AIBU for not wanting my MIL to discuss Jesus and heaven with my 5 year old?

[Spearshake]

I was just having breakfast with my 5 year old son and he asked me, 'do only people who love Jesus go to heaven?; I asked him who told you that.
Unfortunately, my tone must have been a bit sharp (hey, first thing in the morning) so he said, 'I don't know'

(I know it's his grandma though (my MIL) because she has been staying with us for the last week and we haven't been in contact with anyone else who is likely to make such comments) Unless he has been on the evangelical channels again

The problem is that I am an atheist, so I have a tough time with such discussions. He asked me what God is the other day, and I asked him to wait until his father gets home and he can answer (he was brought up more religiously than me)

Any ideas from fellow mumsnetters of a similar religious (or non-) bent on how to deal with such ideas would be most welcome.

Thank you!

I don't think animals' lives matter as much as human ones. Given how many people eat meat, I don't think that I'm unusual in that respect.

I am sincerely astounded that anyone with any passing knowledge of physics would attempt to give this headroom. The problems with it are multiple...not least of which is the flawed opening premise.

The issue is philosophical not scientific... I believe your assertion that the opening premise is flawed is itself flawed. You appear to have a requirement for a "cause" to be directly measureable. Just because we are not able to directly measure the "impulse" (for want of a better word) that causes an atom to decay at a particular moment, does not mean the decay event does not have a cause, just that the cause is not directly observable. I don't see theoretical physicists giving up on seeking to understand our universe better, and its underlying causes, because of quantum physical limits.

Also, you're not doing yourself any justice by being so aghast that people don't see the world as you do... Ironically you come across as really rather narrow and closed minded...

The Final Solution wasn't the culmination of centuries of hostility. It was a deliberate political policy. Edward I expelled the Jews from England, in 1290. He didn't kill them.

I think my problem with philosophical arguments is that they are just word play, unconnected to the real world.

I studied maths, we came up with lots of axioms, made logical arguments and formed conclusions. But just because our logic was solid, that didn't actually automatically mean anything in the real world. Occasionally there are real life applications discovered for pure maths, but it's not a guarantee.

Then you have philosophers, basically doing the same sort of thing, but then claiming because their argument shows X, then X must exist in the real world, which to me is just an incredible leap off the page.

but for good people to do bad things you need religion

That's not at all true TTWK.

I think it is great that we have philosophers. We need a mix. Some people are both. People get so narrow in their thinking.
Yesterday I gave a whole lot of links to scientists and faith.
What impressed me was that, whatever they thought, they treated it seriously and didn't leap on a hobby horse shouting about 'imaginary friends'. Neither were they rude and resort to asking people if they were for 'fucking real' merely because their views differed.

Dora Are you trying to suggest that the Final Solution has nothing to do with anti-semitism? Antisemitism which finds clear support in the Bible? "Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children"

Don't forget Martin Luther wrote 'On Jews and Their Lies'. The 2nd Vatican Council in the 60s. had to officially say that Jews would no longer be blamed for the death of Jesus.

But of course the Final Solution was just political

agreed, the seeds of hatred for the jews were planted by christianity.

mans inhumanity to man

Would it be inhuman of me not to stop someone abusing a child if I could. Would god take a dim view of me if I failed to prevent child abuse? Why is it okay for god not to act at times when only he could stop it? Why is god still good when he doesn't intervene and yet I'm despicable if I don't?

A lot of offensive statements on this thread. Most of it is a mindless hatred for Christians as an entire group. Very disturbing mindset and similar to that of Hitler toward the Jews. You yourselves are "planting the seeds of hatred" for your own preferred target of hate.

For those who are interested in the questions of evidence of God, here's a video I came across on FB and linked to youtube of Peter Kreeft, a theologian, talking about the topic. It's very interesting.

lash you criticise others for making offensive statements then make the most outrageously offensive statement I've read in a long time.

FFS.

History tells the story of Jewish pogroms and such. It's not a question of that. It's whether or not Christian persecution was responsible for the policies of the Nazis. Of course it wasn't. Hitler was.

lashalicious- please could you give some examples of offensive statements? You say there are lots- it should be easy. I don't expect you to include your own.

lastuseraccount123 Thu 06-Aug-15 18:18:58
"agreed, the seeds of hatred for the jews were planted by christianity."

You have free choice AlanP - terrible things happen with free choice.
Would you really want that taken away?
It is for humanity to sort it out for themselves.
Sad that they don't get better at it and learn by past mistakes.
I am sure some people see God as in human form - a cross between an authoritarian headmaster and a magician.

Sorry - free choice taken away ( we would all like terrible things taken away)

Why don't we all stop posting hateful remarks, full stop.

Er, do you think Hitler grew up in a cave, Dora?

It's not like the final solution sprang fully formed and unbidden into his head.

We make hateful remarks because we can. Perhaps God should pop by and stop us! Some people appear to think that is God's job and responsibility rather than our own.

Lash, it's in the Bible.

lash you need to look into the history of your faith, it's a pretty well documented fact that the early church had a lot of issues with judaism - a. that they all didn't acknowledge Jesus as messiah and b. that they competed with the churches for converts. The roots of anti-semitism are deep. Ironic really considering christianity started among jews.

and that Jesus was a jew. Along with the first church leaders. And Paul.

anyway, whatever the reasons anti-semitism continued in christianity for thousands of years. Hitler grew up in that cultural milieu.

Reasons for anti-semitism here