Well I don't really think that that is fair to say. There's plenty of passionate people in here (on both sides) that tend to get a little carried away, myself included. It's not just dave "calling people dumb."

I do feel that I was brainwashed as a child. I was raised catholic and went to all catholic schools from kindergarten until I graduated high school. I had my religious awakening at about 5th or 6th grade (pretty early from most people I've spoken with). I'm still trying to shake the bull____ guilt for things I never did and fear of a hell I know doesn't exist. My mother used to try to get me to go to mass even when I protested. I ended up using that time to take note of the problems I have with christianity and religion while in mass. (probably bad mojo to do but neither the church nor myself ever burst into flames because of it... ) After several years she finally realized that my beliefs weren't just some stupid teen phase and actually had valid points. Slowly over time my mother is starting to open her eyes to the vatican's bull____e and critically think about her beliefs. Thankfully she was very supportive of me. I just wish other people in the world would be as accepting...

Personally I think that no child should be forced into any religion. I say, you can do your blessing on the infant with whatever your beliefs are, but until they are of conscientious age and maturity, they should not be allowed or coerced or forced into any religion. Let them access the resources and make up their own mind.

 

Most rapidly growing church today? LDS (Mormons).
Why? They generally have 5+ kids who all grow up to be... you guessed it... MORMON.
Kids who grow up in a Catholic church will be...? CATHOLIC
Are there exceptioons to the rule? Yes. But pointing out that one in a hundred grow up to be something different is like me saying "What goes up must come down" and you saying "well not in outer space"

 

I get what you are saying. I guess I dont fear that the Church is going to take over my child as it did you growing up. I dont see the harm in allowing my child to go a couple Sundays out of the month to Church....Maybe I see it differently than you because It wasnt shoved down my throat growing up......



My Apologies, No I did not read all of the posts but did skim through it.
How are you going to quote something That I never said........ What I said was that I would be lootin......(Sarcasm) I didnt grow up with the fear of God, but rather the fear of my father.....and I will not rely on religion to keep my children inline.

I dont see the harm in exposing them to religion and letting them decide as they get older instead of raising them to think that people are wrong and dumb to believe in God. Maybe Im wrong, but I am willing to try, teach and educate my children to grow up and think for themselves. To let them have an understanding as to why people do what they do....You see, I am kind of in beween, as I do beleive there is a higher being, but also always have to raise my hand in question. I dont want to lie to my children as I know you dont want to lie to your Son and I dont think that your parents considered it lying to you. But what happens when your Son starts to get older and question why his parents dont celebrate Christmas and millions of other people do...What is going to be your answer..People are Dumb? IDk, but when a 10 year old kid sees his friends getting gifts and he gets nothing...may make him question his fathers teachings as you questioned your parents beleifs....

 

Christmas is so commercial that pretty much everyone celebrates it. Buying a tree and gifts for your son is a long way off from teaching him he will go to hell if he doesn't follow an unsubstantiated story(bible). My recomendation (worth little as I am also not a parent) is to let your children decide. If they want to go to church take them to church. Answer any questions they may have honestly. Anything wrong with this approach?

 

Agreed!

I am not a parent yet....(well not that Im aware of????)...But i dont see how someone who dosent believe in God or Jesus, could celebrate Christmas no matter how comercial it is......How do you explain to him that you celebrate Christmas because everyone that is wrong celebrates it?

 

Jesus wasn't born anywhere close to christmas for one. LOL..
It's a pagan holiday. I look at it as a time to show the people I love that I appreciate them. Maybe it would be different if my family wasn't Mormon and my gf who I live with wasn't lutheran like her family. The holiday just kind of sucks you in. It never had anything to do with Christ's birthday from the beginning though.

 

Jesus never had a Christmas tree and correct me if I'm wrong but I've read the bible and nowhere does it mandate that we celebrate christ's birth.

