(May 18, 2017 at 2:02 pm)mh.brewer Wrote:(May 18, 2017 at 9:47 am)SteveII Wrote: Who is teaching a two year old that they a born tainted sinners? You are blowing this way out of proportion!
Now you are pivoting to the term "evil" to make your objection appear stronger. Evil is a moral term and we have already established that a young child is not morally responsible. The point has always been that we are born knowing how to be selfish, intolerant, harmful, etc. and need to be taught these things are wrong.
bold mine
Isn't enough that you/christians believe that they are? Isn't that one of the motives for infant baptism? It does not need to be taught to the child. You already believe it and that will come through in interaction with the child.
I've heard parents teach their infants to pray from the time they can talk, pray to be forgiven for sin, even before the child can understand what they are saying.
(my bold)
Yes it is true that we do, but again, to most of us that is at its core simply the religious way of saying/explaining that none of us humans are perfect. That's the underlying principle, and I don't think anyone can disagree with it. I mean, do you think there is any fully functioning, grown human being who has never done anything wrong in his life? Never been rude to someone, never lied, never done anything selfish or petty, etc? No? We agree then that imperfection of that sort is the human condition. The difference lies in the way we explain it or word it. But the principle itself is one that we agree on.
And even considering that, as far as I'm aware, the vast majority of Christian parents nonetheless view their babies and young children as precious and innocent, not as tainted and impure. Albeit knowing they won't be perfect, that's not how we view our babies and young children, and certainly not how we treat them or talk to them.
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly."
-walsh
-walsh