introducing faith/religion to kids

On Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:58:27 -0400, Ericka Kammerer
wrote:

There are times and spaces where it
is okay, but it shouldn't be on the playground or at a cocktail
party.

I haven't seen atheists bringing it up in either venue. When they are
attacked by those who insist on bringing it up though, they often
defend their own views.




--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..

The Outer Limits

toto wrote:
On Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:58:27 -0400, Ericka Kammerer
wrote:

There are times and spaces where it
is okay, but it shouldn't be on the playground or at a cocktail
party.

I haven't seen atheists bringing it up in either venue. When they are
attacked by those who insist on bringing it up though, they often
defend their own views.

What to do under attack is a somewhat different
question, the answer to which depends heavily on the situation.
I think people have a right to defend themselves under attack,
but I also think that the defense can be unnecessarily
inflammatory particularly when a number of bystanders are
involved. So, in an ideal world I think one considers
the potential fallout, especially since it is often the
case that those rude enough to make the attack in the
first case are unlikely to listen to reason. When that's
the case, I would be less likely to defend my position
and more likely to highlight the impropriety of the
attack. (In other words, "I haven't attacked your beliefs
and you don't have any right to attack mine" rather than,
"My beliefs are right and yours are wrong"--not because
you don't have any right to defend your beliefs, but
because if the topic was inappropriate to begin with,
taking it to greater heights continues the inappropriate
behavior rather than shutting it down.)

Best wishes,
Ericka

On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:27:44 -0400, Ericka Kammerer
wrote:

(In other words, "I haven't attacked your beliefs
and you don't have any right to attack mine" rather than,
"My beliefs are right and yours are wrong"--not because
you don't have any right to defend your beliefs, but
because if the topic was inappropriate to begin with,
taking it to greater heights continues the inappropriate
behavior rather than shutting it down.)

I don't expect that my grandchildren would ever bring up religion at
all unless they were attacked by being told they are going to hell
because they are not Christian.

My granddaughter is pretty naive though and would probably just come
home crying. She *might* tell her teacher, but they discourage
tattling, so it is doubtful that anyone at school would help her.
Besides her teachers probably have the same beliefs, they just don't
say them out loud to the kids.


--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..

The Outer Limits