 

Your correct, all though, I cant say about him never having a Christmas tree

Though, Jesus wasnt born around December....it is why we celebrate it..Pagan Holiday or not .. .He is the reason for the Season ...Sorry for that one

 

it doesn't start as being shoved down your throat. It's starts subtle. Like having 3 year olds sing about jesus dying for their sins. While christians like to say "they're just having little kids singing" they're not admiting they're slowly teaching the kids their idealogy. Feed the kids cookies, teach them about jesus saving their soul, and make that an every week occurance, and it starts to set in.

if you start telling kids at an early age, "how it is" before they even ask life's questions when they're older, they won't even ask the questions because you've already taught them the answers.

again, if you start telling kids "how it is" before they even ask the questions, they won't even ask the questions because you've already taught them the answers. THIS IS HOW RELIGION'S SUBTLE BRAINWASHING WORKS.

lol. i celebrate christmas, just like you and your family do, except instead of lying and saying "it's about jesus" I admit, "it's a time for gift giving ,where we all get our loved ones something they'd like. Just for fun."

Believe me, i go to many family's xmas's. Besides the prayer before we eat and the cheap handpainted nativity scene set near the fireplace, everyone i've met celebrates getting together and getting good stuff.

Even though we all have that older female relative that likes to remind everyone we're celebrating jesus and not capitalism, we all show up for the presents. If we all wanted jesus time, we'd goto church, which you admittingly do not. So unless you only celebrate jesus on these 2 christian themed holidays, we both are equally hypocrits when it comes to participating.

btw: TCtaco and everyone else. I may come across mean-spirited or putting down of your religion, but I am not angry. I just am not softing the blow to make it nicer for you to read. You guys don't even read have the posts anyway.

 

The reference "Shoved down your Throat" came from an old friend of mine who claimed to Atheist because he said his parents did that to him growing up, until he got married and had a kid..???????? I never new anyone to go backwards until I met him..


So....Basically, your saying tell them how it is when they are younger so they dont ask questions when they get older...........Sounds like a brain washing religion to me!
I think I would rather raise my children with the correct tools to make up their own minds....

I agree with this! ^
But what about Easter...Im still trying to figure out why we were hiding the eggs from Jesus this past weekend.....

 

Im not angry aswell...sometimes you do seem ____ed.....but alls well! As far as this whole God/Jesus thing...I am still educating myself on it....but...I know where I stand as far as religion..I have none.

 

Jesus was allergic to eggs but loved the taste?

 

Ahhhh...now it makes sense........Now Im just trying to figure out why my grandma was rubbing an egg on me .......if your not a beaner, then you probably wont get that!

 

< Not of hispanic decent, didn't get that ^

 

Sorry..its old Beaner superstition...suppose to take the fright/fear, pain away

 

I see...
Wait! Fraternizing with the enemy!? Must resist...
THERE IS NO HIGHER POWER YOU SCUM!
LOL...

 

Uh oh....quick....Uh...I LOVE JESUS!















Hows that...better now

 

Phew... back on track.

But seriously, answer my question about why God would make us need to eat if he designed us. Why wouldn't he solve the problem of innocent babies dying of malnurishment by simply making it not necessary to eat. The only reason there could be is he wanted us to sufer. Personally I don't worship Gods that kill innocent babies.

 

I saw this a couple of pages back...See, thats were Im on the sidelines with this whole thing.....Because I have questions like this.....AND LORD KNOWS you arent suppose to question god.
I got into an argument with my GF about something similar. We were talking about being stuck in limbo.......and the whole thing that if you're not baptized as a baby and die....that you are stuck in limbo...No heaven or Hell....I called BS, and said thats why I dont follow the churches beliefs......How is GOD, going to turn away one of its creatures because the parents didnt take the time to get the child baptized....she sees my reaction to the beliefs of the church and understands were Im coming from.

 

ok, so why do you believe in a god? It seems you took the idea of god from a religion you don't follow, but you believe your stripped down version of someone else's religion is correct?