Playseum and religion?

[Anonymous]

I'm Brigid Schulte, a reporter for the Washington Post. I am trying to find the people on this listserve or others who say they've found a religious slant at the Playseum. One poster said the owner told her she would go to hell if she didn't accept Jesus. Another said she was given pro-life literature. Another said the place is funded by right-wing religious right groups.

I have talked to the owner and to people who know her, she says the "go to hell" posting is completely fabricated. (The poster wrote on Christmas Day, saying she was there "yesterday." Which would have been Christmas Eve. The Playseum closed Dec. 23. If the scenario was totally untrue - why post it? Who did this? Why were people so quick to jump on the bandwagon? The owner said she furnished the space by combing estate sales for the past few years and through some local business sponsors and her own credit cards. She said that while she is Christian, she wanted to create a play space for families in the Playseum, not seek converts.

I've seen the website and that it mentions God and her Christian youth group. I've been to the Playseum. I've talked to a host of parents who've been there. NO ONE has reported that they've seen or felt any religious bent. Still, as a result of some of swirling, anonymous rumors, this woman's business is being affected - business has fallen off with the negative buzz and public school field trips have been cancelled.

Is this death by internet rumor and viral hearsay? If anyone has any concrete evidence or specific stories about the Playseum having a religious bent, I want to hear them. Come out of the shadows and call me: 202 509 3097. Or send me an email [e-mail].

[Anonymous]

Why doesn't she remove the stuff from her website if she doesn't want people to think it's a religious place?

[Anonymous]

Please don't trust what you read on this site for even a story lead. It's too easy to post freakish nightmare scenarios because it's all anonymous.

[Anonymous]

Are you trying to get a story or convince us that it is not true? Times are tough and it is hard on a lot of small businesses.

Agree with the other poster, her own website is enough to keep me away.

[Anonymous]

I've met the owner and brought my daughter to the Playseum on several occasions. Other than what is mentioned on the website, I have never felt that they are trying to push religion, particularly Christianity. In fact, I was there during Hanukah and they had provided cookies in the shapes of dreidels and Jewish stars to help commemorate the holiday. The owner, Gina, couldn't be nicer. She has put blood, sweat and tears into creating this great play space in a city that lacks a Children's Museum. I think it is an outrage that she is losing business due to some vindictive, mean-spirited things that were posted on this website. Some of the people who come on here are just plain cruel and are using this forum as an outlet for their hostility toward the world in general.

As a PP mentioned, I wouldn't use anything on this forum as a lead for a story. It's just not a reliable source.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you trying to get a story or convince us that it is not true? Times are tough and it is hard on a lot of small businesses.

Agree with the other poster, her own website is enough to keep me away.

I agree with this. It doesn't sound like the OP is looking for an objective story.

The Interactions Learn and Play in Kensington is also closing, and I liked that place so much better than the Playseum.

The owner might want to reconsider her wording on the website, but also keep the place a little cleaner and check out her staff. It's a business and people are going to go where they feel welcome and have fun.

[Anonymous]

Isn't running a story in the Washington Post about a religious controversy, even if in the fourth paragraph down you say you found no evidence of truth, going to hurt this person's business even more? Why make even more people aware that some posters think there is something to the religion thing? No offense but the Post doesn't have a great reputation anymore. I suspect some people will be just as likely to believe the whole thing is true if you write that it is not true.

Why would you think that her business was being hurt by the silly thread on this site? I'm just curious whether you have credible evidence that people are not going because they think it is religious beyond a subpage on the web site. I've been there and certainly did not see anything religious though probably would not have freaked out if I did. I do love Chik-Fil-A and I haven't seen anyone boycotting them because they are religious.

I did notice a few things that may explain why business was down but these are not as sensational as death by internet thread.

I noticed that the place is not handicapped accessible (might affect public school), a bit cramped, more for the under 3 age set and parking is difficult. My 3 yr old loves it but my 5 yr old is very bored there. It can get incredibly crowded which is a big turn off if you hit it at the wrong time. You probably would think twice about going back and they may have lost some repeat customers. I thought it was wonderful for a birthday party that we went to a few weeks ago. The kids had 2 hours of just free play but I know a few parents felt it didn't feel like a birthday party with the traditional activities that all kids do at the same time.

How do you know that the public schools are not canceling trips because of a rumor on DCUM? This is a fun place but not an educational field trip and certainly not a place for 5, 6, or 7 year olds at public school with all the museums, Kennedy Center and other places in DC. Schools have had huge budget hits and field trips are expensive. As a parent, I would be annoyed if the school did a field trip to Gymboree, My Gym or the Playseum. Its a play place not a real museum.

As a parent, I know that once the weather gets warm we spend much more time at outdoor parks. We still go to real museums or the zoo but the need for an indoor play place goes down significantly.

[jsteele]

Brigid,

This sounds like a very interesting story. I hope that those posters who made the charges against Playseum will come forward. If those stories turn out to be complete BS, I will be very disappointed.

