Originally Posted by
Question_All
Well the thing is that if the church is such a big part of your life that this is problem then you have a problem and the kids have a problem because making friends in school or hobbies such as sport or music should a lot more important then making friends in church. People all have different opinions and a healthy friendship cannot be based on religion because the teens and kids in church all have different hobbies and interests and for a friendship to bloom they would have to have the same interests and hobbies instead of just the same religion. They probably have friends in school because kids gather there to learn not pray and people can converse freely about things other then god.
It depends on what level of friendship your children are seeking - I agree. Mutual interests form bonds. If the children at church are ignoring or being rude to your children, well, that's another story. If they are friendly but have their own groups, that's another thing.
I think it's a mistake for a parent to try to force other children to befriend their children - word gets out and it's embarrassing.
I would not have spoken to the Pastor - but that's just me.
And, yes, WG is a Preachers Kid and is GREAT at answering these questions.