RE: Religious Institutions Engrained into Society
October 5, 2008 at 9:18 pm
(This post was last modified: October 5, 2008 at 9:46 pm by Edwardo Piet.)
I think all 3 should be optional...I don't think any should be taught.
But the problem with the Santa one is how can you practice it without keeping it a secret?
I'd never have thought in my entire life that I'd struggle over whether kids should be taught about Father Christmas or not....
It makes a lot of kids happy but it also bullshits them and pisses a lot of kids off....obviously if adults believed it too it would be a lot worse....
But since kids are taught the truth when they're old enough....I'd say it's a moral question based on what's best for the kids happiness....
Personally I think there is actually a good lesson in Father Christmas...partly one that helped me when I was a kid: Because you eventually (as a kid) realize that the supernatural (or superstitious or whatever) idea of Santa is bullshit...that works as some kind of support that just maybe all other supernatural ideas (like god etc) are a load of bullshit too....
Because kids are eventually taught that santa - how can I put this nicely... - is a crock of shit.....that often contributes atleast somewhat to the idea that maybe they should question things more...maybe god isn't real....etc..
If most adults believed in Santa that message would lose all it's meaning....
But I dunno ultimately about the pros minus the cons of santa but atleast they grow out of it.
EDIT: I'm not against the marriage idea certainly...I'm fine with that....
But re-reading the part about labour...I'm not sure if that could ever be a good thing? is strict labour better than free labour? I don't know....
On other religious things that seem secular...hmmm...I'd say most of them are christian....
I'd say even baptism seems secular in some occasions...I sort of vaguely know that some agnostics or even atheists have their children baptized simply because of tradition....I was baptized... don't mean shit tho.
Just like marriage I'd say that some agnostics or atheists baptize their children (or atleast USED to) simply because of Catholic tradition (in this case) or whatever.
But the problem with the Santa one is how can you practice it without keeping it a secret?
I'd never have thought in my entire life that I'd struggle over whether kids should be taught about Father Christmas or not....
It makes a lot of kids happy but it also bullshits them and pisses a lot of kids off....obviously if adults believed it too it would be a lot worse....
But since kids are taught the truth when they're old enough....I'd say it's a moral question based on what's best for the kids happiness....
Personally I think there is actually a good lesson in Father Christmas...partly one that helped me when I was a kid: Because you eventually (as a kid) realize that the supernatural (or superstitious or whatever) idea of Santa is bullshit...that works as some kind of support that just maybe all other supernatural ideas (like god etc) are a load of bullshit too....
Because kids are eventually taught that santa - how can I put this nicely... - is a crock of shit.....that often contributes atleast somewhat to the idea that maybe they should question things more...maybe god isn't real....etc..
If most adults believed in Santa that message would lose all it's meaning....
But I dunno ultimately about the pros minus the cons of santa but atleast they grow out of it.
EDIT: I'm not against the marriage idea certainly...I'm fine with that....
But re-reading the part about labour...I'm not sure if that could ever be a good thing? is strict labour better than free labour? I don't know....
On other religious things that seem secular...hmmm...I'd say most of them are christian....
I'd say even baptism seems secular in some occasions...I sort of vaguely know that some agnostics or even atheists have their children baptized simply because of tradition....I was baptized... don't mean shit tho.
Just like marriage I'd say that some agnostics or atheists baptize their children (or atleast USED to) simply because of Catholic tradition (in this case) or whatever.
