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 Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2007 1:01 pm
I'm a Christian and not really any religion. I don't go by Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, ect. I'm nondenominational(sp?). Anyways my mom was raised Catholic and my dad was Baptist, I think. Anyways I'd go to church with my mom when she was little, she chose to raise us me and my sibs, Methodist. After awhile we just stopped going to church entirely and my belief was there was a God and I just had to have good intentions and I was fine. Once I got into middle school and really close to my best friend I went to church with her, but she was Muslim. I went to a Baptist church once in middle school and got slammed into a pew by an older man because I asked a kid if he could hand me a bible..Then the preacher ( I guess that's what they are called in that religion) yelled at me because I wouldn't agree in prayer with him because I was against his beliefs that Children should read their bible and never watch tv and all this stupid stuff.
Now I'm in High school and been saved in church for almost three years. My family doesn't attend, my mom comes sometimes but that's about it. My step family they are all Methodist and go to church, except my stepdad he doesn't really believe in church but believes in God. At least I think he does. Anyways I want to be a preacher and I've actually gotten in trouble because I did stuff and gave up stuff for my faith my mom didn't agree with. And I spent [too much] time at church. Now she's okay with it to an extent but still she doesn't always agree and my brother and sister definitely don't. But as for me I love church and everything it has given me and I'm going to be a Pastor. Therefore when I have kids, they will be raised in a Christain nondenom. household. and will follow rules I set. Now once they are older, I'm not sure what I will do about it but there comes to it if they choose not to follow in faith, but until that time I plan to raise them in A chistian enviroment because that's my beliefs and I think it's how kids should be raised. -Shrugs- Not saying that other people raise their kids wrong, it's just what I believe. But then again I was raised with so many different beliefs in my life to nothing really structured and I'm the most spiritual [religious if you must] in my family.
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 12:30 pm
GameNeko Mm, I'm an agnostic teen still living in a very right-wing christian home, and I'm not... terribly ******** up, nor am I terribly prude. It depends on how strong willed, and how impressionable someone is. I've been fed christianity from the time I was born, and I grew up to find out taht I was Bisexual. ... God says that being 'gay' is wrong, and I spent quite a while of being horridly afraid of going to hell, because I found myself atrrated to girls. ... Wow, that was a horrible post. XD; *is offtopic* God doesn't say being homosexual is wrong, He just says that homosexual acts are sinful.
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 11:48 am
I think the bible is kinda like terms of service. Everyone skips down to the bottom and clicks agree. The same way you can go up to someone and ask "Do you believe everything in the bible?"
They say yes. You can ask if "they have read everything in the bible."
They say no.
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Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 6:04 pm
I work in Campus Ministry in my high school... I go on rallies for life, lead retreats, run prayer services, get debates going in religion class, and wear my beliefs on my sleeve. Now, maybe I was pressured or brainwashed into this by my parents, but the fact that my own father is pro-choice leads me to believe that I wasn't. Perhaps I was influenced by my teachers? Well, that is highly possible, considering that I've been enrolled in Catholic school all my life. Then again, I was agnostic for about four years, and not many of the other students who have been in Catholic school for a majority of their lifetimes chose the path I did. Maybe I really am simply enthusiastic about my faith. Maybe.
Does this apply to those kids? I'm not sure. I just wanted to point out that one can be very involved in his or her faith without being brainwashed.
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Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 9:10 am
Although constantly indoctrinated in the Roman Catholic faith from childhood, I think that the Church is like a whorehouse; you pay them to make you feel good, just sit in the pews at least until the collection plate is passed around. I also think sometimes that my own religion is fervently lying to me, especially about hopes and dreams of a happier afterlife despite sins, by way of "salvation." I mean, how can you even expect to go to Heaven when you live like the Devil? confused Pretty much everyone will sin one way or another.
Like Karl Marx, I also agree that religion is "opium for the people," so that they can always find hope in their lives instead of looking at their oppression.
Of course, that doesn't mean that I don't believe in morality and common good, as long as it suits me well.
