It's not forcing my views on others. They're my kids. I get to decide how I raise them.
Really. And what gives you that right? Religion is not something that should start with children. You can choose what kind of moral code you teach them, for sure. Teach them to love their neighbour or whatever. But don't bring God into the equation. Religion is a concept that children cannot fully grasp, and when presented with such an alien thing, children will simply accept it without question
and that is bad. I haven't got a problem with people choosing to be religious. I
have got a problem with people who think they have the right to choose for other people. Evangelists are the worst in that case, but it also extends to people who make their children religious before they even know what it fully means. Like I said, I was raised Catholic and I resent it
infinitely. Words cannot convey the rage I feel at the institution - and to an extent, my family - that made me believe something when I was too young to know what believing was. It actually hurts, and I believe it had a negative influence on my life.
If I was a childcare provider, I would respect the religious views (or lack thereof) of the parents of the children I was caring for.
So why would you not accept that other people would do the same? You say you wouldn't let an atheist care for your children; why not accept that they would probably respect
your religious views?
But... that's not necessarily the religion's fault. But rather the fault of your parents (and teachers) and how you were raised.
You said earlier that you didn't know other religions existed. That you didn't know your own father was atheist. That's not being raised to follow a certain religious belief. That's not just indoctrination, as you put it. I consider that a full on attempt at brainwashing.
We were both raised Catholic. But, my experience has been wholly different than yours. Your parents deliberately prevented you from being exposed to anything else. As if that would be somehow bad. Mine did not.
As a Catholic, how could you not even be aware of Judaism at least? It's not secret information. It's pretty darn mainstream. There was even a Hanukkah Rugrats episode. You were purposely taught that nothing else existed. Perhaps your experience is the same for the majority. I sincerely hope it isn't.
It's pretty much how it was. My parish was fairly liberal, I thought. It's not like someone shoved a blindfold on me whenever we drove past a mosque or anything; it was just that we weren't informed that said mosque represented an alternative religion. It was just a place where people that weren't us went. As for awareness of Judaism, no. Not really. There were a few mentions of 'Jesus, King of the Jews', but I just assumed it was a race rather than a religion. It was just glossed over. So in hindsight, it wasn't so much brainwashing as selective, enforced ignorance. Kind of the same thing, I guess, but . . . hell. I know what I'm saying, even if you don't. @_@
Toujours, I'm not attacking anyone. She presented a hugely flawed, blind argument and I did to that argument what I would do to any that doesn't stand up to scrutiny, whether it agreed with my views or not. I accept that people believe different things than me, and I will tolerate those beliefs. What I will not tolerate, however, is wilful ignorance, be it on the part of a Catholic, a Muslim, a Jew, an agnostic or an atheist.