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Before I respond to the poster, a disclaimer of my own. I in no way mean to offend anybody. Many people have very deep, firmly held religious beliefs. And while I disagree with every single one of those people, I still respect them for their opinion and conviction.
I was raised a Catholic and went to Catholic school from grades K-12. I was an alter boy, at the insistance of my parents, for about 6 years. I also have a degree in, among other things, European History with a focus on early Christianity. So my belief system, or lack there of, with respect to religion, is not one borne of ignorance or a lack of information.
Not only do I not believe in any sort of God, god like being, or higher power, I even take offense to terms like agnostic and atheist because in a way these terms pre-suppose the existance of God in order to define those who do not believe in God. All that is here in the universe now has in some way evloved from what has come before it ... evolution. There I said it ... EVOLUTION. And I didn't get struck by lightning.
Because I am an educated person, I recognize the need to educate my children about the world in which they live. In a way it helps them to make sense of the ridiculous things humans do to each other in the name of religion. Whether it is learning about the Crusades, how the church of England came into being (horny old king can't make nice with the pope), making some personal sense of 9/11, or what the heck is a bar mitzvah and why do you need to bring a gift.
But my childrens education is completely secular. If you ask them what their religious beliefs are, they will tell you religion is the most effective form of brain washing known to man. They will tell you how ridiculous it is for some old men in Rome who have never had sex to tell young people they should never use birth control ... married or single. Am I the only one who thinks calling birth control a sin and banning it's use is a thinly veiled way of perpetuating catholisism? More babies means more catholics, right? And that is just the beginning of what they will tell you.
How ridiculous is it for people to call themselves Catholic, profess to believe in the teachings of the Catholic church, and then abandon those teachings on a daily basis? How many catholics in the USA use birth control? Engage in premarital sex? Have children out of Wedlock? Attend church regularly? Tithe 10% of their income? I don't mean to pick on Catholics, they are just a good sized target. People of all religions do the same thing.
So the question is What do I do in a crisis such as if my child is gravely ill? I take my child to a doctor. I educate myself about her illness and the treatment for it. I make sure that all that can be done for her can be done for her. If I had to cheat, lie, or steal to make her better I would.
And if in the end what I am able to do for my child is not enough, I grieve her loss. I remember how much I loved her. I try to find solace in what a wonderful young lady she was. I find and give comfort within myself and my family. And I move forward because any other direction is destructive to ourselves and those around us.
And in the end, if I were to believe in God, a God whose believers profess is all powerful and all knowing, I would blame him. And isn't that the rub. That people the world over take solace during times of crisis, large and small, in a God who could just as easily prevented the crisis to begin with.
Go on, point to free will. Talk about Adam and Eve in the garden and the first sin and fall from grace. I have heard it all ... both from religious teachers and secula ones. It is hard for me to believe that God has punished trillions of people because some joker ate an apple. Other religions have similiar parables to account for why God lets all of this nonsense happen to his people. P-L-E-A-S-E.
This is what I teach my kids. Be polite to grown ups. Don't ever get into a van, even if there is a puppy in it. If a man raises his hand to you once, the second time is easier ... don't stick around to find out how easy. Never lend more than $5 dollars to anyone. Don't co-sign anything for anyone ... your credit rating is too important to your future. The most important thing you will ever do for youself is to get an excellent education ... no one can ever take it away from you. If you get pregnant before you graduate college you better have a plan that does not involve my raising more children.
And if you get on your knees to ask god for anything make sure you are wearing knee pads because you'll be waiting a very long time to hear back from him.
Sorry, you asked.
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