Godless mom strikes a chord with parents

This is a fantastic article, that really illustrates what atheists go through, almost daily. I would personally be INFURIATED if I chose to raise my child atheist, and was treated like this:

Deborah Mitchell remembers the time, when her boys were younger, and another mom asked her about her religious beliefs. Mitchell was raised Catholic but moved away from religion in her early 20s. She told the other mother that she didn’t go to church and didn’t even really believe in God. Then, she says, the recruiting started. “She used to call my house and tell me she was praying for me. She’d leave me messages and leave cards in my mailbox with scripture,” Mitchell says. “I do realize that she meant well, but at the same time, I know my views were seen as wrong. I needed to be ‘saved.’”

And I may well go to fisticuffs if someone thought it was THEIR place to tell my child they need religion, like this:

Then there are the comments from strangers. Last year, Phillips said she and her daughter were at a birthday party when a tornado warning sounded. “We were all in the basement keeping safe. A little girl was saying baby Jesus will keep us safe. My daughter asked who Jesus was. The rest of the time was spent hearing ‘I'll pray for you sweetie, we can take you to church with us if you want,’” Phillips told CNN.

In the end, this mother puts it VERY well. I think this last quote is something that a lot of people REALLY need to let sink in...

I understand why people need God. I understand why people need heaven. It is terrifying to think that we are all alone in this universe, that one day we—along with the children we love so much—will cease to exist. The idea of God and an afterlife gives many of us structure, community and hope. I do not want religion to go away. I only want religion to be kept at home or in church where it belongs. It’s a personal effect, like a toothbrush or a pair of shoes. It’s not something to be used or worn by strangers. I want my children to be free not to believe and to know that our schools and our government will make decisions based on what is logical, just and fair—not on what they believe an imaginary God wants.

religion.blogs.cnn.com...

Classic situation, I myself sometimes hide the fact that I don't believe in any gods just to avoid a pointless conversation with a zealot.

right when this woman starting to speak like she was the spokesman for all humanity, she started to do the same thing she accused the other mom of doing, preaching her beliefs.

she was probably oblivious to her hypocrisy.

there is no way this woman can claim that heaven doesn't exist. she probably doesn't even know how to change a tire.

Originally posted by randomname
right when this woman starting to speak like she was the spokesman for all humanity, she started to do the same thing she accused the other mom of doing, preaching her beliefs.

she was probably oblivious to her hypocrisy.

there is no way this woman can claim that heaven doesn't exist. she probably doesn't even know how to change a tire.

You obviously didnt read her words. And thats ok. But your comments are completely out of context. She is not preaching to anyone. She is not telling anyone else what they should believe. She is stating what she believes, and nothing more.

This is typical, though. If one stands by their beliefs, and scoffs at religion being pushed at them, they are automatically told they are 'preaching' their beliefs, which is simply untrue.

That was a quality ad hom though-the whole tire comment. Well done

I am agnostic and my step father and his children and grandchildren are fundamentalists, they stopped trying to "SAVE" me, once they figured out that I knew more about the Bible than they did. The evangelicals get very old, very fast. I say to them, "Enjoy your God, I will enjoy sleeping in on Sunday mornings, after spending my Saturdays volunteering at local charities."

I was brought up going to church and bible school.
Saw many hypocrisies in religion and became agnostic when I became older.
My wife shares the same views as me and we have brought up our smart,kind and caring children without any religion at all.We always get comments on how respectful and well behaved our children are.
They know about Jesus and the bible and if they have any questions, I answer them as honestly as I can.

We are a normal,happy family.No need for an institution to tell us how we should live our lives,we are doing just fine.

reply to post by randomname


Yes but Baby Jesus will change all your tyres.

it's a shame that the atheist mum in the article felt that she needed to make stuff up to explain stuff to her kids..
i love the lengthy "why/where/when" chats with my lad who's just gone six, and he really has me scratching my head at times to explain and illustrate big things in a way he'll get, but it's well worth it and one of the real joys of parenting
i guess it's less about teaching them what to think and more about helping them to think stuff through for themselves, which also preserves a little of the wonder of growing up too

reply to post by captaintyinknots

I think it's better for atheist parents not to project their own beliefs upon their own children, and instead remain neutral and allow their children to freely choose for themselves what to believe or not to believe and if there IS a God, wouldn't they be doing their own children quite the disservice to so bias them so as to exclude faith in God as a possibility.

reply to post by randomname


right when this woman starting to speak like she was the spokesman for all humanity, she started to do the same thing she accused the other mom of doing, preaching her beliefs.

she was probably oblivious to her hypocrisy.






