(July 12, 2016 at 3:00 pm)Expired Wrote:(July 12, 2016 at 2:59 pm)SteveII Wrote: Oh well. I was hoping to get some insight how one is a committed Christian at one point and then a committed atheist at another point and what the steps are in between. This points out a pet peeve of mine. Churches in the past have not emphasized the need for people to be able to defend their faith so the vast majority of Christians do not have answers for the common objections posed by atheists. The children are easily picked off when they leave the bubble they grew up in. This seemed to be a classic case of just that. I am actually happy for the New Atheist movement--it is lighting a fire under the church. There are more and more resources and classes on apologetics than ever before. Ironically, thanks to you all, the church will not only survive, but be stronger within the next generation!Bubble being the key word in this statement.
I have no problem characterizing it like that because it is true. It is a disservice to our children to teach them one thing and then not be able to defend it against common arguments that have had answers for eons (which the parents don't know or understand either). It confuses them and not only risks loosing them to the dark side, but breed resentment toward the parents for teaching them something they now think is untrue.
Additionally, the significant lack of religious education breeds stupid positions and beliefs that are not scriptural yet are propagated from person to person and generation to generation. Many of you catalog tales of going to aunt Jane's house and hearing her spout of nonsense about Gays and God's judgement (for an example). Sometimes Christians are their own worse enemies. I blame both the people and the church for not policing the stupid.
