[Jacobispukesome]

Re: Parents Of Children Who Question Faith

I agrre with you. Beatings doesnt help anyone.

[Mary Etheldreda]

Re: Parents Of Children Who Question Faith

Hello Mary,

Hello noosab, and welcome to our friendly forums!

I am an Agnostic who was raised in a very religious family. My father is a deacon in the church. My family has chosen to accept me for the way I am. Now does that mean that they don't try to convince me? Of course not. Faith is something you should have within yourself. You may choose to guide someone, but know that you cannot force them to believe in a religion.

I completely agree! I would never suggest "forcing" a child to believe, because that's not really possible. A child would only grow up to see the manipulative parent's control diminish. No, what I'm suggesting is to encourage a child to know why they need to have faith. Constant reminders help. For example, in the western United States and Hawaii, Americans are understandably anxious about what North Korea might do with regards to launching a nuclear attack. Children are naturally nervous about this as well. I would encourage parents on the west to be honest with their children, let the know the effects of radiation, the burning skin, the blinding light, the coughing up blood and scraping away loose skin, and loosing clumps of hair at a time. Let them know they can expect to see many of their little friends die slow, painful deaths. Remind them their animal pets will die as well, if not from the radiation, then from being left behind as families race to the mountains to escape the fall-out. Children have fabulous imaginations, they can "see" this play out in their little minds. Parents can then, after calming the child down and maybe helping them clean their vomit, remind them that this will be less than what God has in store for sinners who go to Hell. This kind of pain and misery will never stop for the sinner. Remind them that they are sinners, and this is the kind of justice God has set up since Eve ruined things in the Garden. This isn't forcing them to believe, this is letting them have pertinent information so they can make an informed choice.

Spankings and beatings does not help to guide a child. It only helps them become scared of the parent. I personally chose to shy away from religion because I am a firm believer of science.

If you believed in science like you say you do, then you would know that "behavioral conditioning" is a powerful tool for guiding behavior. Just as Pavlov got his dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell, the parent can get her child to tremble at the opportunity of sin.

I have read the Bible and Studied every aspect for this religion but in the end science won my heart. It's great to guide someone but just know that you cannot force someone to believe.

This is precisely why the Bible warns us about following our hearts.

The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jeremiah 17:9

[Bob4God]

Re: Parents Of Children Who Question Faith

There ate just too many things I disagree with so I chose to be agnostic not an atheist because I believe there may or may not be a greater power above us.

How can you claim to be a moral person while publicly admitting that there are parts of the Bible you disagree with?

As long as you maintain that the world is round or that it is wrong to beat children with blunt objects, you can never be taken seriously as a moral person, since you have rejected the source of all morality.

[Mary Etheldreda]

Re: Parents Of Children Who Question Faith

so I chose to be agnostic not an atheist because I believe there may or may not be a greater power above us.

By definition, agnostic is one without knowledge (from a- "not" + gnostos "[to be] known"). Belief requires precious little knowledge, namely, knowledge of the belief itself. The Holy Bible never speaks of knowing God through science (although science proves the existence of God), but of knowing God through the heart, as indeed, each man has the Law written on his heart. You can learn more about that here: Atheists: Deluded Fools Living in Denial. In essence, if you are not a True Christian(tm), you are rejecting God.