How to teach children not to feel ashamed due to stigma attached to your religion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I believe in God and the power of prayer but think all organized religion has done far more harm than good.

How?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe in God and the power of prayer but think all organized religion has done far more harm than good.

How?

Have you read much history?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe in God and the power of prayer but think all organized religion has done far more harm than good.

How?

Have you read much history?

Tons. Why do you have an opinion that organized religion has done more harm than good?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe in God and the power of prayer but think all organized religion has done far more harm than good.

How?

Have you read much history?

Tons. Why do you have an opinion that organized religion has done more harm than good?

I could mention a bunch but I'm afraid it might get the thread shut down. I can't believe you're seriously asking this question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s wrong with children becoming atheists?

Because they might end up like DCUM’s atheists, obsessed, mean and miserable?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of us follow the religion we are born into and try to pick good teachings which resonate with us. However, following religions with billions of followers, you don’t have any say in other followers doing good or bad things. This makes it quite difficult for children (specially ones living in places where they are minority) to deal with the stigma which comes with it. People hating you for no fault of your own, how do you teach children to do their own thing, not be sensitive of what anyone says and not have to feel the responsibility to defend your religion? I think Jews, Muslims, Mormons, Baptists and Scientologist and many others can relate to it at varying degree so would like to hear their perspectives. A new parent ask me this question and I didn’t have a good answer. It seems most children become atheists because most adults doesn’t have enough knowledge to give satisfactory answers.

There is no good answer; it's impossible. I take it you insist they be identified as members of your religion and not just "pass" as secular Americans like most of us? I've never in my life been required to state my religion to anyone.

Most Americans identify with some religion, even if only for ceremony and culture.

Mostly it's only to check the box if asked.

BS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If a person of ANY religion is judging other person for their religion, they are highlighting flaws of their own religion for not teaching them to be a better human.

Same goes for atheists judging others. Plenty of atheists go after Islam and Muslims, for example. Bigotry is bad no matter where it comes from.

OP, model respect for others to your kids, and teach them to give respect to others. Let them know that there are bad examples on both sides—within your faith and the intolerance outside your faith, but that these people are not good embodiments of your faith, just as the bigots are not good examples of other faiths or atheism. By setting the best example of your religion, your kids will win respect in their turn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Question for OP: Are you talking about feeling ashamed because of your religion's theology (or incorrect perceptions of your religion's theology)? Or because of people who happen to share your religion and did something bad?

If it's about a stigma attached to your beliefs themselves, then you'll want to help your child understand your beliefs better. This can be difficult, because religion is often not entirely logical; it requires faith. Reconciling, for example, dinosaurs with the Creation story can be hard to do for the black-and-white thought processes of a child. Sometimes it's easier to redirect attention for now to the parts of your religion that are positive and less messy (holidays, family, community, charity/good deeds) and come back to the more difficult concepts when the child is older. Admitting that the concept is difficult, even for an adult, can also be a good place to start. Something like, "That's a great question, Tommy, and it's something that our best clergy/scholars have grappled with for a long time." And then talk about the value you find in your faith, how sometimes it's easier to think of religious stories as metaphors or allegories, or something like that.

If it's about bad people in your religion who do secularly bad things (like Bernie Madoff), then it's a matter of telling your kids (and anyone who tries to connect you to that person just because you share a religion) that bad people exist everywhere, but your religion doesn't condone their behavior. Prosperity gospel people or conversion therapy people and others who do bad things in the name of religion are a different animal, because then you have to explain how those people twisted your theology and that can be harder to explain, since their behavior is often couched in religious language.

Wow, a response that’s actually helpful to OP instead of 1. Trashing all religion, or 2. Trying desperately (and failing) to prove that all religion is dying. Took two pages to get here.

Thank you pp for taking the time to post a thoughtful response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe in God and the power of prayer but think all organized religion has done far more harm than good.

How?

Have you read much history?

Tons. Why do you have an opinion that organized religion has done more harm than good?

More people have been killed over religion than anything else. Wars, crusades, pogroms, Holocaust, torture, the Inquisition, forced conversions, forced expulsions. For thousands of years people have been killing each other over a small barren strip of land in the Middle East that doesn’t even have any oil. How stupid is that? And that’s not to mention religious discrimination. John Lennon was right in his song “Imagine” that without religion there would be nothing kill or die for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Wow, a response that’s actually helpful to OP instead of 1. Trashing all religion, or 2. Trying desperately (and failing) to prove that all religion is dying. Took two pages to get here.

Thank you pp for taking the time to post a thoughtful response.

Yup, my thoughts too. I have a few suggestions in response to OP also, and may post when I have time. But I find myself not even wanting to when the whole thread is blah blah blah religion is terrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe in God and the power of prayer but think all organized religion has done far more harm than good.

How?

Have you read much history?

Tons. Why do you have an opinion that organized religion has done more harm than good?

More people have been killed over religion than anything else. Wars, crusades, pogroms, Holocaust, torture, the Inquisition, forced conversions, forced expulsions. For thousands of years people have been killing each other over a small barren strip of land in the Middle East that doesn’t even have any oil. How stupid is that? And that’s not to mention religious discrimination. John Lennon was right in his song “Imagine” that without religion there would be nothing kill or die for.

