Being an Atheist parent in a Christian land

[salty]

I've met those kids you're talking about. I attended a Christian college and I thought it was crazy when this kid told me the music I was playing wasn't right because of the drums and screaming, they automatically assumed the lyrics were bad.

This is the kind of thing that really bugs me. People telling you that you shouldn't listen to certain types of music, or that you shouldn't dance a certain way (or even that you shouldn't dance at all!) because it violates what they consider to be "God's will".

I fail to see how any deity could be concerned with you listening to music or dancing. It seems to me he would be more concerned with how you live your life and what kind of character you have.

I agree. I too feel that God is more concerned about the inner you than the outer, but wouldn't you think that the inner you is expressed through the outer? If you're engaging in nasty dancing, doesn't that mean that you're engaging in certain thoughts to get you to do those dances? That's the reason a lot of Christian institutions don't allow certain music or dancing, not because students cannot choose good music, but because the institution doesn't condone what can come of the thoughts that you have when you engaging in dancing to certain kinds of music, especally in a certain atmosphere.

I think the only way for people to tell you what to do is if you let them. When I came to this forum I read the rules and decided I wanted to follow them, because I don't want to be banned. I could still storm in and do what I want to do, but the likely result is that I will be banned if I don't mind the rules. Christians act the same way, they feel there's a punishment for disobedience, but you choose if you listen or not.

I'm sorry you've met Christians that are telling you what to do, the only people that Christians should be working on are themselves (because we represent the Christian movement), people in the church (because they have declared they want accountability) and people who ask for help (because they have expressed the desire to change). Everyone else can do what they want to do.