Atheist and the nativity

daska

My memory is that they studied identical twins who had been raised apart and adjusted for the family environment /cultural norm etc to try to ensure that they were comparing like with like. I remember being told once that a predisposition to addiction could be hereditary and think of religion very much like that LOL

pinksleepybear

dirtysexymonkey wrote: »

ill probably be attacked for this but i would be disappointed in my children (who dont exist yet) if they turned into adults who believed in a god. rightly or wrongly (though many studies have backed it up) i associate belief in god as something for people with lower levels of intelligence than those of non believers.

I don't see it as a lower level of intelligence, I see it as a need for something...approval maybe or reassurance. Like seeing an adult with a blankie. To me, there's something in them that hasn't fully matured. I'm sure there are as many intelligent religious folk as atheist....but I confess that I don't see them as fully functioning adults. But then again, I feel the same way about people who watch Top Gear!

claire16c

daska wrote: »

My memory is that they studied identical twins who had been raised apart and adjusted for the family environment /cultural norm etc to try to ensure that they were comparing like with like. I remember being told once that a predisposition to addiction could be hereditary and think of religion very much like that LOL

Youre right they did also compare them to ones who had been raised apart and so had different upbringings I remember that now.

Tygermoth

MackemPunk wrote: »

I'm not trying to offend anyone here, but I just don't get how anyone can believe in the Biblical god that created the whole universe just for us, to me that is a very arrogant idea, and things like this http://scaleofuniverse.com/
make my completely denounce any human focused creator.

To me the Judeo-Christian god is about as real as the ancient Norse/Roman/Greek gods

regardless of the topic - ace site!

erichamster

A tendency to believe things based on authority and without evidence could certainly be a passed on trait that has historically had a beneficial effect on survival rates. Obviuously a toddler cannot afford to test everything its parents say for itself, the example I remember is a statement such as "Don't swim in the river, there are crocodiles" "Don't eat those berries they are poisonous". Any child who decided to examine th evidence for such statements would surely end up dead and unable to procreate in the future.
I think that is likely why religious beliefs are so prevalent in our society.

When I said religion was passed on through our environment and upbringing, I meant religious norms/customs/specific beliefs, but the vulnerability to accepting beliefs without evidence that humans seem to have may certainly be a result of evolution.

pinkspiral1976

I'm a teacher and even in a non faith school, RE is on the curriculum which means it has to be taught in all schools. A wide range of faiths are taught, not just Christianity to reflect the diverse population of the UK. It is not taught as 'fact' but in the form of 'stories', using phrases like, 'This is what Christians/Muslims/Hindus etc believe'. I would not be worried about this. When it is Diwali, children learn about the story of Rama and Sita and might make lanterns or do Rangoli Patterns. During Eid, the children might learn about this festival. For most people in the UK, Christmas is an important festival. Yes it is religious, but not for many people in the UK today. Kids especially love everything to do with Christmas and it would be a shame if shouts from the 'politically correct police' meant that it did not have a place in British schools. It is important that children know why we celebrate Christmas in the UK. If you go into school to complain about what your child is being taught or involved in, you may find that your child is excluded from many things they would like to do and would feel left out. In some schools, a few complaints from a few parents has meant Christmas being withdrawn completely and no school Nativity. This is a shame for the rest of the children. You do have a right to speak to the school to clarify what is being taught, but it is my understanding that although you have the right to withdraw your child from religious assemblies, you do not have the right to withdraw your child from RE which is a required part of the curriculum. Schools do not give religious guidance, that is for parents to do. It is good that your child has come home to speak to you about what they are learning. It is your responsibility to provide religious guidance but like someone said, your child is an individual and as they grow older, they will begin to develop their own views and opinions which may not be the same as yours.

looby75

dirtysexymonkey wrote: »

ill probably be attacked for this but i would be disappointed in my children (who dont exist yet) if they turned into adults who believed in a god. rightly or wrongly (though many studies have backed it up) i associate belief in god as something for people with lower levels of intelligence than those of non believers.

I think that has to be one of the most arrogant posts I've ever read.

My Nan was a highly intelligent woman, who also had a very deep faith that comforted her through some of her darkest times, such as when she had a still born baby that was damaged by thalidomide and when my granddad died and left her a widow in her 40's.

She lived her life trying to be the best person she could be, never judging others no matter what their beliefs were. Maybe you should try taking a leaf out of her book rather than looking down your nose at people who think differently than you do.

Person_one

looby75 wrote: »

I think that has to be one of the most arrogant posts I've ever read.

My Nan was a highly intelligent woman, who also had a very deep faith that comforted her through some of her darkest times, such as when she had a still born baby that was damaged by thalidomide and when my granddad died and left her a widow in her 40's.

She lived her life trying to be the best person she could be, never judging others no matter what their beliefs were. Maybe you should try taking a leaf out of her book rather than looking down your nose at people who think differently than you do.

Actually, the evidence is on his side.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religiosity_and_intelligence#Studies_comparing_religious_belief_and_I.Q

Don't forget that your nan grew up in a different time.

erichamster

I must say I mostly pity those afflicted with religion.
Something which strengthened these feelings recently was the death of my OH's Christian aunt following her second battle with cancer.
When his mother told me that shortly before she died she had questioned why her god was punishing her this time as she felt she had been a good person I thought it was one of the saddest things I'd ever heard. I can't imagine living my life with such burdensome thoughts.

Torry_Quine

erichamster wrote: »

I must say I mostly pity those afflicted with religion.
Something which strengthened these feelings recently was the death of my OH's Christian aunt following her second battle with cancer.
When his mother told me that shortly before she died she had questioned why her god was punishing her this time as she felt she had been a good person I thought it was one of the saddest things I'd ever heard. I can't imagine living my life with such burdensome thoughts.

Those of us with a faith, don't need your pity and we aren't afflicted actually. :mad:

I'm sorry to hear of the death of your aunt by marriage but I have to say that her interpretation that God was punishing her was almost certainly wrong.