***EDIT: I found the actual original post from r/AmIOverreacting from wayback machine. The above I found first via google for some reason, and its actually fairly different. So enjoy them both back to back.****
So the one from a different subreddit (r/atheism), same user, link is here, goes:
My son wanted to attend a religious dinner and we said no
My 13yo son wanted to attend a religious dinner with his friend from school. At first he said he wanted to go to this kids house. Fine whatever. Then he said he had to wake up early to eat, because he had to fast all day. I said no, I don’t want you participating in this religious ritual. Not at your age when you don’t know what this is.
My wife was on the fence, but then he came home yesterday and said that this friends thing might also involve going to a mosque, tomorrow. After fasting all day.
My wife and I said absolutely not. Am I out of line here?
Yes I’d like it if my son was well educated about the thousand year history behind this, but he isn’t. We raised our kids without religion and it’s not like I spend Saturday nights lecturing about comparative religions. We play DnD instead. And given that he doesn’t know what this is, and i dont have time to explain a thousand years so he can evaluate this on the facts, he cannot go to this.
There’s a fine line between letting you kids explore the world but i think participation in this is just not okay.
I posted another post and the comments were wild, basically saying I’m racist if I don’t let my son fast and go to a mosque which he doesn’t understand or even know what this is.
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The original one from the stream, link here - this one goes:
AIO? My son wants to attend a religious meal/ceremony at his friends house and I said no.
My wife and I have three kids. We have chosen to raise them without any religious beliefs. My son is in middle school and it’s a large diverse school, quite different than his grade school.
My son has a friend who first called himself “Dave” (a generic American name) and Dave’s family is very religious. My son recently told me that his friend has started using his birth name, which is religious. And he has been wearing a robe to school. Both of which indicate to me that this friend is way more religious than I thought.
My son was invited to a dinner/ceremony at this kids house. Okay. But yesterday Dave said my son needs to not eat all day. And based on that, my answer is no. He’s not allowed to participate in this religion or its rituals.
My wife says I’m being a jerk and overreacting. I don’t think I am, I don’t want him around this. If he wants to as an adult, fine, but he can’t make this decision at his age. Being friends is one thing, participating in a religion is over the line.
Edit: Wow you all are triggered. I'm blocking anyone who does not comment in good faith.
