09-23-2009, 07:05 AM
Quote:What I'm trying to assert it that the answer to harmony (in this case between Christian and non-Christians) is not discord. One problem is the attitude of smugness (on both sides) of approaching the topic as if you know the right answer. Another is that people have forgotten how, or never learned how to debate with civility. Another problem is that people refuse to listen to the opposing side.
It is very simple, I don't want people telling my child that there is a god and that it is the god of the bible, I also don't want people to tell him there is an Allah, Buddah, God of thunder or whatever. I want him to have classes on different religions and world views of people in the world.
I will raise him to have an objective view of everything. The whole difference with having a religious upbringing is that it is not just telling 'I think there is a God etc.etc.' but that because of that the child should do all kinds of things that you think please that God.
For the rest; we are not having a discussion about the existence of God here, we are discussing teaching children things.
Quote:I know many a theologian who would make the same claim for faith and morality.
Faith in yourself or your parents and morality are good things......but this is something else as religion. Or do you consider atheist to have no morals?
Quote:I enjoyed my courses on comparative world religions (FWIW, they were extremely anti-christian). But, here is where you insult religious people by equating their belief system to "brainwashing". :P If they are religious, then they've become mentally compromised, and incapable of independent thought. In fact, they are shunned for many jobs because they might be mouth breathing, addle pated, automatons subservient to the psychosomatic suggestions of some clergyman's Sunday sermon.
I don't equate their belief system as brainwashing.....it is when they push this system on children as it being the one and only truth that it becomes brainwashing.
Quote:I reject your prejudiced view. I would agree that there are some well publicized extreme cases, like Jim Jones, or David Koresh, where religion is abused as a means to "brainwash" the sheep. I believe the aim of true theologians is to find the truth, or to seek enlightenment, not to create a herd of sheep.
Brainwashing is when people don't even consider a different truth and this is not only the case with these religious sects. I know many people in Italy (also my own age) that are absolutely flabbergasted to hear that there are people not believing in God. In Holland where the Christian Democrats are since 100 years the biggest political force, only because they have their base of religious followers. And I am sure in the US this is the same. The example of it being very difficult for a non christian presidential candidate to be elected is a consequence of a form of brainwashing.
Theologians are scientist right? Because the clergy for sure wants to create a herd of sheep.