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One older lady used to exhort me to take my children to church so they could "learn about de lawd" (Jamaican accent). I thought about it last night and this is puzzling to me. Why is up to me to teach my children or to take them to church to 'learn' about the supposed single greatest and most powerful force in the universe who can do anything? What if I want to teach them about a go I prefer, such as Brahma, Virachoa, Ormazd or Allah? What if what I teach them is about a biblical god who [allegedly] ordered killings, apparent rape and genocide?
On an additional thought, why do we read in the Old Testament the exhortation for parents to instruct children in the ways of the lord when said 'lord' was supposedly right there in the midst of the early Israelites doing his deeds?
I believe it's called paranoia. Perfectly normal, pretty common really.
More seriously because you have a frame of mind that's likely uncomfortable with continuity or tradition. In most traditional cultures parents teach the values of their society to the children. Hopi teach their kids about the snake dance, etc. In the modern liberalist form of thought tradition is seen as authoritarian or blocks progress. You likely just subscribe to that. (For the meaning I'm using Libertarianism and Neoliberalism are also liberalist mindsets. I do not mean "liberal" in the sense of Leftist, but more in the sense of John Stuart Mill or Gladstone or the Progressive movement)
Or for an answer closer to what you're probably looking for it's because religion is about brainwashing impressionable children so they'll burn witches, ban Darwin, imprison gays, and exile atheists. That none of that actually happens in any contemporary Christian society is just some weird inexplicable quirk.
I believe it's called paranoia. Perfectly normal, pretty common really.
Perfectly normal to work with paranoia, huh? Hmm.....
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More seriously because you have a frame of mind that's likely uncomfortable with continuity or tradition. In most traditional cultures parents teach the values of their society to the children. Hopi teach their kids about the snake dance, etc. In the modern liberalist form of thought tradition is seen as authoritarian or blocks progress. You likely just subscribe to that. (For the meaning I'm using Libertarianism and Neoliberalism are also liberalist mindsets. I do not mean "liberal" in the sense of Leftist, but more in the sense of John Stuart Mill or Gladstone or the Progressive movement)
Understood
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Or for an answer closer to what you're probably looking for it's because religion is about brainwashing impressionable children....
If you stopped there I would have agreed with you, but by going here:
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so they'll burn witches, ban Darwin, imprison gays, and exile atheists....
I'm sorry you felt the need to think for me.
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That none of that actually happens in any contemporary Christian society is just some weird inexplicable quirk.
Maybe this is because there are people who are standing in the way of it happening? I dunno.
the bottom line is it should be the parents responsibility to teach children right from wrong ,no one elses........that includes faith
I don't disagree. I was just wondering why this great divine entity cannot take care of that? Leave it up to parents and he might run some serious risk that they might not get teach it right I suspect.
Perfectly normal to work with paranoia, huh? Hmm.....
It's a joke or tongue-in-cheek at least. It's an almost exact paraphrasing of what Slarti Bartfast (sp?) said to Arthur Dent when Dent, ironically enough, started talking about something beyond the Universe we know.
Anyway to the original post I do think, if we're limiting it to the specific situation, it is rude and presumptuous for someone else to try send your kid to church because they feel you should do it. It'd be like someone try to get Christian parents to send a kid to a Secular Humanist gathering because said Secularist thinks they should be exposed to that sort-of thing.
It's a joke or tongue-in-cheek at least. It's an almost exact paraphrasing of what Slarti Bartfast (sp?) said to Arthur Dent when Dent, ironically enough, started talking about something beyond the Universe we know.
Anyway to the original post I do think, if we're limiting it to the specific situation, it is rude and presumptuous for someone else to try send your kid to church because they feel you should do it. It'd be like someone try to get Christian parents to send a kid to a Secular Humanist gathering because said Secularist thinks they should be exposed to that sort-of thing.
I should have added that I am from the Caribbean, a region heavily saturated in the Christian faith (one of slavery's great legacies) and for many older people, it is seen as "cultural" to drag or send the children to church.
If it's so important to this god for all people to believe in him, you'd think his all-powerfulness would make the effort to educate all people, instead of relying on fallible people who he knows can't do it right. Which is why I don't believe in any god that cares if people believe in its existence.
I should have added that I am from the Caribbean, a region heavily saturated in the Christian faith (one of slavery's great legacies) and for many older people, it is seen as "cultural" to drag or send the children to church.
Ahh, I didn't know that. I just thought this was a Jamaican immigrant as there are many cities in the US, Canada, or UK with substantial Caribbean populations. I don't think I've been to any of those cities, but I know of them.
Anyway being in the Caribbean or Deep South might make being atheist more difficult. I think they do have non-Christians, but I think those are mostly Hindu or Muslim. Maybe some Rastafarians. As Hindus deem all religions valid you couldn't even use that as a fake excuse. (And I think Hindus are more in Trinidad and neighboring islands) Hmmm.
The Caribbean also kind of contradicts a bit of what I said as I remember now some nations there do imprison people for homosexuality. (Although they don't burn witches or anything, at least not so far as I know)
Teaching our children is our responsibility..It begins with the very basics of teaching then what "no" means. It is our responsibility to teach our children manners and morality in order to get along in society and with other members of their family.
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If a parent has a belief, and desires their child to be raised in that belief, it is also his responsibility to teach his child his beliefs..
I believe that parents are responsible to see that their children are also exposed to other beliefs so that they will grow up to respect and not condemn a person whose beliefs are mainly based upon his environment/culture and depth of understanding.
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