I think that being educated about religion is very important. I was brought up Protestant. I went to church and Sunday school every week (despite my protests). I have been christened. When I was high school age my mum let me choose whether I wanted to continue with religion. I chose not to and am now an Atheist. I was very difficult about being sent to church at the time but now I'm glad that I had to go. Not only did it give me the opportunity to make an educated decision about rejecting religion but also made me realise that sometimes in life you have to do things you don't want to!

My mum grew up in Scotland and although her parents weren't religious at all, she was brought up as a Scottish Calvinist because of school. She said that she would spend nights awake worrying because she was going to Hell and there was nothing she could do about it. It took her a long time to be free of these ideas but has now become an Atheist also.


I don't think anything should be rammed down anyone's throat- child or adult- but people should be educated to make decisions.

it's very cruel to continue spreading this seemingly endless delusion to your offspring, in order for human beings to progress further in the future, people must realize that religious texts are some of the most disgusting, messed up crap i've ever read in my life, all of the scripts about glory are permeated with torture, beatings, orders of murder i dont understand how anyone can believe it or why they'd continue to pass it on

Posted by MutantMandias let the kids make their own choice based on what they find inside of themselves.

...so it's Catholicism then, right?

Posted by milklord it's very cruel to continue spreading this seemingly endless delusion to your offspring, in order for human beings to progress further in the future, people must realize that religious texts are some of the most disgusting, messed up crap i've ever read in my life, all of the scripts about glory are permeated with torture, beatings, orders of murder i dont understand how anyone can believe it or why they'd continue to pass it on

I think that's true if taken as literal truth, or as even something approaching truth, or a "guide" or whatever. But taken as metaphor and parable, I don't thin it's that kooky. And this is coming from an atheist.

From an historical perspective, though, I think a lot of the kookier stuff was put in there as a way to control the less-educated. For example, I remember reading that the main reason that Jews and Muslims are forbidden to eat pork is because pigs, since they don't sweat, require large amounts of water to keep cool. (I read elsewhere that pigs are an environmental nightmare because of the water wasted on them, but that's another issue) Jews and Muslims originated in the Middle East, and what's scarcest there? (besides reason, tolerance, etc.) Water! Then there's the "unclean" thing: pigs, until very recently, were fairly pretty good at passing parasites on to those who ate them less than fully cooked.

So, rather than trying to appeal to someone's reason and saying "Hey, it's probably not a good idea to raise pigs for food, despite the yumminess of bacon, because they;re such water-hogs." It's easier to say pigs are unclean and their cloven hooves are evidence that they're devilish creatures.

Shellfish? Not sure about that one.

Posted by splumer Then there's the "unclean" thing: pigs, until very recently, were fairly pretty good at passing parasites on to those who ate them less than fully cooked.

Yeah, I have always believed that "religious" practices like these were evolutionary (which is delightful). And now that the causes of the evolved behavior have been essentially removed, the resulting behavior based on the useless practices is the very definition of crazy.

Not when its funky fresh like this:

Posted by earthworm Not when its phunky phresh like this:

Fixed.


That does it, I'm converted!!! Praise Jesus!

Posted by earthworm Not when its funky fresh like this:

At 2:25 the rhino refers to jesus as the morning star. . . Isn't Lucifer the morning star?

Actually, THIS is a morning star:

http://upload.wiki...Morgenstern_01.jpg

Posted by dirt At 2:25 the rhino refers to jesus as the morning star. . . Isn't Lucifer the morning star?

I think you are correct but the bigger question is....

How did you stand 2:25 seconds of this crap to hear that? I gave up after less than 60 seconds

Posted by underdark I think you are correct but the bigger question is.... How did you stand 2:25 seconds of this crap to hear that? I gave up after less than 60 seconds

I was wondering that myself...

Posted by G to the Race Yesterday, my son's Cub Scout den had five speakers from different religions or religious sects explain their faith to the boys. My boy is baptized but we aren't active in any church. I, on the other hand, was raised Catholic in every way. I recall being a small kid and lying awake at night worrying about going to Hell. What kind of sicko does that to a child? Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-religion, I've seen churches do wonderful things and I've met lovely people in them, but I think that we should have the freedom to choose if we want a religion or not. /rant

first and foremost, i think a child should be allowed to make up their own damn mind about whether or not there is a god. Shoving it down someones' throat has another name: brainwashing.
Now, explaining each faith is novel because it lets the kids know that there are people out there that are different than whatever they believe in and that knowing may lead to tolerance. I wish they did this with muslim kids... (lol)

I am a combative atheist due to what happened to me when I was a child. I think that religion should NOT be introduced to a child until they are well into their late teens when they have SOMEWHAT of an inkling on who they are and what they want to believe in.

Posted by Samurai first and foremost, i think a child should be allowed to make up their own damn mind about whether or not there is a god. Shoving it down someones' throat has another name: brainwashing. Now, explaining each faith is novel because it lets the kids know that there are people out there that are different than whatever they believe in and that knowing may lead to tolerance. I wish they did this with muslim kids... (lol) I am a combative atheist due to what happened to me when I was a child. I think that religion should NOT be introduced to a child until they are well into their late teens when they have SOMEWHAT of an inkling on who they are and what they want to believe in.

Too bad that goes against everything every religion stands for. Get 'em while they're young!

Plus, have you ever noticed how creepy most youth pastors are?

Posted by splumer Too bad that goes against everything every religion stands for. Get 'em while they're young! Plus, have you ever noticed how creepy most youth pastors are?

how you ever noticed how creepy most religious people are?

Posted by KublaKhan ...so it's Catholicism then, right?

In honor of Holy Week, how did this go unnoticed?

Posted by Samurai first and foremost, i think a child should be allowed to make up their own damn mind about whether or not there is a god. Shoving it down someones' throat has another name: brainwashing. Now, explaining each faith is novel because it lets the kids know that there are people out there that are different than whatever they believe in and that knowing may lead to tolerance. I wish they did this with muslim kids... (lol) I am a combative atheist due to what happened to me when I was a child. I think that religion should NOT be introduced to a child until they are well into their late teens when they have SOMEWHAT of an inkling on who they are and what they want to believe in.

But that would make too much sense