Sikh Father Converts His 4 Yr Old Girl

[BhaiSukhSingh]

Old news but this is the state of the panth?

http://news.bbc.co.u...ees/6955889.stm

Sikh girl in Catholic school row Mr Singh has already lost an appeal over the school's decisionThe parents of a Teesside Sikh girl say they will convert her to Catholicism in order to get her into the best school in the area.

Maya Kaur, four, has attended a nursery at St Paul's RC School at Wolviston, near Billingham, for two years.

But her parents have been told there is no place for her at the school when she starts primary education next month.

Now her father, Bal Singh, says he is prepared to change her religion, if it helps his daughter stay at St Paul's.

The family, from Wynyard, near Stockton, have been told St Paul's is oversubscribed and the youngster has been offered a place at another school.

I would have changed her religion from day one if they had asked us <BR clear=all>Bal Singh

But Mr Singh says his daughter is upset at the prospect of switching schools and wants to stay with her friends. An appeal has already been turned down.

The Roman Catholic diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, which oversees admissions policy at the school, said it was following correct procedures.

But Mr Singh said: "At the moment she has not got a religion. She follows Sikhism because we are Sikhs.

"But we should learn about all different religions. I would have changed her religion from day one if they had asked us.

"It would have been no different for the religion, it is just I'm happy if my child is happy at school, and she likes the way it is run and I am happy with the way she is progressing with her work.

"That is one of the reasons I do not want her to move to another school."

The family have been told the school is oversubscribed

A diocesan spokesman said it welcomed adults who wanted to become followers of Christ's teachings, but that children were "another matter".

He said only parents who are themselves Catholic Christians could make such a commitment for their child.

The vice chairman of the UK Sikh Federation, Jagtar Singh, said children should be allowed to choose their own religion when they were old enough.

He said: "When a child is born, the parents try to bring up that child on the basis of what they think is best.

"So if they practice any particular faith they are likely to bring that child up in that faith, knowing the child will make their own decisions when they grow up. "They may choose to not believe in that faith, move to another faith, and that will be the individual's choice."

[m4ndy]

Clearly lacking in knowledge of Sikhism. just because someone is born into a Sikh family doesn't neccessarly make them Sikhs. why should it matter what school a child goes to if the child is intelligent he or she will succeed. converting to another religion just to get a place at the school is beyond belief. The father clealry has no knowledge himself and is passing the same info he has to his kid it's not right at all.

actions have consequences right and wrong and now the family will deal with the consequences of their decision to convert that child.

[VanHelsingh]

You would rarely hear of a Muslim father doing such a thing.

[HSD1]

How dopey can Sikh parents get? If you're going to have a kid and want it to go to a good school, plan ahead. Dont just sit there on your <banned word filter activated> thinking things will all be fine and dandy, then end up acting like idiots when they dont.

[m4ndy]

I know Muslims would never do anything like that they try and make their clan bigger.

[VanHelsingh]

What is it about Sikhi - or more accurately, what is it about people's perception of Sikhi - that makes even Sikhs not take it seriously? Reading things like this is just depressing.

[Jonny101]

What is it about Sikhi - or more accurately, what is it about people's perception of Sikhi - that makes even Sikhs not take it seriously? Reading things like this is just depressing.

The common belief amongst most Sikhs have that all religions are equal is exactly the reason why this is happening to our community. No other religious community says that all religions are equals. Only Sikhs say this. As a result this stupid baseless belief has left a deep imprint in our mindset. Think about it logically, If all religions are equal then what is the use of being a Sikh over let's say Muslim, Christian, Hindu or Buddhist?

I for one will be a Sikh who will teach my children that Sikhi is the greatest of all religions and has no equal and that "Sabb te Vadda satgur Nanak"(Guru Nanak is the greatest).

[m4ndy]

I think some Sikhs think that just because they are not amritdhari that rules don't apply to them so they think they can get away with doing anything, so the whole perception changes in their minds. One needs to have a shower with knowledge or there ain't no hope and people might as well convert because they were not Sikhs in the first place as they don't live a Sikh lifestyle, have no knowledge at all. I think some Sikhs find the lifestyle hard maybe or they just like doing bad things I guess. That's a tough question to answer.

[m4ndy]

Just to add having a division within our own community does not help either. We are still stuck in the cycle of the caste system and percieve lower caste people not to be Sikhs. I come from a jatt background and it's so messed up that it's still here creating division amonst Sikh communites. It's like we are placed in groups and yet we discrimiate other Sikhs are they not our brothers and sisters?

Our religion does say we are equal, equal rights between men and women we are all seen as equal but we are not doing this in practice. Plus the fact that the punjabi culture does not help that too, its tearing away what good we have, making Sikhs believe such rituals and beliefs.

[VanHelsingh]

I think some Sikhs think that just because they are not amritdhari that rules don't apply to them so they think they can get away with doing anything, so the whole perception changes in their minds. One needs to have a shower with knowledge or there ain't no hope and people might as well convert because they were not Sikhs in the first place as they don't live a Sikh lifestyle, have no knowledge at all. I think some Sikhs find the lifestyle hard maybe or they just like doing bad things I guess. That's a tough question to answer.

I think you've identified a very valid issue. It would be easy to criticise amritdharis for being almost elitist in their attitude and approach to non-amritdharis, but how can you (not 'you' as in m4ndy, but 'you' as in 'non-amritdharis') criticise them for following the path of Gurmat? Sure, some young amritdharis do have a huge ego that they're "true" Sikhs and all others are apostates, but that comes with the impetuousness of youth I guess.

But if we're being really honest (and I mean brutally honest), you can't knock an amritdhari for being true to his Guru. Its the rest of Sikh society that needs to look at itself and examine why they don't feel that becoming baptised is the right thing to do. I'm not judging anyone - I'm just trying understand whether this particular issue (and others) would be eliminated if we all were united as one faith rather than being splintered-off into sub-groups within sub-groups.

Before anyone interjects, I am well aware that some baptised Sikhs do get up to weird stuff just like everyone else. I'm not blind to the effects of modern-day life even on amritdharis.