RE: Hell and the Play Nice Christian
February 19, 2015 at 6:47 pm
(This post was last modified: February 19, 2015 at 7:06 pm by The Reality Salesman01.)
I should do that more often too.
I don't know how compelling that study is, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me if it were true. My neighbor has a 12 year old daughter. She still believes in Santa Clause. I had an extremely entertaining conversation with her and examined her belief in Santa with the the Socratic Method. I was surprised at some of the mental backflips she was willing through in order to substantiate her previous answers to my questions. She pulled out every ad hoc property that's ever been used on this site to support one God or another and just like GC, she never experienced the slightest degree of incredulity when those properties were in blatant contradiction to one another. My neighbors go to church every Sunday and Wednesday. I have no doubt that if we removed Santa from our dialogue and plugged in "God", her arguments would be otherwise entirely the same...12 years old, shes in advanced classes and is really a bright little girl.
My son is 5. I don't tell him what to think, I help him on how to think better. I don't confirm suspicions and I don't lie to him either. His epistemology has been established by his own reasoning. I ask questions, he provides what he thinks to be the best answer...
After opening presents on Christmas morning he comes up to me and says
"Dad, Santa isn't real."
Me: How do you know that?
Jack: Because I saw a Santa at the store, and his beard was short. Then I saw another Santa and his beard was long. Hair doesn't grow that fast.
Me:Hmm, do you think that one of them could have been Santa, and the other a fake?
Jack: I don't know but, reindeer don't fly either. And it took a long time to get to Texas when we flew there. Santa can't go everywhere in one night.
Me: Good point. Then where do you think all the presents come from?
Jack: YOU
Me: (beaming with pride) and what about the kids who don't get presents?
Jack: I think their parents may not have the money. I don't think they are bad.
Me: I don't either.
Secular VS Religious
That's one sample, but it was really convincing to see first hand. Kids are smart, parents really shouldn't fuck that up.
I don't know how compelling that study is, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me if it were true. My neighbor has a 12 year old daughter. She still believes in Santa Clause. I had an extremely entertaining conversation with her and examined her belief in Santa with the the Socratic Method. I was surprised at some of the mental backflips she was willing through in order to substantiate her previous answers to my questions. She pulled out every ad hoc property that's ever been used on this site to support one God or another and just like GC, she never experienced the slightest degree of incredulity when those properties were in blatant contradiction to one another. My neighbors go to church every Sunday and Wednesday. I have no doubt that if we removed Santa from our dialogue and plugged in "God", her arguments would be otherwise entirely the same...12 years old, shes in advanced classes and is really a bright little girl.
My son is 5. I don't tell him what to think, I help him on how to think better. I don't confirm suspicions and I don't lie to him either. His epistemology has been established by his own reasoning. I ask questions, he provides what he thinks to be the best answer...
After opening presents on Christmas morning he comes up to me and says
"Dad, Santa isn't real."
Me: How do you know that?
Jack: Because I saw a Santa at the store, and his beard was short. Then I saw another Santa and his beard was long. Hair doesn't grow that fast.
Me:Hmm, do you think that one of them could have been Santa, and the other a fake?
Jack: I don't know but, reindeer don't fly either. And it took a long time to get to Texas when we flew there. Santa can't go everywhere in one night.
Me: Good point. Then where do you think all the presents come from?
Jack: YOU
Me: (beaming with pride) and what about the kids who don't get presents?
Jack: I think their parents may not have the money. I don't think they are bad.
Me: I don't either.
Secular VS Religious
That's one sample, but it was really convincing to see first hand. Kids are smart, parents really shouldn't fuck that up.
