Final phase of atheist bus campaign

[RockinSockBunnies]

So, I've just read this latest installment about the atheist bus campaign here.

Now, I'm a Christian, we go to church, DD is baptised, so obviously I'm not going to be impartial. But there point of the poster campaign seems somewhat flawed. How are children going to grow up and suddenly decide which (if any) religion they adhere to, if they've had no real exposure to any of the various religions during their upbringing?

Unless you have parents who are willing to learn the fundamental points of each and every faith, take the children to the places of worship of these faiths, whilst also discussing the concepts of atheism, then how on earth is a child going to be able to decide for themselves what they believe in once they're older?

I was an atheist for around fifteen years, but when I went back to Christianity I had the basic knowledge and understanding of the faith from attending church and Sunday School as a child. How can anyone make a real decision about religion if they're denied the opportunity to learn as a child?

But why not focus on something CONSTRUCTIVE that can be achieved, such as reforming admissions policies?

Just seems like a waste of money being paid to billposting companies for no constructive outcome or moving forward.

oh yes, I am not a fan of this non-beleiving bus thing.

I was brought up by fundamentalist atheists and had to work out my own spirituality very late on in life. As I learned about the Bible I realised all the cultural references I'd missed out on and how ignorant I was because anything to do with religeon was censored in my household.

DH is Catholic. I'm happy to take the kids to mass now and again and they can always choose whether or not to keep it up.

They know neither dh nor I completely believe every word of the Gospels less still the stuff that comes from Rome but there's a great deal of really fab stuff in there too if they fancy investigating it further.

I think some atheists protest too much. If they really don't believe, if they are really not searching for something, why would they bang on about it so ardently?

www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/sep/23/schools.faithschools

"Adult friends of mine who never attended church/synagogue/mosque etc as children, have no idea how to access such religious institutions now that they're adults."

Is it the address of the church/synagogue/mosque that they can't find? Or it is the door they can't find once they find the building?

What is a "fundamental atheist"?

An atheist extremist.

"UQD, if this is the case, what is the point of the campaign?"

It's worth a try, surely.

"Christianity, Islam, Hinduism etc are all religions though, as oppose to myths."

What's the fundamental difference between "religion" and "myth"? Is a myth just a religion that's lost all its followers? If someone suddenly pops up claiming to deeply and sincerely believe in Isis, Anubis, Osiris etc, follows all the rituals and has a bit of a thing about cats, would that automatically turn the Egyptian myths back into a religion?

What a silly advertisement campaign. Why should a child who is brought up atheist be inherently better able to make up their mind than a child who is brought up in a religion?

The other bus was silly too - it said you could stop worrying and enjoy yourself because there's probably no God, didn't it? Every survey concludes that people who practise a religion are happier in general than those who don't, so the campaign writers seem to be spectacularly missing the point of religions.

snorbs, a myth is a story, but a religion gives you rules for how to live?

nighbynight look at the campaign posters. Carefully.

Every survey concludes that people who practise a religion are happier in general than those who don't

How do thoses people know it is the religion that makes them happier?

Join a club and socialise - it could also make you happy.

4000 years ago the Egyptian religion gave rules for living. The ShriekingHarpy classed that as myths rather than a religion.

spidermama you sound angry with your parents, and I can't possibly presume to comment on that, but I was wondering if you realise how much this campaign supports children who are similarly controlled?

I'm beginning to wonder if anyone here who is against this campaign has actually looked at it carefully.

A myth is just a religion that has been overtaken by other religions and which no one practises any more.

Surely the point of the campaign is to engender debates like this one?

It sort of works in the church's favour to have us naysayers realise that our hands are totally tied wrt church property.

Still, worth educating people about that particular little stranglehold, isn't it?

To the religious, a myth or a superstition is a set of stories and associated rituals that's different from the myths and superstitions they believe in.

SGB, ah I see. It's like one of those irregular verb things, isn't it?

I follow a religion.
You are superstitious.
They believed in myths.

Spot on, Snorbs.

MP I dunno ! I ain't running the freaking "campaign"!

And what IS a "fundamental atheist"?!

"What a silly advertisement campaign. Why should a child who is brought up atheist be inherently better able to make up their mind than a child who is brought up in a religion?"

They aren't telling you to bring up a child as an atheist, they are telling you to let it make up it's own mind. If you already do this/plan to do this then the campaign isn't aimed at you.

The other poster said "There's probably no God so stop worrying", as in, it doesn't matter all that much if there is or not, live your life and be happy!

OK, so the only real difference between a religion and a mythology is whether someone believes it to be true?

OK, well there are some people who genuinely believe in the Egyptian, Roman or Norse deities and practice the relevant rituals. And others who believe in fairies, pixies and alien abductions. These beliefs are sincere and deeply held. But I just cannot see any reason (other than a possible tyranny of the majority) why it's all right to laugh at these and not all right to laugh at the equally ridiculous Christian, Muslim, Jewish etc myths and superstitions. There IS NO DIFFERENCE that isn't special pleading (Waah, everyone else's imaginary friends are silly but MINE is real).