All you atheist parents wondering how to broach the religion topic to your kids listen up!

[Rhubarb]

I'm a catholic and I teach my kids about all religions. I explain that some people believe different things and some people don't believe at all. I tell them what the Bible says about creation and what science says.

I tell them what my personal beliefs are but I encourage them to make their own minds up. I answer questions with "well this is what I believe but you might think something different".

I take them to Church and they know about the religion we follow, but I do encourage questions as far as I can bearing in mind their young ages.

So what I say to you is this. Don't put a barrier between yourselves and religion when it comes to your kids. Arm them with information and let them make their own minds up. If you push them a certain way, chances are that they'll reject it later on in life. Whereas if you add your support to whatever they decide to believe or not, it will give them the confidence to choose their own paths.

You may be disappointed in their choices but don't try to influence them too strongly one way or the other.

So says me.

"mental comfort blanket" sorry but how is that relevant? We have an interesting discussion with a group of religious and non-religious types and then someone has to come and try to stir things up. Shame really.

UQD I understand your point. However not everyone has the common sense that you have, nor are they as nice. Jesus and other people came to try to give people guidelines with which to live by. Words of wisdom and acts of sacrifice. I do think we need them actually. They serve as great role-models. In this age of talentless celebrity status, trigger-happy politicians and drunken laddishness vomiting their way round Europe, it's nice to have a role model or two to give our children an alternative view on life.

I remember asking a born again christian colleague why she persisted in sending me religious emails. She told me it's because I have the qualities of a christian. Exactly - that's why I don't need it. She didn't get it.

I feel utterly sickened by that link with the Vatican telling Catholics not to donate to Amnestly. I really do feel quite sick and shaken. What kind of morality is this? I am absolutely horrified.

On another point, do I spit in the face of Wodin by not believing in norse gods? Or spit in the feline face of Bastet? Do I spit in the face of fairies? I really don't think so. We only give the Christian God this extra reverence because he is the popular god where we happen to be born in the split second of time that is our existence. How can I spit in the face of something that doesn't exist! It doesn't make sense.

Sorry was being lazy - I agreed with the first part of Madamez's post where she said the Moslem religion was equal to others. Good and evil is done in religion's name irrespective of denomination.

Yes, except Jesus didn't kill anyone or sell people into slavery. Sadly you cannot say the same for Mohammed.

Nor did he marry children.

I support Amnesty. In fact I got handed a right wing catholic publication last week at Church which I fully intend taking back to the priest and advising him that if he continues to peddle such bullshit we'll go elsewhere for our place of worship.

As I said I don't agree with everything the catholic church does or says. But my religion has little to do with my faith. On the whole my experience of the catholic faith however has been a positive one and it is where I feel most at home. Just a shame about some of the individuals there.

Agree with Aloha on Mohammed, he was quoted as saying that Muslims should kill Jews because the Jews did not recognise them or support them.

He married a 6yo but it's ok, he didn't have sexual relations with her until she was 8. Oh and he was a very old man by that point.

These are the reasons I do not support the Islam faith. But I would never tell those who do that they are unintelligent or brainwashed.

I have to say, Rhubarb, and I KNOW that you have worked for organisations with similar objectives to Amnesty, so I know you wouldn't back this at all, if I belonged to an organisation, and the head of that organisation said something as disgusting as this, I would seriously reevaluate my membership (and that's putting it mildly!). Do you think Catholics are able to put pressure on the Pope to retract this statement?

Assuming you believe Jesus was real

Tbh I was focusing on the religions rather than the leaders. I know a lot of moslems and they are decent people who wouldn't dream of hurting another person.

I think there is enough evidence that Jesus was real. And even if he wasn't, he's quite an impressive fictional character IMO.

I suppose it is up to the individual to take what they want out of a religion - just as Rhubarb has.

Including all the walking on water, magically producing a feast etc? Or a man called Jesus who was a good man who said "ere you don't wannna do it like this mate, you wanna do it like that" visavis the 10 commandments

I am coming to that conclusion Aloha. I'm not keen on this Pope, he looks too much like Dracula. Watch this space! I wonder if I can handcuff myself naked to the gateposts of the Vatican.

My mate's auntie (aka the cool nun) can't stand the pope either

Oooh, I shall soooo look forward to seeing that in the Daily Mail!

Or the Daily Star

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The Sport

Rhubarb,

I would never tell someone that they were 'unitelligent or brainwashed' because they believed in god either. Would anyone?
I also wouldn't tell an obese person they were gross, or person with a large nose a hook-nose. Just because you think something doesn't mean you say it. You do however have the right to think it and explain to your children, in private why you disapprove of something, eg it is a bad idea to eat so much that you become obese because you will have health problems.
We think it is a bad idea to get involved in religion in any way for certain reasons. How does this imply that we would offend someone who didn't agree with our thinking?

Rhubarb, I think you are venturing into territory for me now. There are non-religious role-models. You don't need imaginary friends or religious guidelines in order to be a good person or follow a strict moral code. And some people who do profess religion are not nice people. If you are a good person, it's just because you are, not because you follow any religion.

Aloha - agree that Jesus was probably real, but given that the gospels are hardly an unbiased account, I'm sure he didn't do half the things he's meant to have done.

I would agreer with that UQD.

And is the world's most powerful man, who claims to receive his advice directly from god a good role model?

Rhubarb: you're offended by "comfort blanket"? What would you prefer? "Excuse for mutilating children's genitalts?" "Attempt to justify genocide"? I don't care if people claim to get their moral guidance from the Tellytubbies ( who would make for a fairly harmless religion, after all: eat toast, waggle your legs, give your mates a big hug...) but what is believing in invisible unprovable beings that supervise your actions if not a mental comfort blanket?