As the realisation that I was Atheist began to emerge in my life I also began to question my core understandings of right and wrong as well as where my Atheism left me on many subjects like religious freedom, RE in schools and the waging of wars in the name of our way of life. What exactly is that way of life and do I as an Atheist really support it.

Many of these questions have taken me many a year to resolve satisfactorily within myself and it is often within the contradictions of our society itself that I found my answers.

RE in schools was the Hardest as it confronted me when my children went to school. It came as a shock as I ignorantly believed that we had got over that and RE was a thing of the past. I was immediately torn between the many different factors involved such as the social implications for my children if I refused to allow them to attend, my belief that children before the age of reason should not be exposed to religious dogma and that if I did not let them go was I simply indoctrinating them into my understanding without their being able to understand and consent.

In the end it was simple. We live in a secular society, whether the xtians like to think so or not. RE at school is fundamentally indoctrination to xtianity, after all it is called scripture not religious education. If they had offered an honest historical education covering the main religious beliefs that have had an important impact on human development and civilisation I would have felt compelled to send my kids. Socially I took the risk only to find it didn’t matter and there is a large group that don’t attend. At home I work hard to not influence my children on the subject and encourage them to talk to their grandparents about religion when they want. I discuss the headdress that they see Muslim women wearing in our community and generally encourage them to explore it for themselves.

What I am at are the thoughts and stories of others who face these decisions and how they come to balanced resolutions. And Yadda save the scripture for someone else.

In school we teach fact.
Religion can be taught in school but not fundamentally as fact.
We can teach it as literature and philosophy.

Obviously it is wrong to tell a child that one religion is right, even in a private school. We should be giving them the capability, evidence and reality to make their own decision.
This should go for parents and guardians in general as well.
I consider it child abuse to raise your children up believing in a religion or god.

Quote:

I consider it child abuse to raise your children up believing in a religion or god.

I agree.

I was never exposed to religion until I was 12 so I was old enough to laugh @ it. I always was taught to just accept ppl how they are though. I dont care if ppl are religious thats their choice.

Well now i am changing that view. Religious ppl try to tell me what to do. They try to make laws to stop ppl from doing things. They indoctrinate children. They use religion as an excuse. I havent seen anything in any of the holy books that I have read that is in the least bit "moral".

Nowadays if they stay out of my face I wont bother them but no - they cant stay out of my face can they. They want to "evangelise" and tell you what is "right and wrong" in their opinion and say their god backs them up. No my tolerance is almost gone.

What choice has a kid got if his parents send him to a religious school? Its not that good in public ones either. They pressure you to do the stupid thing. Oh and how the heck is religion comparable to ethics?

SOB

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on May 13^th, 2012 at 2:22pm:

Quote: I consider it child abuse to raise your children up believing in a religion or god. I agree. I was never exposed to religion until I was 12 so I was old enough to laugh @ it. I always was taught to just accept ppl how they are though. I dont care if ppl are religious thats their choice. Well now i am changing that view. Religious ppl try to tell me what to do. They try to make laws to stop ppl from doing things. They indoctrinate children. They use religion as an excuse. I havent seen anything in any of the holy books that I have read that is in the least bit "moral". Nowadays if they stay out of my face I wont bother them but no - they cant stay out of my face can they. They want to "evangelise" and tell you what is "right and wrong" in their opinion and say their god backs them up. No my tolerance is almost gone. What choice has a kid got if his parents send him to a religious school? Its not that good in public ones either. They pressure you to do the stupid thing. Oh and how the heck is religion comparable to ethics? SOB

I hear your anger and to some degree i have become numb to the religious world these days. RE is one subject and has had a good beating on this site, but what of others like abortion, the charity status of church owned business? they seem protected to me but am i just being bias.

Being Atheist to me is a personal voyage and one that has bought me deep personal satisfaction and a great ability to empathise with a diverse group of peoples and the issues that face their lives due to who they are the prejudices of the society they live in. I find the assertion by xtians that atheism is just another religion offencive.

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on May 13^th, 2012 at 2:22pm:

Quote: I consider it child abuse to raise your children up believing in a religion or god. I agree. I was never exposed to religion until I was 12 so I was old enough to laugh @ it. I always was taught to just accept ppl how they are though. I dont care if ppl are religious thats their choice. Well now i am changing that view. Religious ppl try to tell me what to do. They try to make laws to stop ppl from doing things. They indoctrinate children. They use religion as an excuse. I havent seen anything in any of the holy books that I have read that is in the least bit "moral". Nowadays if they stay out of my face I wont bother them but no - they cant stay out of my face can they. They want to "evangelise" and tell you what is "right and wrong" in their opinion and say their god backs them up. No my tolerance is almost gone. What choice has a kid got if his parents send him to a religious school? Its not that good in public ones either. They pressure you to do the stupid thing. Oh and how the heck is religion comparable to ethics? SOB

By all means teach them about religions, gods, philosophies and tell them what you believe but do not lie to them and say that 'god is real' or 'my religion is correct'.
Also teach them that they are free to believe what they want regardless of what you might believe.
People will probably say that they do say that but when you are telling them from birth that your religion is real it is a completely different story.

nairbe wrote on May 13^th, 2012 at 2:54pm:

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on May 13th, 2012 at 2:22pm: Quote: I consider it child abuse to raise your children up believing in a religion or god. I agree. I was never exposed to religion until I was 12 so I was old enough to laugh @ it. I always was taught to just accept ppl how they are though. I dont care if ppl are religious thats their choice. Well now i am changing that view. Religious ppl try to tell me what to do. They try to make laws to stop ppl from doing things. They indoctrinate children. They use religion as an excuse. I havent seen anything in any of the holy books that I have read that is in the least bit "moral". Nowadays if they stay out of my face I wont bother them but no - they cant stay out of my face can they. They want to "evangelise" and tell you what is "right and wrong" in their opinion and say their god backs them up. No my tolerance is almost gone. What choice has a kid got if his parents send him to a religious school? Its not that good in public ones either. They pressure you to do the stupid thing. Oh and how the heck is religion comparable to ethics? SOB I hear your anger and to some degree i have become numb to the religious world these days. RE is one subject and has had a good beating on this site, but what of others like abortion, the charity status of church owned business? they seem protected to me but am i just being bias. Being Atheist to me is a personal voyage and one that has bought me deep personal satisfaction and a great ability to empathise with a diverse group of peoples and the issues that face their lives due to who they are the prejudices of the society they live in. I find the assertion by xtians that atheism is just another religion offencive.

Well abortion doesn't really have much to do with religion, if it is taught it should be in high school science.

The legal statuses of churches should be taught, it should be taught how religious organisations operate because this is often hidden and its a huge part considering you may pledge the rest of your life to that organisation.

Another member Grey said it best that:
"atheism is as much as a religion as not collecting stamps is a hobby"

This Topic was moved here from Atheism by freediver.