Atheist and the nativity

Torry_Quine

MandM90 wrote: »

What always makes me giggle is when athletes/performers pray before a race/competition. I'd like to think, if there were an omnipotent benevolent god, he'd try and sort out racism, AIDs, poverty and a few other things before focusing his efforts into favouring one dancer over another.

Anyway, I digress...Mojisola, that is what RE is for. As I said before I answer DDs questions about church/belief but objectively "Some people believe that there is a being who created us and they go there to speak to him etc...BUT that is not what I believe; I believe we came about through X,Y and Z" Everyone teaches their child their beliefs. My basis for mine is most of them have evidence and are peer reviewed :rotfl:

One of my favourite sayings is 'God has has no hands and feet but ours'. In other words if things need to be done then He has given mankind the wherewithal to sort out all the above mentioned problems. That can seem to some as a copout but He doesn't always intervene but lets us have the choice as to what we do with the life He has given us.

Person_one

Torry_Quine wrote: »

One of my favourite sayings is 'God has has no hands and feet but ours'. In other words if things need to be done then He has given mankind the wherewithal to sort out all the above mentioned problems. That can seem to some as a copout but He doesn't always intervene but lets us have the choice as to what we do with the life \He has given us.

What about natural disasters?

inkie

In response to the OP. It is certainly not unusual for a Nativity play to be included in a state school. It happened twice in a primary school this week that I am involved with. In fact, I would say that parents expect there to be a Nativity in some shape or form!

Torry_Quine

Person_one wrote: »

What about natural disasters?

The same follows, if mankind were to look after the earth and its people many disasters wouldn't happen and those that did would not have the devastating effect they do because there would be the means in place to alleviate the problems. I in no way want to minimise the suffering of those caught up in earthquakes, tsunamis etc but that is how I understand things.

starrystarry

Torry_Quine wrote: »

The same follows, if mankind were to look after the earth and its people many disasters wouldn't happen and those that did would not have the devastating effect they do because there would be the means in place to alleviate the problems. I in no way want to minimise the suffering of those caught up in earthquakes, tsunamis etc but that is how I understand things.

Do you really believe that if we stopped chopping trees down in the rainforest etc and started being nicer to each other less earthquakes would happen? Or it would stop volcanos erupting? Seriously? Think about it rationally. Do you really believe that?

GracieP

Torry_Quine wrote: »

The same follows, if mankind were to look after the earth and its people many disasters wouldn't happen and those that did would not have the devastating effect they do because there would be the means in place to alleviate the problems. I in no way want to minimise the suffering of those caught up in earthquakes, tsunamis etc but that is how I understand things.

And who exactly was failing to look after the earth preceding the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event?

Actually, are you suggesting that children living in basic wooden houses in Sri Lanka were wiped off the face of this earth 7 years ago as punishment for the excesses, and environmental carelessness of adults in Europe and America? Because if you are, as a former aid worker I have to say you and your God are downright disgusting.

Ms_Chocaholic

PoorCharleyBear wrote: »

Not actively avoiding- it just never comes up in daily life. It is something I do not force onto my child, along with other things I believe (I don't eat meat, she does) but it was just a surprise that it seems to have featured highly in school. And I know that her little classmates are Muslims, Hindus and Catholic so featuring one religion seems strange.

I am happy to expose her to it- just do not want it to be forced on her as it was for us as children. We were dropped at church, while our parents went off and did other things.....

I too had religion forced onto me as a child, I was made to go to church every Sunday and I hated every moment. I vowed that when I had my own child(ren) I would never do the same ..... but, how different life has turned out. Our local primary school was a Church of England school and my DS went there, when he was about 7 he came home from school to say he had decided he wished to go to church every week and to classes with the local vicar one day per week with a view to eventually being confirmed. He was confirmed and continued going to church weekly until he was around 14.

Surprised is an understatement.

Torry_Quine

Torry_Quine wrote: »

The same follows, if mankind were to look after the earth and its people many disasters wouldn't happen and those that did would not have the devastating effect they do because there would be the means in place to alleviate the problems. I in no way want to minimise the suffering of those caught up in earthquakes, tsunamis etc but that is how I understand things.

starrystarry wrote: »

Do you really believe that if we stopped chopping trees down in the rainforest etc and started being nicer to each other less earthquakes would happen? Or it would stop volcanos erupting? Seriously? Think about it rationally. Do you really believe that?

Did you actually read what I put? I said many disasters wouldn't happen not that all disasters wouldn't happen.

Person_one

Torry_Quine wrote: »

The same follows, if mankind were to look after the earth and its people many disasters wouldn't happen and those that did would not have the devastating effect they do because there would be the means in place to alleviate the problems. I in no way want to minimise the suffering of those caught up in earthquakes, tsunamis etc but that is how I understand things.

In other words, you don't understand them!

Please enlighten me, what can humans do to alleviate the effects of a tornado like this or a tsunami like this or a massive volcanic eruption like this?

Torry_Quine

GracieP wrote: »

And who exactly was failing to look after the earth preceding the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event?

Mankind has always been the ones to care for the earth throughout history.