Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
Well, the plain atheist here that don't see themselves as promoting godless ideals as something that they believe so yes.
The so called "New Atheist" aren't pretending to be neutral, they are publically, actively battling the value and values of religion.
Are you neutral, Archaeopteryx?
Why or why not?
It depends on the issue. As an example, when creationists try to poison the school curriculum, no, I am not neutral.
On that we are agreed. However, I see no harm in allowing kids to consider all possibilities. Can't we trust our kids to decide for themselves what they believe?
Or are you one of those athiests who is terrified that if his kid is exposed to religion that he will grow up to be the Pope?
Some parents do try to shove their religion down their kids' throats, unfortunately.
We see the results of that every day, don't we? So many of the angry young atheists I have spoken with are angry for this very reason. Their atheism seems to be more of a rebellion against that early "indoctrination" than anything else.
Most religious parents, however, while they do teach their kids what they believe, leave it to the kid to decide for himself. We do understand that forced faith is not real faith at all. We expose him to our faith, trusting him to our God...and most of the time, the kid chooses God.
I have seven kids, and seventeen grandkids, and every single one of them is a Christian. I also have three great grandkids, and another "on the way". It's a little early to tell yet...although one little boy does insist that his momma hear his prayers at bedtime. Of course, this is probably a ploy to get to stay up later...
What about atheist parents? Do atheist parents trust their kids to decide for themselves, or do they raise their children to follow their...uh...non-religion?
Sorry, I don't have a better term.
Drink! We're off to a good start.
And? So what? Why should they be neutral?
I didn't say Atheist should not be allowed to preach their beliefs, we were discussing the claim that Atheism isn't a belief that is promoted.
You don't have to remain neutral as some do, in fact you are not neutral, you now promote godless ideals. That is the point.
"Godless ideals"There you go again...
I get that term from the concept of what sin is from the UB:
Explains why it's so nebulous.
Many intellectuals of yesteryear used to predict that as western culture became more educated and more intelligent that religion would die off - especially Christianity. The assumption was that there were religious people because of a lack of education and low intelligence.
But they were wrong. All of these predictions have always been wrong.
There are equally brilliant, educated, and intelligent people who are both atheists and religious. The difference doesn't seem to be one of education or intelligence. So what is the difference?
Why are there religious people? Christianity has an answer, but what's the secular answer?
Is it possible to poison already-poisoned water?
Where is creationism already part of the school curriculum?
Or maybe they seriously considered the doctrines they were taught to believe and found that there was no reason to believe said doctrines? To call it "rebellion" is to miss the point entirely.
I don't know, I'm not a parent.
Every kid sooner or later gets to a time when he starts trying to find his own identity, separate from his parents. It can be a very trying time for all involved.
And yes...often it is rebellion. The kid begins to question his faith...it is natural and right that he should do so. But the parents panic, and redouble their efforts to keep their precious progeny on the "straight and narrow". The kid becomes more and more frustrated...yeah. I've met a great many atheists who tell a similar tale. They didn't walk away so much as they were pushed away by their well meaning family. Most of these people do not even know the "doctrines" they can't find a reason to believe. And to be fair, neither do most of the "Christians" they have been exposed to, who had their belief spoon fed to them from behind a pulpit.
Most of the time this could all have been avoided if the parents had bothered to actually read their Bible and make themselves ready to sit down and explore their childrens' questions with them.
Kids know a phony when they see one....
I didn't think so. Young yet, aren't you?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?