Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New profile posts
Latest activity
Internet Search
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Forums
General Discussions
The Watercooler
Religion
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Lil" data-source="post: 690198" data-attributes="member: 17309"><p>Going to church does not make you a good person. In fact, it doesn't even make you a true believer. There are many small-minded, hypocritical "Christians" in the world. Like shyster lawyers, they give the rest a bad name.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>It seems to me I didn't really answer the question.</p><p></p><p>We didn't raise our son in church early. We said grace before meals, but it was the quick, "God is great, God is good, Thank you for the food". We talked a bit, but only a little bit, about God to him. He got more from the grands, but they didn't see us that often. We didn't find the church we attend now until he was about 13...and I regret it. I wish he'd had more positive role models. I wish he'd had a place outside of school, like a church youth center or church camps, etc., where he could have maybe met some other kids than the ones he hung out with. But that's the benefit of hindsight. After all, even though we didn't go to church, we still set the same example for him...we were decent, loving, hard-working people. So maybe church wouldn't have done a thing.</p><p></p><p>But it wouldn't have hurt.</p><p></p><p>I was raised in church. But my parents believed that when a kid got older, they made up their own mind whether or not to join the church...and we did. My brother and I both joined the church formally in our early teens. We did not join because that's what kids that age did - it was an offer, not a demand. In fact, we joined before our parents formally did. My older brother joined first. I was baptized with my mother. My father joined after we did...he waited to formally change his denomination until his step-mother died because he didn't want to offend or hurt her. </p><p></p><p>Your niece will, when she's old enough, make up her own mind. Even being raised in a church, I quit going in college and considered myself at most agnostic for many years. Belief does not negate critical thought or skepticism. I eventually resolved my doubts and scientific facts that seem to contradict religion to my own satisfaction. But don't ever really expect a person who is religious to be able to give you "reasons" for their beliefs. It isn't just "parroting" out what you've been told. But, I think that if you believe you do so because it feels right...and you can't really explain a feeling. You can't explain faith any more than you can love.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lil, post: 690198, member: 17309"] Going to church does not make you a good person. In fact, it doesn't even make you a true believer. There are many small-minded, hypocritical "Christians" in the world. Like shyster lawyers, they give the rest a bad name. It seems to me I didn't really answer the question. We didn't raise our son in church early. We said grace before meals, but it was the quick, "God is great, God is good, Thank you for the food". We talked a bit, but only a little bit, about God to him. He got more from the grands, but they didn't see us that often. We didn't find the church we attend now until he was about 13...and I regret it. I wish he'd had more positive role models. I wish he'd had a place outside of school, like a church youth center or church camps, etc., where he could have maybe met some other kids than the ones he hung out with. But that's the benefit of hindsight. After all, even though we didn't go to church, we still set the same example for him...we were decent, loving, hard-working people. So maybe church wouldn't have done a thing. But it wouldn't have hurt. I was raised in church. But my parents believed that when a kid got older, they made up their own mind whether or not to join the church...and we did. My brother and I both joined the church formally in our early teens. We did not join because that's what kids that age did - it was an offer, not a demand. In fact, we joined before our parents formally did. My older brother joined first. I was baptized with my mother. My father joined after we did...he waited to formally change his denomination until his step-mother died because he didn't want to offend or hurt her. Your niece will, when she's old enough, make up her own mind. Even being raised in a church, I quit going in college and considered myself at most agnostic for many years. Belief does not negate critical thought or skepticism. I eventually resolved my doubts and scientific facts that seem to contradict religion to my own satisfaction. But don't ever really expect a person who is religious to be able to give you "reasons" for their beliefs. It isn't just "parroting" out what you've been told. But, I think that if you believe you do so because it feels right...and you can't really explain a feeling. You can't explain faith any more than you can love. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
General Discussions
The Watercooler
Religion
Top