make her own decision on whether to join our church.
I haven't really seen many who have been openly saying, I LOVE praying in the gym and I feel it's so important to me, etc.
Feel free to come on down the road to CAC. I could line the the kids up for you that would be willing to give testimony of their faith and how it is a part of their entire life, including cheerleading.
It is in most young people's initial instinct is to conform...just think about the way kids dress in school. Think how important it is that they wear THIS particular brand of clothes, or whatever trend is popular at the moment..and then think about the select few who choose to step outside the box and dye their hair neon green. Think about the ones who wouldn't dare openly admit they are homosexual in school for fear of ridicule. The list goes on and it includes religion whether or not anyone cares to admit it.
I don't know your experience with teenagers right now but the above paragraph makes a great sound bite but is not what all kids face these days. Does this happen? Of course sometimes it does...but it also DOESN'T happen a whole lot as well. My kids attend what would be considered a conservative public school in Charlotte. The kids there come from all different ethnic, religious, and cultural areas. There are many that are openly gay and lesbian. Neon Green hair is against the systems rules but you see almost every other thing that is used to be seen as an individual. These "non-comformists" are also the kids that hold offices in school, play sports, and make the best grades. They would be considered the "popular" group.
To know that there are kids who don't feel the same way, but won't say anything bc of the fear of being different and the potential implications and pitfalls for that young person?
I don't doubt there are some kids that feel pressure to conform but there is a growing trend for teenagers right now to be the exact opposite. Teenagers right now are seeing "conforming" as bad and they are doing whatever it takes to not be seen this way. Kids are incredible smart and intuitive these days. They are studying subjects in high school that we didn't see until our senior years of college. They are traveling abroad and experiencing cultures that we only read about. And they are so much more open and accepting of differences that we were once told were bad when we were younger. We give teenagers way too little credit for being the smart, accepting, and passionate people that they are.
Lastly to the question of giving prayer time at practice for other religions. CAC's mission statement includes Judean-Christian principles so I cannot say that would happen there. However for the sake of argument, if the gym were not religious based, as a parent I would have no issue with prayers being given by other religions. My daughter is smart enough to know what she believes and open enough to not judge others for theirs. I'd probably even ask that parent or child to have lunch or dinner with me later so I could learn more about their religion just so I would be informed. I probably wouldn't change my beliefs but I welcome learning about others.