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Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 12:08 pm
Ksenia Sergeevina I think the bible is kinda like terms of service. Everyone skips down to the bottom and clicks agree. The same way you can go up to someone and ask "Do you believe everything in the bible?" They say yes. You can ask if "they have read everything in the bible." They say no. Hahaha. That's an excellent way of putting it. Actually, the Bible is often described as the most owned, but least read book. I think many people have a very idealized view of god and morality that actually is not supported by the Bible--simply because they don't read it. Assorted topics that Christians attempt to shield children from---explicit sex, violence, cruelty, etc.---are the subjects of many stories in the Bible. How someone can hand a child a book that contains, for instance, a story in which God orders thousands of people to be killed and then states that the virgin women of the conquered people should be taken as a prizes so that the victors may use them as sex slaves, but at the same time prevent those same children from being exposed to certain "immoral" books, films, and videogames, is beyond me. I think Christianity really has become a terms of agreement religion: "Do you agree to profess belief in Christ, without exploring the implications of it?" If so, click "yes". I mean, I'm not saying that every person who reads the Bible would reject it--some people will try desperately to find vague justifications for the atrocities, the inconsistences, and the fantastical tales---but I guarantee you that if more understood the text as a whole, it would not be as likely to be masqueraded as "the good book". I would challenge anyone in this country- Christian and non-Christian- to seriously read and understand the Bible. Either because they look to it as the word of god, or simply because it is a source of motivation for the actions of over 80% of the people in this country. I didn't want to focus specifically on Christianity in this topic, but considering that it is the predominant religion in this country, this makes its teachings a driving force here. Anyway, that is all I have to say for now.
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Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 12:37 pm
Alabang I work in Campus Ministry in my high school... I go on rallies for life, lead retreats, run prayer services, get debates going in religion class, and wear my beliefs on my sleeve. Now, maybe I was pressured or brainwashed into this by my parents, but the fact that my own father is pro-choice leads me to believe that I wasn't. Perhaps I was influenced by my teachers? Well, that is highly possible, considering that I've been enrolled in Catholic school all my life. Then again, I was agnostic for about four years, and not many of the other students who have been in Catholic school for a majority of their lifetimes chose the path I did. Maybe I really am simply enthusiastic about my faith. Maybe. Does this apply to those kids? I'm not sure. I just wanted to point out that one can be very involved in his or her faith without being brainwashed. I never said that a person can't actively choose to follow a certain religion without ever being raised to follow it. People do this all the time. All I was suggesting was that indoctrinating children into a specific belief system before they can fully understand it plays a part in shaping a child's reality and hinders their ability to break away from that belief system if it turns out that it does not reflect their personal beliefs later in life. Thus, you have many people who find fault in the beliefs of their parents and peers, but continue to adhere to those beliefs out of fear. This could refer to any number of situations. You could have a kid with ardent atheist parents who doesn't share those beliefs later in life, but is afraid to take action to adopt a religion. Or, you could have a kid with ardent Christian parents whose beliefs they don't agree live later in life, but they are afraid to take actions to leave the religion. All I was criticizing was the act of adults pressuring children to express certain beliefs, or simply acting on the presumption that the children will hold certain beliefs when they are adults. I mean, people don't say "Here's my 8-year-old daughter. She's a Republican." or "Here's my 10-year-old son. He's a Democrat." So why should anyone say "Here's my young son. He's a Christian." or "Here's my toddler daughter. She's an atheist." It's all the same. These children can't understand the complexities of politics, just as they can't understand the complexities of religion. Yes, I completely support a parent's ability to raise their children under their rules, but at the same time I think parents should point out that 'beliefs' and 'absolute truths' aren't synonymous. That's where the danger lies. And that's what I have a problem with.
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Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 12:53 pm
s0prano42_x3 GameNeko Mm, I'm an agnostic teen still living in a very right-wing christian home, and I'm not... terribly ******** up, nor am I terribly prude. It depends on how strong willed, and how impressionable someone is. I've been fed christianity from the time I was born, and I grew up to find out taht I was Bisexual. ... God says that being 'gay' is wrong, and I spent quite a while of being horridly afraid of going to hell, because I found myself atrrated to girls. ... Wow, that was a horrible post. XD; *is offtopic* God doesn't say being homosexual is wrong, He just says that homosexual acts are sinful. In your religion---Sinful=Wrong. This sounds like that "Hate the sin, Love the sinner" nonsense that never seems to work in practice.