Ignorant you are...she was approached with the question.


there is no way this woman can claim that heaven doesn't exist. she probably doesn't even know how to change a tire.


Between the self righteousness and the sexism, you suck...

Originally posted by NewAgeMan
reply to post by captaintyinknots

 

I think it's better for atheist parents not to project their own beliefs upon their own children, and instead remain neutral and allow their children to freely choose for themselves what to believe or not to believe and if there IS a God, wouldn't they be doing their own children quite the disservice to so bias them so as to exclude faith in God as a possibility.

Would this also not apply to those religious families that try to force beliefs on their kids?

If you are holding up the bible as a possible truth do you then expose them to all religions of the human race? What about explaining all of the scientific data that we know to be true, and all the religious BS we know to be false?

Truth is far more profound than faith.

I think you are playing favorites...

Originally posted by NewAgeMan
reply to post by captaintyinknots

 

I think it's better for atheist parents not to project their own beliefs upon their own children, and instead remain neutral and allow their children to freely choose for themselves what to believe or not to believe and if there IS a God, wouldn't they be doing their own children quite the disservice to so bias them so as to exclude faith in God as a possibility.

Out of curiosity, do you feel the same way about christian parents? Or muslim parents? D you think they shouldnt push those beliefs on their kids?

Do we really need two threads on the exact same subject?

Sugarcookie1 beat you to it by several hours: www.abovetopsecret.com...

This situation has been over three decades in the making:

The second area of concern is the rightists’ view that American morals are being eroded by what they call "secular humanism." They engage in caricatures of this type of humanism, and their attacks indicate no realization that Christian humanism has long been a significant expression of Christianity. Christian humanism, the humanism of some other faiths (especially Judaism), nontheistic religious humanism, and secular humanism have much in common in their commitment to moral values. Usually one finds among all four humanisms greater moral sensitivity about problems of justice and peace, about reconciliation between races and nations, than one finds in the Moral Majority.

a good read from 1981, the author erred in thinking that this authoritarian religious movement would be short lived (IMO he could not see just how embedded this movement was in politics, which gave it increasing power and authority)

Rather than "letting their light shine" as an exemplar for others, religion took on a business-like character, complete with looking for customers ... converts to fill their church coffers.

reply to post by adjensen


Sorry, did a search and didnt see it. Maybe you should just point out the fact that it is a duplicate, instead of coming in and whining....just a thought.

reply to post by captaintyinknots

Yes, they should not push it, no.

Absolute love is absolute acceptance, and while we are charged with the responsibility to guide our children, they must be free to choose their own spiritual path. If Christ performed his Great Work for anything it was to secure our Liberty via absolute forgiveness.

To be taught of a loving God, as evidenced by the creation and our own inclusion, isn't harmful. But to be taught that we live in a Godless, and purposeless and meaningless universe, alone in a material world might not be so helpful if it's not based in reality whereby love is the reason for creation.

To push an anti-God bias on one's children is I don't know, but there's something abhorrent about it, to project onto them like that, when the truth is that we don't know the whole truth and where "God" might involve such things like our own spiritual growth and evolution as created beings.

reply to post by NewAgeMan


We dont know if there is a "god' at all. Its no more wrong to push religious beliefs on kids than it is to push the idea that there is no god.

To say otherwise is truly hypocritical, and a fine example of the EXACT point of this article. Atheists are expected to not speak about the fact that they are atheists, even to their own children. But if you believe in god, then its all good to not only push it onto your own kids, but others' kids also.

Originally posted by NewAgeMan
To be taught of a loving God, as evidenced by the creation and our own inclusion, isn't harmful. But to be taught that we live in a Godless, and purposeless and meaningless universe, alone in a material world might not be so helpful if it's not based in reality whereby love is the reason for creation. [

the truth is that we don't know the whole truth

Exactly.
Teaching either options as absolute fact is equally questionable.

Originally posted by captaintyinknots
reply to post by NewAgeMan

 

We dont know if there is a "god' at all. Its no more wrong to push religious beliefs on kids than it is to push the idea that there is no god.

To say otherwise is truly hypocritical, and a fine example of the EXACT point of this article. Atheists are expected to not speak about the fact that they are atheists, even to their own children. But if you believe in god, then its all good to not only push it onto your own kids, but others' kids also.

I agree.
I recently created a related thread where I am soon to sell myself out and choose the religious oath as a witness in a criminal court instead of the non religious affirmation option. I often chuckle when I hear the zealots screaming persecution...it's a two way street in my experience.

Posted earlier here
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Please add further comments to the ongoing discussion in the above linked thread.
Thanks

**Thread Closed**


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