Why I'm an Atheist

[Darwinian]

My son goes to a 'Church of England Controlled' junior school and let me tell you that subtle indoctrination is alive and well.

As far as we can work out, all of the teachers are Christian and they talk to the children about God and Jesus as if it were proven fact. I have a sneaking suspicion that the head teacher only employs or approves people if they are Christian.

Then of course, there are the regular visits from the likes of the Rev Ted, the Christian (happy clappy) puppet show and Mr. Music who is a bearded, sandal wearing guitar playing preacher.

Not to mention that all the singing lessons seem to revolve around hymns or other religious music.

Luckily, Huw (see piccy below) has developed a nice immunity to the religious virus and any attempts to persuade him to a theistic point are met with a look of such incredulity that the other person simply crumples and slinks away.

[Kyuuketsuki]

(17th June 2009 09:27)Darwinian Wrote:  My son goes to a 'Church of England Controlled' junior school and let me tell you that subtle indoctrination is alive and well.

I guess I was thinking of secondary more than primary but yeah, OK.

Kyu

[Rockthatpiano06]

We came to the atheist conclusion in the same way! I was skeptikal through my whole childhood (I went to a methodist church so nothing too crazy went on there, lol) but what really made me an atheist was taking mythology and humanities classes and realizing christianity is no different then any other myth.

[HalcyonicTrust]

Which is why Dan Dennett proposes it be compulsory in the curriculum for all views to be shown on religion. As many religions as possible and atheism as well (and that also must include deism and pantheism I assume).

He argues that religion is much more toxic when they're cut-off from the rest...and religion that can survive amongst many alternative views will be far less harmful...and also people are much more likely to lose their religion altogether when they're shown other views - just like yourself, RockPiano, and many others. Including Richard Dawkins! - He originally lost his 'faith' when seeing how there were so many other religions that were no less valid than Christianity he has said (then for some reason he gained it again but he says he can't remember why...then he discovered Darwinism and since he wanted God merely as an 'explanation' he no longer felt the need to believe anymore...but that's just for him - Darwinism doesn't disprove God of course).

Anyway...more power to Dennett I say - and good luck to him.

EvF

[Mandi]

(17th June 2009 14:18)Rockthatpiano06 Wrote:  We came to the atheist conclusion in the same way! I was skeptikal through my whole childhood (I went to a methodist church so nothing too crazy went on there, lol) but what really made me an atheist was taking mythology and humanities classes and realizing christianity is no different then any other myth.

Yeah, that was what turned me as well. Mythology. Hell, even reading the Bible turned me off. I just thought it was bizarre.