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Question for religious parents
Would you have a problem with your child being friends with an atheist,
or being friends with a child who's parents are atheists? The reason I ask is that I am an atheist and I have a daughter who is almost two and I live in a very religious area. Now that my daughter is not really a baby anymore I am starting to think about these issues and wondering if she is going to have trouble having friends. |
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Question for religious parents
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Question for religious parents
wrote in message
oups.com... Would you have a problem with your child being friends with an atheist, or being friends with a child who's parents are atheists? The reason I ask is that I am an atheist and I have a daughter who is almost two and I live in a very religious area. Now that my daughter is not really a baby anymore I am starting to think about these issues and wondering if she is going to have trouble having friends. When I was growing up, my parents did not allow me to be friends with other kids who were not Christians or were not "good enough". I frequently lied about who I talked to at school, because even though someone might have gone to church, if he/she wasn't perfect (or didn't give off that perfect righteous image my parents fell for) I would get in trouble for hanging around with them. So yes there are people who will not let their children be friends with atheists. I doubt your daughter will have trouble having friends, though, as long as you don't live in a hokey little town in the Deep South like I did. I am not religious now, and in fact we are in a group of secular homeschoolers and all of my closest friends(including my best friend from middle school) are pagan, agnostic, or atheist. I tend to stay away from the bible thumpers, because I'd rather not be told that I'm going to hell, or my kids need to be in church. In which area of the US do you live? Marie |
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Question for religious parents
Marie wrote: wrote in message oups.com... Would you have a problem with your child being friends with an atheist, or being friends with a child who's parents are atheists? SNIP I tend to stay away from the bible thumpers, because I'd rather not be told that I'm going to hell, or my kids need to be in church. SNIP And this would differ from religious people who would prefer that their children not play with non-religious people ... exactly how? Barbara |
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Question for religious parents
"Barbara" wrote in message oups.com... Marie wrote: wrote in message oups.com... Would you have a problem with your child being friends with an atheist, or being friends with a child who's parents are atheists? SNIP I tend to stay away from the bible thumpers, because I'd rather not be told that I'm going to hell, or my kids need to be in church. SNIP And this would differ from religious people who would prefer that their children not play with non-religious people ... exactly how? In that the non-religious people aren't going to tell the religious people that they are going to Hell. Besides, she said, "Bible thumpers" which I take to mean people who are very vocal about their religion, people who are likely to judge others about their lack, or difference of religion. There are atheists like this too. People who consider anyone who believes in a higher power to be a gullible idiot, and don't mind saying so at any opportunity. I wouldn't hold it against a religious family to keep their child away from someone like that. Bizby |
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Question for religious parents
Barbara writes:
Marie wrote: SNIP I tend to stay away from the bible thumpers, because I'd rather not be told that I'm going to hell, or my kids need to be in church. SNIP And this would differ from religious people who would prefer that their children not play with non-religious people ... exactly how? In whether the person concerned is attempting to impose their beliefs on someone else, or not. A "Bible thumper" is by definition a person who does this wrt Christianity, or at least that's my understanding. I do think there's a difficult angle where children are concerned, though. As an adult, I don't need to avoid religious people as a group: if someone does push their religion on me, I can recognise what's happening and choose whether to avoid that individual in future. I'm slightly concerned, though, that preschoolers may not have adult sensitivities on this. If it ever happened that someone else's preschooler told mine he was going to hell, or that Jesus saved us, for that matter, I'd be a lot more concerned about whom he talked unsupervised to in future, and yes, if that happened, I could imagine wanting myself or a trusted adult to be present any time he talked to a child from a fundamentalist household. I'm not sure whether this is a reasonable concern, or whether actually even very young children have enough tact that it isn't likely to happen in practice. I *do* remember this kind of talk directed at me by other children when I was a child, but age 8-10, at which point I could more or less cope. Sidheag DS Colin Oct 27 2003 |
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Question for religious parents
In article , Sidheag McCormack says...
Barbara writes: Marie wrote: SNIP I tend to stay away from the bible thumpers, because I'd rather not be told that I'm going to hell, or my kids need to be in church. SNIP And this would differ from religious people who would prefer that their children not play with non-religious people ... exactly how? In whether the person concerned is attempting to impose their beliefs on someone else, or not. A "Bible thumper" is by definition a person who does this wrt Christianity, or at least that's my understanding. I do think there's a difficult angle where children are concerned, though. As an adult, I don't need to avoid religious people as a group: if someone does push their religion on me, I can recognise what's happening and choose whether to avoid that individual in future. I'm slightly concerned, though, that preschoolers may not have adult sensitivities on this. If it ever happened that someone else's preschooler told mine he was going to hell, or that Jesus saved us, for that matter, I'd be a lot more concerned about whom he talked unsupervised to in future, and yes, if that happened, I could imagine wanting myself or a trusted adult to be present any time he talked to a child from a fundamentalist household. I'm not sure whether this is a reasonable concern, or whether actually even very young children have enough tact that it isn't likely to happen in practice. I *do* remember this kind of talk directed at me by other children when I was a child, but age 8-10, at which point I could more or less cope. I think it depends on what it means by 'religious'. And how the particular religious family handles it. Atheists by and large don't proseltyse; and most religions by and large do not. I don't view occassional comments and discussions between kids of different faiths (or no faith) as a problem - it's fodder for family discussion about differences between people and how to handle it. Concerted prosyltization, on the other hand, can be a problem. Banty |
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Question for religious parents
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Question for religious parents
On 20 Feb 2006 06:34:45 -0800, "Barbara"
wrote: Marie wrote: wrote in message oups.com... Would you have a problem with your child being friends with an atheist, or being friends with a child who's parents are atheists? SNIP I tend to stay away from the bible thumpers, because I'd rather not be told that I'm going to hell, or my kids need to be in church. SNIP And this would differ from religious people who would prefer that their children not play with non-religious people ... exactly how? Bible thumpers are a specific *brand* of religious people. Most religious folks I know don't generally bring up religion with others who are not of their own faith. Most children who are religious don't tell other kids they are going to hell either. Barbara -- Dorothy There is no sound, no cry in all the world that can be heard unless someone listens .. The Outer Limits |
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