Any parent or adult can teach a child to do the right thing. Religion need play no part. I'd rather have my kids engage in moral behavior out of respect for others and what is right and moral than out of fear of retribution from some celestial bogeyman. A heavy dose of fear of the lord just engenders a knee-jerk reaction. Without that fear of retribution a person is forced to engage in more thought concerning their actions and how they affect others and develop a philosophical basis for their actions. You learn to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. Personally, I think that approach to determining one's actions requires more spirituality than to refrain from certain actions only because you fear punishment after death.
Are you missing my point? Post daily, hell, post hourly, minutely, just don't start a new thread daily. Hell, he can post the entire bible for all I care, just put it in a single thread, don't start a new one for every verse in the damn bible.
One is always free to make their own choices. It's nice when they have the information to make an informed choice. I'll show them the proper way first, that way they won't lose any fingers experiementing. Take Care,
What? First of all, these two notions are completely incompatible with each other. If man is inherently good, teaching a child the difference between right and wrong would be totally unnecessary. If the child was born inherently good, he/she would automatically know the right thing to do. Secondly - wherever did you get the idea that man is inherently good? You certainly didn't learn it in church - in Christian-based churches they teach the concept of Original Sin, which basically says that man is inherently immoral or bad, and requires salvation to overcome the inherent immorality. I'm not a believer in Original Sin. IMO man is inherently amoral - morals and scruples are LEARNED behavior. Some bad behavior is learned, but most anti-social behavior is a result of inherent amorality. Man is born as a selfish and self-centered creature. Actions and deeds that arise from selfishness and self-centeredness are usually anti-social; therefore they are bad. Please, Zeb - get this silly notion that man is somehow inherently good right out of your head.
Acceptable to me so long as it comes directly from him and not a third party claiming to speak for him.
We're christians and we've always taught our kids about various religions, including atheism, humanism and satanism. At the same time we teach critical thinking and semantics, so they know what 'is' is, etc. When you can think logically and base your opinions on facts and verifiable science, the conclusions are clear. Yes, christianity is intolerant as God is intolerant. So is gravity. Who cares what I think or how it makes me feel? If you want tolerance, follow oprahism. No one here wants a tolerant doctor operating on you do you? "Well, yes he was sick, but I didn't want to damage his self esteem..." You guys are racers because you want experience something. Well do it then. How'd you like a tolerant WERA rule book, or tolerant police in your town?
it's just a guess on my part, but I would imagine that a gay patient on the operating table would prefer a surgeon who doesn't think that homosexuality is a sin and allows his performance to be affected by his bigotry.
What I mean is a doctoe that is tolerant of mediocraty, or of incomplete facts when operating. I want the pilot in the airliner I fly in to be intolerant of old weather forcasts, or iffy mechanicals. If we won't settle for less than the facts with our health or money or safety, why would we settle for opinions or the destiny and health of our souls?
atspeed is Tony P? I didn't realize that! Very cool. Tony is tied with Dutch as my favorite tech inspectors/WERA officials. And anyone whom Brad calls an and says about is A#1 in my book. Tony, whatever it was Brad thinks you did to him you should do again! And again!