Let’s see, Stalin, Hitler, Mao’s Cultural Revolution, Pol Pot collectively killed more than religion.

Are you the historically ignorant OP of the “root religions” thread?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe in God and the power of prayer but think all organized religion has done far more harm than good.

How?

Have you read much history?

Tons. Why do you have an opinion that organized religion has done more harm than good?

More people have been killed over religion than anything else. Wars, crusades, pogroms, Holocaust, torture, the Inquisition, forced conversions, forced expulsions. For thousands of years people have been killing each other over a small barren strip of land in the Middle East that doesn’t even have any oil. How stupid is that? And that’s not to mention religious discrimination. John Lennon was right in his song “Imagine” that without religion there would be nothing kill or die for.

Let’s see, Stalin, Hitler, Mao’s Cultural Revolution, Pol Pot collectively killed more than religion.

Are you the historically ignorant OP of the “root religions” thread?

That’s right. Stalin sent Jews east to death camps. Hitler killed six million Jews. But as many as this sounds like, it pales in comparison to the millions killed in religious conflicts over thousands of years. People still kill each other over that barren strip of land in the Middle East. Sunni and Shiite Muslims are slaughtering each other in Yemen. Muslims and Hindus are slaughtering each other in Kashmir.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe in God and the power of prayer but think all organized religion has done far more harm than good.

How?

Have you read much history?

Tons. Why do you have an opinion that organized religion has done more harm than good?

More people have been killed over religion than anything else. Wars, crusades, pogroms, Holocaust, torture, the Inquisition, forced conversions, forced expulsions. For thousands of years people have been killing each other over a small barren strip of land in the Middle East that doesn’t even have any oil. How stupid is that? And that’s not to mention religious discrimination. John Lennon was right in his song “Imagine” that without religion there would be nothing kill or die for.

Let’s see, Stalin, Hitler, Mao’s Cultural Revolution, Pol Pot collectively killed more than religion.

Are you the historically ignorant OP of the “root religions” thread?

That’s right. Stalin sent Jews east to death camps. Hitler killed six million Jews. But as many as this sounds like, it pales in comparison to the millions killed in religious conflicts over thousands of years. People still kill each other over that barren strip of land in the Middle East. Sunni and Shiite Muslims are slaughtering each other in Yemen. Muslims and Hindus are slaughtering each other in Kashmir.

You are wrong. Communism has killed more people than religion.

Cite your numbers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe in God and the power of prayer but think all organized religion has done far more harm than good.

How?

Have you read much history?

Tons. Why do you have an opinion that organized religion has done more harm than good?

More people have been killed over religion than anything else. Wars, crusades, pogroms, Holocaust, torture, the Inquisition, forced conversions, forced expulsions. For thousands of years people have been killing each other over a small barren strip of land in the Middle East that doesn’t even have any oil. How stupid is that? And that’s not to mention religious discrimination. John Lennon was right in his song “Imagine” that without religion there would be nothing kill or die for.

Let’s see, Stalin, Hitler, Mao’s Cultural Revolution, Pol Pot collectively killed more than religion.

Are you the historically ignorant OP of the “root religions” thread?

That’s right. Stalin sent Jews east to death camps. Hitler killed six million Jews. But as many as this sounds like, it pales in comparison to the millions killed in religious conflicts over thousands of years. People still kill each other over that barren strip of land in the Middle East. Sunni and Shiite Muslims are slaughtering each other in Yemen. Muslims and Hindus are slaughtering each other in Kashmir.

What a bizarre post. Stalin and Hitler killed millions more besides Jews in the name of their secular ideologies. Putin is killing people in the Ukraine as we speak in the name of geopilitical power.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe in God and the power of prayer but think all organized religion has done far more harm than good.

How?

Have you read much history?

Tons. Why do you have an opinion that organized religion has done more harm than good?

More people have been killed over religion than anything else. Wars, crusades, pogroms, Holocaust, torture, the Inquisition, forced conversions, forced expulsions. For thousands of years people have been killing each other over a small barren strip of land in the Middle East that doesn’t even have any oil. How stupid is that? And that’s not to mention religious discrimination. John Lennon was right in his song “Imagine” that without religion there would be nothing kill or die for.

Let’s see, Stalin, Hitler, Mao’s Cultural Revolution, Pol Pot collectively killed more than religion.

Are you the historically ignorant OP of the “root religions” thread?

That’s right. Stalin sent Jews east to death camps. Hitler killed six million Jews. But as many as this sounds like, it pales in comparison to the millions killed in religious conflicts over thousands of years. People still kill each other over that barren strip of land in the Middle East. Sunni and Shiite Muslims are slaughtering each other in Yemen. Muslims and Hindus are slaughtering each other in Kashmir.

What a bizarre post. Stalin and Hitler killed millions more besides Jews in the name of their secular ideologies. Putin is killing people in the Ukraine as we speak in the name of geopilitical power.

Also: why do atheists have to hijack every.single.thread?