Is it as right or wrong to force atheism on kids as it is religion?

personally, i think kids should be taught a "religions of the world" class in school. Inform them, and let them make their own decisions. It is really interesting when you see the similarities between the egyptians and christians, the catholics and buddhists.. etc. many of the stories and parables overlap. i hate the idea of parents forcing any views on kids.

RobbieFTW wrote:

Is it as right or wrong to force atheism on kids as it is religion?

Religious parents are going to indoctrinate their children into their beliefs. Atheists have the same right. Eventually children will (hopefully) find their own way anyway.

Alan Smithee wrote:

Religious parents are going to indoctrinate their children into their beliefs. Atheists have the same right. Eventually children will (hopefully) find their own way anyway.

Alan Smithee wrote:

Religious parents are going to indoctrinate their children into their beliefs. Atheists have the same right. Eventually children will (hopefully) find their own way anyway.

Shale wrote:

I would say it is often hypocritical as most atheists slander religious people for forcing their beliefs on their kids.

But I have not seen anyone truly give their kid a choice. Most often, kids not given beliefs end up believing in notice of anything. My job is to educate my children in all areas. They have free will to do what they will, but if I don't properly teach them, their bad choices are on me. All parents force beliefs on their kids, whether they try to or not. Sometimes that belief is indifference, but parents who do not care whether or not their child is saved have demonstrated indifference and are forcing that onto their kids.

So sure, let atheists tell their kids what they believe. They just better stop judging me for doing the same.

Forgiveness Man wrote:

I would say it is often hypocritical as most atheists slander religious people for forcing their beliefs on their kids.

Hmmmm. I agree with you. I'm not into religion, but IMO, some atheists are just as bad or worse than some religious zealots.


Anyway, as it was pointed out, I think children should learn about religion and then decide for themselves.

Forgiveness Man wrote:

I would say it is often hypocritical as most atheists slander religious people for forcing their beliefs on their kids.

But I have not seen anyone truly give their kid a choice. Most often, kids not given beliefs end up believing in notice of anything. My job is to educate my children in all areas. They have free will to do what they will, but if I don't properly teach them, their bad choices are on me. All parents force beliefs on their kids, whether they try to or not. Sometimes that belief is indifference, but parents who do not care whether or not their child is saved have demonstrated indifference and are forcing that onto their kids.

So sure, let atheists tell their kids what they believe. They just better stop judging me for doing the same.

Gee, it's a good thing you don't judge!

Morning Al!

tmontyb wrote:

Hmmmm. I agree with you. I'm not into religion, but IMO, some atheists are just as bad or worse than some religious zealots.

Yeah, those fucking atheists...always out there picketing and protesting baptisms, bar mitzvahs and such while perverting impressionable youg minds!

Forgiveness Man wrote:

Morning Al!

It is indeed.

tmontyb wrote:

... I'm not into religion, but IMO, some atheists are just as bad or worse than some religious zealots.

Alan Smithee wrote:

Yeah, those fucking atheists...always out there picketing and protesting baptisms, bar mitzvahs and such while perverting impressionable youg minds!

Well, it is true that some Atheists can't help refuting misinformation with the facts. Sorry about that.

Alan Smithee wrote:

Religious parents are going to indoctrinate their children into their beliefs. Atheists have the same right. Eventually children will (hopefully) find their own way anyway.

Alan Smithee wrote:

Yeah, those fucking atheists...always out there picketing and protesting baptisms, bar mitzvahs and such while perverting impressionable youg minds!

Ha Ha Ha! Touché!

Well, what I really meant to say was....ehhhh

Seriously, I look at atheism as a religion too. I know this couple who are and they annoy the fuck out me with their rhetoric. They say anti-religious stuff constantly and I seriously don't give a damn about who is religious and who is not and why they are and why they not. So in my mind, I put them in same boat because they can be impressionable too, albeit I concede that atheists are the lesser of the two evils.

Hence, I am not into religion.

tmontyb wrote:

Ha Ha Ha! Touché!

Well, what I really meant to say was....ehhhh

Seriously, I look at atheism as a religion too. I know this couple who are and they annoy the fuck out me with their rhetoric. They say anti-religious stuff constantly and I seriously don't give a damn about who is religious and who is not and why they are and why they not. So in my mind, I put them in same boat because they can be impressionable too, albeit I concede that atheists are the lesser of the two evils.

Hence, I am not into religion.

I agree that zealots from either camp can a pain in the ass .

