DEAR HARRIETTE: My son’s teacher is teaching doctrinal errors related to my religion, despite the school's claim of being nonsectarian. This discrepancy has raised concerns for me as a parent, as I value the importance of accurate and respectful education, particularly when it comes to matters of faith and belief. I am torn between wanting to address the inaccuracies being presented to my daughter and respecting the school's policies regarding religious neutrality. I worry about the impact of these doctrinal errors on my daughter's understanding of our faith and the potential confusion it may create for other children. -- Doctrinal Errors
DEAR DOCTRINAL ERRORS: You absolutely should speak up and talk to your daughter’s teacher as well as the school administrator. The fact that the school claims to be nonsectarian does not give it the right to be inaccurate. In all likelihood, what your daughter shared with you was either a misinterpretation of what the teacher shared or a mistake on the teacher’s part. Even when intentions are pure, people can make mistakes. That includes the possibility that the teacher may not understand details of your religious doctrine, or there could be multiple understandings of certain things. It’s hard for me to be specific without knowing exactly what upset you. Nonetheless, you can and should speak up and talk to the school about this. Be prepared to share evidence of your understanding of this doctrine so that if a debate ensues, you are not speaking only personally, but with some authority.