Oh Hell No

I know what you mean. My brother was nervous about our mom pushing her beliefs on his daughter (she's 6). Our mom brought her to church with her one time about two yers ago and she had a fun time because there was other kids and snacks and they got to colour. So she thought church was fun. Awhile later she told her parents that she wanted to go to church with grandma and she started brining home Jesusy colourings and stuff. It was a little sad to see the slant and how easily indoctrination happens. But really, what can you do? I doubt the people are really evil enough to give kids snacks and colouring pads just to win them over to Christ. They're just being nice people. That's why it's hard to fight it.

When I was.. 10 or 11 my mom brought me to see Billy Graham. Do you know who he is? Famous pastor guy. I think he died recently? Anyways, after his big show people walked aroun trying to convert people who were on the fence I guess. I remember them going around and asking people if they've accepted Jesus into their heart yet and they explained what that meant. When they came to me I said no. So they gave me a colouring book explaining the story of Christ..

Long story short, a year or so ago my mom mentioned that night in passing. Somethig to the effect of, "Well, I'm just glad you accepted god into your heart then. I know you'll go to heaven."

I said that I hadn't and that those people were trying to indoctrinate a little boy who didn't know what he was doing. This upset her because she was convinced I was going to heaven after that night. She's told me since that she asks god to find me and that my soul will be saved through hers. It makes me uncomfortable.

I'm not meaning to exploit my mom's beliefs. I love my ma very much. Just relating.

 

I could guide my children on how to use tools. How to work on vehicles. How to keep themselves clean. How to study. How to respect others. How to cook and how to clean their personal areas. How to NEVER--EVER make fun of those less fortunate than themselves. But, when they, as individuals asked me if there was a god-----all I could tell them honestly was that I did not know and neither did anyone else, regardless of what they said about it. They would have to make up their own minds as they grew older and became more mature in their thinking. That's all I really felt I had the right to say to them about the esoteric beliefs of grown-ups.

I guess some religious folks would say that I failed my kids for not having a strong stance on this---for not guiding my kids into believing in some kind of religion/god belief. They have formed their own opinions by which they live. Turns out--they are completely honest people that respect others and it shows in their personal and business lives. Frankly, I feel OK in the way I handled it. So it goes.

 

This is basically what my parents did and it wasn't that we avoided the whole thing over the answer, I even seeked out several and as my parents told me to do, I made up my mind on my own.
I believe there is a god and I believe he brought us here with clean souls and we have choices to make to keep them clean or hurt someone and ruin our souls. We could also join something and throw the pressure on others to do the same or just know that helping those who are down is quite enough to make us a special spot in heaven, which to me is not fluffy clouds to sit on but possibly the ability to float with other great souls and not be forgotten on earth as someone who done wrong to others would be. We should get along and we should share things whether it be knowledge, a helping hand or even companionship to those in need.
As kids we can be cruel but we have time to learn and work on that as we grow and become great adults or we can carry on the childish acts of bullying and pestering others to a point of actually hurting them. I never bullied and still don't because I saw no point in it when I saw it done to others. Why take the time to call others names, what's it get us but to be looked down on people around us, if we can't fight a battle it's best to walk away, or NOT pick one in the first place. Just be nice and believe what you will and you will find others will love you for what and who you are. Religion doesn't define us, our actions toward others does.

 

My parents never pushed religion at me, and I played it like that with my daughter, and she's come out of it really well.
I think it's important to allow children to develop their own interests and eventually their own view of the world.

I've seen the problems that early life conditioning with religions (and not only Christianity) can lead to. I'm not saying that everyone who was brought up with religion is screwed up or damaged or limited by it, but some definitely are.

 

A good response to a question like, "Are you a Chrisitan?" would be "How are your bowel movements?"

 

I bet you learned that by reading the bible :sunny: Jesus often answered a question with a question as well!

 

Ha! I am gonna use that one!

 

Are you asked if you're a christian that often, Sally?

 

Yes, by family members mostly, they been trying for years and usually the public asks if I want to be or want to know about Mormon and Jehovas witness. I get them stopping me on street corners often when going for a walk and some used to knock at my door.

 

Family members don't really count I think. I ask my family about their bowel movements all the time.

edit: I myself haven't been asked irl about my religious beliefs for years. My christian family members have been fed up with my rethorics for years so they don't like to ask me at all and strangers... well, I know they are around here as well (jehovah's witnesses, calvinistic protestants etc.) but I don't see them asking people on the street that much.

 

If I see them I avoid them, here we have Christians picketing about abortion in some areas, the hospital especially and they will ask what religion you are if you stop to talk to them. They even block off the side walks. I park at the cancer center and sneak in the back way of the hospital to avoid them. They are mostly there to intimidate those going in just in case they are going in for an abortion and to harass any who believe in it.

 

Seems strange to me. People here don't intimidate others around hospitals like that (well maybe the occasional individual perhaps, it would be an exception though). It would not go well

Sometimes it really seems I AM in the sane part of the world (I hope this doesn't make me sound american)

 

Thumbs up for that. :2thumbsup:

 

A partner and I had to walk past these people once and suffer the indignities they like to spew. Every time I see them I just want to step on the fuckin gas and drive into them like pathetic little bowling pins.

 

I think American and European attitudes towards these kinds of things differ quite a bit.
Religion is much more in yr face in the US.

 

Ya, we have a strange group of Christians here, publicly they have been asked in local forums to move their actions to the grounds of their churches but they refuse, I think their leader person lost it and they didn't realize it so they are just going along with the flow. Never seen em do that anywhere else. It's annoying seeing picket signs at the hospital all the time. Been years now.
The city refused to do anything because that would be them opening a whole new can of worms like telling the gay people they can't have a parade here. We don't usually do stuff like that in our city so this christian thing is treated the same. They take advantage of that and are there all the time. They aren't putting out good vibes to the rest of the public tho.

 

If they care enough to waste their life protesting in front of a hospital, they must be right.
I am a believer now.

 

Ya they do, some of them Religious types don't like to talk about poop and where it comes from, might be fun asking them about their bowels when they ask me about religion, maybe I will ask "how's yer shit bin lately?"

 

Indeed, very convincing And then they say logic and religion can't go well together.

You are describing my female housemate and me :cheers2:

 

Care or don't have anything else better to do then bug strangers and pressure them to believe what they believe? But yet some Christians believe it's ok to beat your wife and kids. Human rights says abortion is allowed and I agree, there are many reasons a woman might need to do it. It's rarely an easy decision. I wouldn't do it myself but telling someone they can't would be the last thing I would do.
Many of these people are men who would never have to deal with such a decision and will never know the trouble a pregnancy could be for a young woman with health or mental issues or instability issues when the partner in crime jumps the scene and leaves her to deal with it.
But,,,, that's for another thread, it just gets me going when anyone tells anyone what they can't do with their own bodies, religion based or not.