A Christian school in the UK has banned students from singing songs from the Netflix animated movie “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” saying the lyrics conflict with the school’s Christian ethos.
The Lilliput Church of England Infant School in Poole, Dorset, sent a message to parents on Friday saying members of the community were “deeply uncomfortable” with references to demons, which they associate with “spiritual forces opposed to God and goodness.”
On Monday, acting head teacher Lloyd Allington said he had received feedback from parents highlighting the positive messages in the songs, but said the school would side with those who found the themes “challenging.”
Parents were initially asked to encourage their children “not to sing these songs at school out of respect for those who find the themes at odds with their faith.” One parent told the BBC, “I thought it was ridiculous. My daughter is very into K-pop and her and all of her little friends love it."
"It's just a harmless, a nice little thing for them to do to get their confidence up," he added.
The movie has become Netflix’s most-watched film and follows a fictional K-pop girl band whose members use music and fighting to protect humans from demons.
"While we fully respect your right to make choices about the content your child engages with at home, we also want to be mindful of the diversity of beliefs within our school community,” Allington said in the Monday update. "For some Christians, references to demons can feel deeply uncomfortable because they associate them with spiritual forces opposed to God and goodness."
"We are not asking parents to tell their children that there is anything wrong with enjoying the film or its songs if it aligns with your own views and beliefs,” he continued. "Our role will simply be to help children understand that some of their peers may hold different views and to explore how we can respect and support those peers in upholding their faith.”
The Lilliput Church of England Infant School in Poole, Dorset, sent a message to parents on Friday saying members of the community were “deeply uncomfortable” with references to demons, which they associate with “spiritual forces opposed to God and goodness.”
On Monday, acting head teacher Lloyd Allington said he had received feedback from parents highlighting the positive messages in the songs, but said the school would side with those who found the themes “challenging.”
Parents were initially asked to encourage their children “not to sing these songs at school out of respect for those who find the themes at odds with their faith.” One parent told the BBC, “I thought it was ridiculous. My daughter is very into K-pop and her and all of her little friends love it."
"It's just a harmless, a nice little thing for them to do to get their confidence up," he added.
The movie has become Netflix’s most-watched film and follows a fictional K-pop girl band whose members use music and fighting to protect humans from demons.
"While we fully respect your right to make choices about the content your child engages with at home, we also want to be mindful of the diversity of beliefs within our school community,” Allington said in the Monday update. "For some Christians, references to demons can feel deeply uncomfortable because they associate them with spiritual forces opposed to God and goodness."
"We are not asking parents to tell their children that there is anything wrong with enjoying the film or its songs if it aligns with your own views and beliefs,” he continued. "Our role will simply be to help children understand that some of their peers may hold different views and to explore how we can respect and support those peers in upholding their faith.”