Atheism is just like another religion in terms of the fanatics it can produce. (Only the religion is just anti-God instead of Pro.) They might not do the exact same things that the WBC does (neither do the overwhelming vast majority of Christians, for that matter), but the atheist extremists are every bit as hateful and intolerant as any Christian. So sure, I don't mind atheists teaching their kids as they see fit. Let them force their beliefs onto their children. haha

Side note: For all the time atheists spend mocking Christians for believing in a fairy tale, they sure spend a lot of time trying to disprove said fairy tale. I know if I believed something to be a fairy tale, I wouldn't be giving it so much rent-free space in my life. *shrugs Different strokes, I guess.

While some atheists can go to extremes like anyone else in association with just about anything, atheism is a religion like NOT collecting stamps is a hobby

CeCe wrote:

While some atheists can go to extremes like anyone else in association with just about anything, atheism is a religion like NOT collecting stamps is a hobby

Thanks, CeCe

CeCe wrote:

While some atheists can go to extremes like anyone else in association with just about anything, atheism is a religion like NOT collecting stamps is a hobby

Now imagine somebody who doesn't collect stamps spending years on end insulting those who do collect stamps and writing endless articles about why those who collect stamps are buying into a scam. (And then proceeding to become offended every time they see a stamp.) Although, I did say that atheism was like a religion in terms of approach to rhetoric. To use your analogy, NOT collecting stamps isn't the hobby, but attacking those who do collect stamps might be considered the "hobby." (Or an irrational obsession in some cases? lol.) So atheism itself isn't a "religion," but atheists tend to act like religious fundies in how they go about their beliefs. So whatever word you use to describe it, you still got a bunch of "my way is best" people running around trying to win "converts." Fundies are fundies no matter what group they're trying to promote. If I have a JW shouting in one ear and a radical atheist in another, labeling one "religious" doesn't make the other any less a pest. At some point, what they are saying becomes irrelevant and they just look the same.

Forgiveness Man wrote:

So atheism itself isn't a "religion," but atheists tend to act like religious fundies in how they go about their beliefs. So whatever word you use to describe it, you still got a bunch of "my way is best" people running around trying to win "converts." Fundies are fundies no matter what group they're trying to promote. If I have a JW shouting in one ear and a radical atheist in another, labeling one "religious" doesn't make the other any less a pest.

Exactly, this is why I want no part of any of it.

It's you do you, I do me. I wish the world were that easy.

Forgiveness Man wrote:

Now imagine somebody who doesn't collect stamps spending years on end insulting those who do collect stamps and writing endless articles about why those who collect stamps are buying into a scam. (And then proceeding to become offended every time they see a stamp.) Although, I did say that atheism was like a religion in terms of approach to rhetoric. To use your analogy, NOT collecting stamps isn't the hobby, but attacking those who do collect stamps might be considered the "hobby." (Or an irrational obsession in some cases? lol.) So atheism itself isn't a "religion," but atheists tend to act like religious fundies in how they go about their beliefs. So whatever word you use to describe it, you still got a bunch of "my way is best" people running around trying to win "converts." Fundies are fundies no matter what group they're trying to promote. If I have a JW shouting in one ear and a radical atheist in another, labeling one "religious" doesn't make the other any less a pest. At some point, what they are saying becomes irrelevant and they just look the same.

All atheists do not "attack" anyone. Just like all christians aren't overbearing arrogant assholes. There's a difference between disagreeing & being insulting. And of course articles on atheism are going to be written, just like "endless articles" on religion & condemning people to hell which translates into "my way is best", yes?

And the expression to describe atheism is "a LACK of belief in gods (all 3000 of them)" So you see atheism isn't remarkably different from christianity. It's simply taking it one "god" further.

CeCe, should we have a password for our clubhouse?

I never said atheism wasn't remarkably different from Christianity. Atheists (the people) just tend (that means there are exceptions) to have similar approaches to the fundies.

And of course stuff will be written about it? Well, it seems quite a waste to spend so much time writing and fighting against something you don't believe exists. It's one thing if you write about something you believe IN. But to spend so much time writing against something you don't believe exists? Talk about being a fundie.

And yes, some atheists aren't like that. A few, here and there. I met one who was actually tolerant and not concerned with being shielded from the existence of Christianity like many atheists today do. Most I've encountered though are just like the fundies, only atheist. As I said, a fundie is a fundie, regardless of what they believe. Difference messages, same animal.

FTR, I honestly don't have a problem with a "my way is right," in theory. I just acknowledge that atheists are no different than Christians in the sense that they have something that they believe (in this case, that no God exists) and they often actively try to force their views onto other people in the same way that many religious do. Are there many differences? Sure. Are the beliefs themselves at odds? You betcha. Does that mean atheists don't go around acting like the bigoted fundies they so like to bitch about? Nope. For all of the differences, atheists have a knack for becoming very much like the most radical of those they oppose. I'm not even condemning them for being such. Merely acknowledging them for what they are.