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Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 8:25 am
I was under the impression that in the Christian faith, parents are instructed to raise their children in Christianity. Then, when they get older, they can choose to continue in it, or to choose something else.
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Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 11:26 pm
Both of my parents are Presbyterian Christian ordained pastors. I don't really believe in God, but, as my grandmother put it, "Maybe [she] hasn't decided yet," which I haven't. I mean, it's really interesting, and maybe I don't want to believe because I'm sick of it all, but I don't know. Maybe after a few years I'll get over myself and "come to Christ". I only go to church for the singing, wee bit of social stuff, and because I'm merely 11 years of age, I don't have that kind of control over my actions (I mean, I do, but I can't just refuse to go to church). I didn't go to Sunday school or do that kind of thing until my parental units got worried that I wasn't getting the right religious education and made me (I didn't like it, therefore stopped going). My parents don't know about this little juvenile "decision" of mine; it would be so awkward and I might change my mind before the situation presents itself. So, er, I don't really know what my point was, but that's okay.
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:16 am
I was raised in a religious right conservative home. My mother was the primary religious force in the house, as my father was an excommunicated catholic. I was raised in the Christian faith, and even had thoughts of becoming a minister someday. As I got older however, and studied the bible more directly, I came to realized that there were glaring discrepancies in the teachings. When I was a teenager I turned to alternative religions. I began studying every religion I could get my hands on; what I liked, I incorporated into my own practice. What I found was that some directives are almost universal in religion, therefore I take those directives as my moral laws, among them care for my fellow humans, respect for the earth, forgiveness of others, and the directive not to harm needlessly. I must hide my practices from my mother because I feel she wouldn’t understand my choices, but my father and a portion of my family know of my practices.
That being said, I see nothing wrong with raising a child in a religion. Doing so gives them a clear moral compass, and places them in a community of likeminded people, however I agree that at a certain age, when they are old enough to choose, they should be free to branch out, explore other faiths, and make the decision for themselves. I don’t believe in blind faith. I think that religion should be something thought about, meditated upon, contemplated and tested until you succeed in shaking off that which is false, and discover the truth for yourself. Religion is simply a choice of path, all of which will eventually lead to the same truths if followed to completion.
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 7:35 pm
When I have kids, I will ask them directly, "Do you want to do this?" after they are capable of responding maturely and with a purpose and reason (not just "NO!" because they want to have more Cheerios). Or just raise them with what Duello has chosen to do. Explore different things, learn about practices, variations of common laws of religion, et cetera. I would learn as well as them, and my husband should be up for it (because I wouldn't settle for someone less. I deserve a good man and I know it, dammit!) too.
Man, I'm looking forward to raising a kid.
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Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:12 pm
I had christianity shoved down my throat until I was like 9, I turned out atheist. Some good that did. I don't think kids should have religion shoved down their throat, but I don't think it should be avoided all together. If/when I have kids I will probably not even mention religion until they are a little bit older and if they are interested in a particular religion or religions I will help them look up the information and see that they are getting in to.
It is the kid's choice what religion he/she wants to be, not mine.
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 10:54 am
Well, I was raised 'half-and-half.'
My mum, who I really didn't stay with a lot, doesn't believe in any type of god. Both of my grans are religious, but my mum's mum especially so. She tried to convince me to convince my parents that I needed to be baptised. My mum refused, my dad didn't really care.
(Come to think of it, I'm not sure if my dad is of any religion... We never really talk about it... sweatdrop )
Anyway, I won't raise my children/child (this is, of course, postulating I have any of those stinky brats) to believe in anything. If they/it wishes to pursue a religion, okay. I don't really care either way they/it goes.
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:17 pm
While it is true that we may be brainwashing our children into being Christian, it seems that we are brainwashing our teens and young adults into not being Christian (music, literary material, other forms of propaganda, social pressures "I don't date Christians" "Uptight" "Crazy" "Not cool" "Afraid they're going to try to drag me to their church" etc., the unattractiveness of the Christian lifestyle to teens). Now, I personally am agnostic, but I simply couldn't help but notice that its going both ways...
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