Messing up our children properly.

[Toronto Hottie]

I went to church as a kid. Sunday school up until I had the choice of going or not. About 10 or so.

Easter evenings (picking my nose usually) sitting on the pews, Christmas Eve as well, blah blah. Last time I recall was an Easter before my last grandma died.

My kids get none of that now. I don't go to church anymore. That shit starts at 8:30 on the days I could even consider it for fuck's sake.

How am I going to teach them that crap?

What do you guys do?

[GreasyItalianPrincess]

Teach them to be self-reliant and not to place their life in circumstance, rumor, or mythology. We need no more victims sitting in pews singing praises to imaginary characters.

Organized religon is a control device.

[Toronto Hottie]

You established that belief.

Did you go to church, or learn religion in some way as a child?

[GreasyItalianPrincess]

i was forced to hebrew school. at 7 years old i demanded during the adam and eve story to know where the dinosaurs were. She looked like the fat bitch in the principals office in Ferris Bueller. "errrrr....errrrrrrr.....errrrrr".

I knew it was a crock of shit even then. Hewbrew school and my Bar Mitzvah was a joke ever after. I did it b/c it was expected.

[Toronto Hottie]

SEE?

I'm going to have to take them to church and shit.

I can't just tell them to have my hangups without explaining where they come from.

[GreasyItalianPrincess]

doesn't mean you have to force them to swallow that swill.

[sweet angel]

I went to Sunday School until about 4th grade and then picked it up again about 7th grade through maybe 10th (they had a Youth Group that did a lot of non-church stuff and it was the only way I was really allowed out -- my parents were strict).

My son has never been in a church except for when he was baptized and when my babysitter a couple months ago signed her son up for Vacation Bible School and he had to tag along.

I'm kind of torn. I think he should be exposed to some form of religion (I'm Protestant, my ex-husband was Catholic), but at this point I think it's too late.

[Toronto Hottie]

Protestant as well. Which basically means "religion for dummies". I honestly don't even know the difference from Christianity.

I know, however, I'm going to rott in hell no matter which faith I follow. That aside...........

I'm not making them "swallow" anything gip. They need to be taught it however. They can establish their beliefs from there, but wtf can you establish with zero knowledge?

I still can't get past the 8:30 am thing however. Tell me the days that god sleeps in, and we'll discuss it.

[The Brain]

Originally posted by sweet angel
I think he should be exposed to some form of religion

Why? Why do you feel that any organized religion will give him a greater guideline to living his life than you can give him through good parenting?

Religion is not divine, no matter what they claim. All forms of it were created by men, for the purpose of controlling other men by instilling fear of punishment into them.

Want to explain to your son the values of religion, how it is supposed to teach men to love thy neighbor, accept everyone for who they are, as brothers and sisters under one God?

Explain to him how religion has manipulated mankind's attempts for power, from the Egyptians to the Romans, to the rise of the Catholic Church waging four different Crusades on Muslim lands. Then tell him that because of religion, people living in Israel can't walk down the street each day without constantly looking over their shoulders in fear that some extremist religious lunatic is going to shoot them or blow them up, because of this perception that the Jews' Holy Land just happens to be someone else's Holy Land as well.

Religion sounds good on paper. But no good as ever come of it.

You want to teach him faith? Teach him to have faith in himself, and his own sense of goodness. That should steer him on whatever "righteous" path you desire.

[sweet angel]

Originally posted by Toronto Hottie
Protestant as well. Which basically means \"religion for dummies\". I honestly don't even know the difference from Christianity.

I know, however, I'm going to rott in hell no matter which faith I follow. That aside...........

I'm not making them \"swallow\" anything gip. They need to be taught it however. They can establish their beliefs from there, but wtf can you establish with zero knowledge?

I still can't get past the 8:30 am thing however. Tell me the days that god sleeps in, and we'll discuss it.

I have to dispute the "religion for dummies". I prefer to think of it as religion with less rules. Catholics have so many rules they have to follow which make absolutely no sense. Protestants mostly have to "do unto others as you would have others do unto you". It's a lot less stringent.

I wonder if lack of religion is a contributing factor to how kids are these days?

I'm with ya on the "days God sleeps in" thing though. My parents used to drop me off at Sunday school (which started at 10 a.m.) and go food shopping. I never thought that was fair...if I had to be there, I thought they should be too.

**Edit because I just saw Brain's response: I'm not all that familiar with history of various religions, so I'm not in a position to teach all that you speak of. I supposed since I was exposed to religious beliefs, I believe it's the right thing to do...although I haven't exactly followed through.

**Second edit because I had another thought -- you didn't mention Protestants in your post, Brain. Did that particular group do wrong/cause harm?