Christian music on bus

[Anonymous]

So....my child is bussed to a magnet school about 45 minutes each way. Turns out the driver plays Christian music a lot, and he has my child sit up front due to his height and impulsivity issues. We are not Christian and my child had some serious issues last year -nightmares about the devil and hell, confusion about our faith tradition, etc. last year. Can I ask him not to play Christian music? Can kids bring iPods on the bus?

[Anonymous]

Does the Christian music have lyrics about the devil and hell? I'd be surprised if your DC is even listening to the lyrics of the songs. I'm an agnostic and I wouldn't worry about this. If my child asked I would simply explain what our beliefs are.

[Anonymous]

Ask about the iPods. I would not ask if the driver can be forced to stop playing his or her music as long as it didn't contain explicit language.

[Anonymous]

All the Christian praise music I hear is very positive and affirming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask about the iPods. I would not ask if the driver can be forced to stop playing his or her music as long as it didn't contain explicit language.

Driver should not be playing religious music.

[Anonymous]

I hate Christian music in public. So rude.

Is it bothering your son? Has he talked about it in an anxious way or anything?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All the Christian praise music I hear is very positive and affirming.

True.

And if it is of the Veggie Tales variety, the music is very silly and fun and not at all scary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ask about the iPods. I would not ask if the driver can be forced to stop playing his or her music as long as it didn't contain explicit language.

Driver should not be playing religious music.

Technically, this poster is correct. You could make a stink about it from a 1st Amendment perspective, since the bus company is employed by the state, yadda, yadda, yadda.

From a practical perspective, however, antagonizing a person like a bus driver who has the power to make your child's life more difficult for a principle is probably not worth it.

If it's really an issue for your kid, get him/her an iPod and move on.

[Anonymous]

Which school system is this?

I might get in touch with the transportation department -- "My name is X, my child is on Bus Y, I was just wondering whether there are any policies for the driver about playing the radio on the bus."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All the Christian praise music I hear is very positive and affirming.

Agree.

[Anonymous]

Get earphones. Driver has a hard job; let him listen to his preferred music.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get earphones. Driver has a hard job; let him listen to his preferred music.

What if his preferred music were Eminem and the like? Would you say the same thing?

[Anonymous]

What if it it ends up being the reason your child went to heaven someday? You never know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What if it it ends up being the reason your child went to heaven someday? You never know.

"You never know" applies to absolutely everything. Therefore you should never object to anything, because you never know. At the same time, you should always object to everything, because you never know.

[Anonymous]

If music is violent, obscene, racist, sexist, or homophobic, etc I would object. If it is sappy Christian praise music I would let it go. (I am a Christian who hates praise music and think it distorts true Christian doctrine.)