I just read over the "PLAYSEUM Bethesda - religious slant". Unless I missed it, the original poster (the Dec. 25 poster), never returned to follow up the original post. The logs don't show any further visits to DCUM from that internet address.

Just prior to starting that thread, the poster had read another thread about Playseum. It would have made more sense to reply to that thread than to start an entirely new thread. Regardless, I'd really like the original poster to explain herself at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm Brigid Schulte, a reporter for the Washington Post. I am trying to find the people on this listserve or others who say they've found a religious slant at the Playseum. One poster said the owner told her she would go to hell if she didn't accept Jesus. Another said she was given pro-life literature. Another said the place is funded by right-wing religious right groups.

I have talked to the owner and to people who know her, she says the "go to hell" posting is completely fabricated. (The poster wrote on Christmas Day, saying she was there "yesterday." Which would have been Christmas Eve. The Playseum closed Dec. 23. If the scenario was totally untrue - why post it? Who did this? Why were people so quick to jump on the bandwagon? The owner said she furnished the space by combing estate sales for the past few years and through some local business sponsors and her own credit cards. She said that while she is Christian, she wanted to create a play space for families in the Playseum, not seek converts.

I've seen the website and that it mentions God and her Christian youth group. I've been to the Playseum. I've talked to a host of parents who've been there. NO ONE has reported that they've seen or felt any religious bent. Still, as a result of some of swirling, anonymous rumors, this woman's business is being affected - business has fallen off with the negative buzz and public school field trips have been cancelled.

Is this death by internet rumor and viral hearsay? If anyone has any concrete evidence or specific stories about the Playseum having a religious bent, I want to hear them. Come out of the shadows and call me: 202 509 3097. Or send me an email [e-mail].

Such a story would be a new low even for the Post. Can't any of you think up stories to write that aren't cribbed off DCUM? There are plenty of reasons that business at the Playseum might be off, like it's spring. Why would a public school take a field trip there? It is a place for little kids to play? Did you actually see documentaion of such a trip or are you trying to whip up even more controversy? I look forward to your answer.

[Anonymous]

oops, that should be "It is a place for little kids to play."

Is Gina trying to generate sympathy business? My kids go to DCPS and they go places like museums and the zoo for field trips. WHO was planning to take a class to the Playseum? It wouldn't even be practical with all of those tiny rooms. And what would be the educational purpose.

I'd love to know where the idea for the story generated.

[Anonymous]

I have been to the Playseum more than once. I've never heard Gina or her staff try to convert anyone.

I have heard her portray herself as a victim of anti-Christian prejudice, particularly for being closed on Sundays. She has since changed that policy (in response, or to make more $ after weekend bday parties, I can't say). No way to know if that prejudice actually happened, but lots of places, like Ramers, are closed on Sundays. I have no idea if that has to do with religion or not in the case of the shoe store but the Playseum website really opens the door to religion way more than most businesses, so she has to own that choice. Curious if this story originated with contact with her as a way to generate more traffic?

Jeff, thanks for chiming in with those additional facts. It's despicable conduct by that poster, especially inflamatory given the timing.

[Anonymous]

Don't meant to hijack the thread but I just have one question that didn't seem worth opening a new thread for--is it true that Interactions in Kensington is closing, as mentioned above? When? Why?

[Anonymous]

Such a story would be a new low even for the Post. Can't any of you think up stories to write that aren't cribbed off DCUM? There are plenty of reasons that business at the Playseum might be off, like it's spring. Why would a public school take a field trip there? It is a place for little kids to play? Did you actually see documentaion of such a trip or are you trying to whip up even more controversy? I look forward to your answer.


Brigid Schulte here again. The evidence is this: Westbrook Elementary School in Montgomery County had planned a kindergarten field trip there - the kids were learning about money and the Playseum had designed activities for the kids to learn and use money in exchange for goods and services. Some parents went to the principal to complain, in part because of the DCUM postings, and the trip was cancelled, citing separation of church and state. The story was brought to my attention by a blogger who takes her kids there and is upset by what's going on.

I, obviously, disagree with the poster who criticized me - to me, it makes sense to get input from this very forum that is having real-world consequences.

[Anonymous]

I did notice a number of Christian-themed books on one of the bookshelves (near the "shop"), without counterparts relating to other religions, but certainly no targeted proselytizing was going on.

I do think further angles for slowed business need to be explored -- spring, for instance. Certainly indoor places are more patronized in the cold weather. Also, at 5 a head, including the parent, I was out $15 bucks for just an hour or two of fun for small children. Kind of pricey for what it is, especially given the number of free options in this area.

[Anonymous]

I've been to the Playseum twice now with my almost 3 year old. I did not feel at all like there was any religuous bent to the place and no one approached me to discuss anything with religious significance. My son loved the place and I loved it the first time. But the 2nd time was SO crowded (I think it might have been President's Day holiday so I understand the crowd) that we couldn't really get access to many of the activities. I have not been back since but that only has to do with the tightness of the space and the sometimes large crowds and nothing to do with the place itself or the owner.