Lying Children (a little long)

[ChanceNCinny]

Before the story a note: I work at a YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association). That being said we don't hire based on religion nor do we ban people because they are not Christian, this is important to the story.

So about a week ago one of the swim instructors was teaching lessons. The little girl (7 or 8) asked her if she was Christian. The instructor slightly shocked responded no. The little girl then proceeded to tell the instructor that she was going to go to Hell because she didn’t believe in God . The instructor shrugged the whole thing off. The parent is the one who made a big deal about the whole thing. According to the parent the instructor is the one who said that his daughter was going to hell for her religious beliefs.

Pissed off the parent went to all the following demanding a full refund and that the staff be written-up or even fired for telling his daughter that and because she wasn’t Christian :

• The night manager – who has no power and is more of night security with a fancy title.
• The back desk – who are just there to fold towels and have no power.
• The front desk – who take payments and have no power.
• Other parents – who are there for programs and have no say in hiring/firing.
• The Executive Director – who while he can pressure the pool manager has no say in the hiring or firing of pool staff and was about to leave for a 3 week vacation the next morning so wouldn’t do anything other then pass on the message.

Finally after a week of yelling every time he came in (yes he was outraged and upset but his children still went to lessons) and talked to the pool manager. He yelled, he shouted, he demanded refunds (with only one lesson left in the session) and the resignation of the staff. And this was the very end of the whole thing:

UP: Upset parent
PM: Pool Manager

PM: I understand you are upset but you ….
UP: I want a refund!
PM: Sir, I …..
UP: Why wont you help me!
PM: Sir, I am try…..
UP: This is a Christian organization and you hire these horrible people!
PM: SIR!
UP: And she told my daughter she was going to hell!
PM: Sir! I will give you a refund and talk to my staff about appropriate conversations to have with the participants.
UP: I want her fired for telling my daughter she is going to hell!
PM: Sir, we do not hire based on religion nor do we fire based on religion. Furthermore I have already talked to the staff member in question….
UP: Well then you know that she is evil and told….
PM: As I was saying before you interrupted me, I talked to my staff person and she is agnostic. Explain to me why an agnostic person would tell your daughter that if she didn’t believe in God she would go to hell. According to my staff your daughter is the one who said that.
UP: Well……um….thank you for your time. Goodnight.

Personally I wouldn't have given him a refund but the PM said she just wanted to get rid of him. I am just glad he is gone and if he or his children cause any further problems they are to be banned on the spot

[kerrisan]

I work at a church dayschool, and one of the employees there is not a Christian.

As I said, the dayschool is in a church. Yet she gets offended and huffs and puffs that we say prayers when the children eat snack and lunch, that we go to Chapel and do mini-lessons on Jesus every Wednesday, and remind the children to be like Jesus.

I applaud the employee for not getting offended (or saying anything to the child) when the child said that. But I don't think employees should be that surprised when Christian beliefs are discussed and practiced in Christian environments.

[dispatch]

Kerrisan, I think the issue here is that the employee was told she was going to hell, not she was upset over the child's religious beliefs.

I can see your point, though, some people just don't get that there IS a time and place for these things, heaven forbid we all accept eachother's differences and coexist

[kerrisan]

I know that was the point . . . I just wanted to share an experience . . . sorry if it was a bit

[dispatch]

oh, that was my bad then *extends wrist* sorry!

[Lehk]

I work at a church dayschool, and one of the employees there is not a Christian.

As I said, the dayschool is in a church. Yet she gets offended and huffs and puffs that we say prayers when the children eat snack and lunch, that we go to Chapel and do mini-lessons on Jesus every Wednesday, and remind the children to be like Jesus.

complaining about people being religious.... when working at a church.

i can only assume this person is trying to set up for a hostile work environment suit

surely nobody is THAT stupid

//oh wait, yea, customers have to work somewhere to get money.

[chainedbarista]

he got the refund, but was he allowed to continue swim lessons? i sure hope not, because then he's getting something for nothing over a situation that HE is resposible for.

*i'd have wanted him banned from the place, period; abusing staff isn't acceptable from a supposedly CHRISTIAN man, and certainly not over a situation created by him not teaching his child appropriate conversation-religion is too touchy for kids to bring up in the first place*

[ChanceNCinny]

Yeah the lessons were almost over and he got a refund and was allowed to finish off the month's swimming lessons. That manager is a pushover when it comes to refunds/credits. Then she turns around and complains to us about the person for an hour. In this case she was still going on about it three hours later to anyone she saw .

On the whole religion thing. Most of us who work there aren't Christians. Suprisingly enough it doesn't come up that often and when it does you just change the subject. The instructor was just shocked by the question from the little girl and answered the question before thinking. According to the instructor it came out of no where she was demonstrating a stroke and she asked if anyone had any questions on the technique and thats what the little girl asked.

[alphaboi]

...I applaud the employee for not getting offended (or saying anything to the child) when the child said that. But I don't think employees should be that surprised when Christian beliefs are discussed and practiced in Christian environments.

The YMCA isn't really a "Christian" organization anymore (it's not a men's organization either). When I worked in a supermarket we had this one woman we called Jesus Lady because she was always asking cashiers if they "accepted Jesus into their hearts as their personal savior" and trying to hand out pamplets. Other than that she was nice, but nothing you could say or do would get her to stop. If someone refused her pamplet or told she wasn't allowed to pass them out she'd leave one on the checkstand. I told I was Jewish and she'd talk about how her pastor used to be Jewish and she brought me special pamplets for Jews.

[Knifeman]

She's not one of those people that think playing D&D gives people mind control powers, is she?

[Canarr]

Hmmm... was her pastor's name Chick?

[Lace Neil Singer]

I remember this crazy woman who used to hang around outside the pizza place until the boss told her to go away. She tried to hand out pamphlets to staff and customers and raved about Jesus the whole time. Cept for me, after I told her I worshipped the devil; then she wouldn't touch me for fear of contamination. The boss eventually got sick of her harrassing customers and told her to leave before he called the police. Of course, it would take about 4 hours for the police to arrive but she didn't know that.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

She's not one of those people that think playing D&D gives people mind control powers, is she?

Doesn't it?

[SongsOfDragons]

She's not one of those people that think playing D&D gives people mind control powers, is she?

If anyone ever asks something to that effect I just point them towards the Warhammer 40k game Dawn of War.

Bloodthirsters, anyone?

[amphrite]

See, when one of my students ask me an awkward questions during swimming lessons, I change the subject right away.

Little Girl:"Are you Christian?"
Me: "...Annnd one lap of Front Crawl, Go!"