Would you allow your teen to go to church event with friend?

[Anonymous]

My 13 year old has become really good friends with a girl who moved her from Kentucky. I'm sure her lifestyle in Kentucky is very different from the one we have here, so I'll admit I haven't been super excited about this new friendship. The girl invited my 13 year old to a church event this Friday called "night at the movies." I asked my daughter to find out what movie was being played and she told me "Unbroken." Is anyone familiar with this movie? Is it extremely religious? My daughter has never been to church and I honestly don't know that any of her other friends do either. My daughter is ibegging me to go, which of course makes me even more uncomfortable since she has never showed interest in any religious activities before. I sometimes wonder what this girl is telling my daughter to make her want go so bad. Am I overthinking this or should I just tell my daughter she can't go.

[Anonymous]

You font want your daughter to get friends with this girl because she is fom Kentucky and she is a Christian? I don't even know where to start...

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't let my 13 year old see unbroken. It's about an American prisoner of war being tortured in a Japanese prison camp. Extremely difficult to watch. How in the world is a church playing this for kids?

[Anonymous]

Good Lord, OP, google Unbroken. It's the Louis Zamparini story - incredible survival story from WWII. The book was written by the same person who wrote Seabiscuit. It's supposed to be good.

I go to a hippy dippy liberal church and we have movie nights where people often bring friends. It's a nice free night. No religion needed.

[Anonymous]

Unbroken is not religious but it is boring.

My catholic kids go to bar mitzvahs.

So, yes I would let my child go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You font want your daughter to get friends with this girl because she is fom Kentucky and she is a Christian? I don't even know where to start...

+1 You sound absolutely horrible, OP. I hope I don't know you IRL

I have an idea: Why don't you ask us if it's OK for your child to go to an R rated movie with a new friend from Los Angeles, or -- what the heck -- to go clubbing with the kids from New York? But that probably wouldn't even be a question in your mind, because you perceive those kids must be cool, right?

Frankly, your DD sounds much nicer than you are. Good luck to her. She's going to need it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't let my 13 year old see unbroken. It's about an American prisoner of war being tortured in a Japanese prison camp. Extremely difficult to watch. How in the world is a church playing this for kids?

the movie is rated PG-13. I saw it. It's fine for a 13 yr old.

OP, if it's just a movie, what's the big deal? We have movie nights at our church. No religious overtones. Just free popcorn, candy and a movie. They do it to also draw non-church goers.

[Anonymous]

I'd definitely let my kids go. I figure you never know what is going to bring your child peace and help them to be the best person they can. So, they might as well try different churches and activities. And, if it turns out to be just something that is safe and fun to do, that's fine too.

[Anonymous]

What denomination is the church?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 13 year old has become really good friends with a girl who moved her from Kentucky. I'm sure her lifestyle in Kentucky is very different from the one we have here, so I'll admit I haven't been super excited about this new friendship. The girl invited my 13 year old to a church event this Friday called "night at the movies." I asked my daughter to find out what movie was being played and she told me "Unbroken." Is anyone familiar with this movie? Is it extremely religious? My daughter has never been to church and I honestly don't know that any of her other friends do either. My daughter is ibegging me to go, which of course makes me even more uncomfortable since she has never showed interest in any religious activities before. I sometimes wonder what this girl is telling my daughter to make her want go so bad. Am I overthinking this or should I just tell my daughter she can't go.

What do you perceive as negative about her “lifestyle in Kentucky?”

[Anonymous]

Weird post, especially your aversion to being friends with kids from Kentucky. I was invited to and attended lots of my friends ' church events as a teenager. I never felt compelled to convert, but I had fun and met new people.

If she were invited to watch Left Behind, and after the movie was to be some kind of rapture rally, I'd have to think about it. And I'd lean toward letting my kid go, and discuss it with him at length.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was invited to and attended lots of my friends ' church events as a teenager. I never felt compelled to convert, but I had fun and met new people.

+1 Can't we all get along?

[Anonymous]

Interesting. Does your aversion to KY extend to the Derby and chess pie? I don't think I have ever heard about the bad kids from KY. What am I missing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't let my 13 year old see unbroken. It's about an American prisoner of war being tortured in a Japanese prison camp. Extremely difficult to watch. How in the world is a church playing this for kids?

I agree. What a poor choice. Yes, it is the case that zamperelli's life turned around through his relationship with billy graham and after he found faith. However, his time in the war is really not appropriate viewing for a kid. I read the book and opted out of seeing the movie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was invited to and attended lots of my friends ' church events as a teenager. I never felt compelled to convert, but I had fun and met new people.

+1 Can't we all get along?

Apparently not. Op is too much of a snob