Reply to Reza Aslan: Sam Harris and "New Atheists" aren't new, aren't even atheists

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Reply to "Reza Aslan: Sam Harris and "New Atheists" aren't new, aren't even atheists"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I am aware of the term and do not label myself so. I only enjoy helping people learn about Christianity, and more specifically, the love of Jesus Christ. I truly believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for us, and I truly love other people and wish for people to be brought salvation. It was a long road for me to accept Christ completely. I apologize for nothing, I love Christ only. It’s simple. I know who Sproul is; but I don’t see myself as such a person. I have basic Bible knowledge and learn and grow in the Word through study and prayer and fellowship with others, believers and non-believers.[/quote]

^  So speaking of anti-theists, what good would it do me to try to talk someone like this out of their beliefs, or argue they're deluded?  None whatsoever.  I can respect that you came to these beliefs as an adult.  I do not like the indoctrination of children however.  That just seems wrong to me.  I try to tell my kids how to think, not what to think.  Not surprisingly they aren't religious, even though spouse goes to church every Sunday.[/quote]

Most children that are raised in religion are raised in a religious belief system that their parents have embraced. Parents raise their children as they feel is right, and that is the right of the parents to do so. Many parents feel it is their responsibility to give their child a religious foundation and although you have a different view of that, it’s not your business to judge how people raise their children. Every parent or couple decides how they will raise their child and it’s not my business or yours how they decide to raise their own child.

Religious parents know that their child may or may not continue to accept the religion of their childhood. Religious parents know their child could change their religious views, find and accept other religious views, stop believing in religion, fall away and come back to religion, etc. Unless the parents physically keep their adult child within the home (weird) and limit all contact with the world, they are not able to control the life of of their child into adulthood. Even the extremely religious Amish, a very insular culture and population, have those raised Amish leave their religion and community.

I lived in Afghanistan for a period of time and was moved by a child who was without clothing. For close to a year I observed this small boy, who was about 3, live without clothing and I was shocked and heartbroken for the child, even though he seemed fine with it. I approached a trusted friend who knew more about local customs and culture than I did, and asked if it would be ok for me to provide the child with some clothing? Because we were in a highly religious and rural community, my friend advised me to not do anything of the sort for this child. His family and tribe did not wear western clothing and would not like this child wearing western clothing. I refrained from giving the child clothing. This happened in 2008.

I understand you raised your children as you consider proper, and urge you to understand other parents do the same. Everyone does their best to raise their children as they see fit. You can call it anything you want, but have no right to have people raise their kids as you like.

Can you imagine if a stranger came to you and told you you were raising you children “wrong” and that they must be given a certain religious belief when they were young? Or demanded you feed them a specific diet, etc? You’d tell them to step off, your children are yours and you raise them with love and care, etc. You basically are taking that right away from parents, or spend time and energy wishing you could do so, when you have an expectation that they should raise their children as you want them to and call their child raising “indoctrination.”[/quote]

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