Quote from alt.atheism
“John M.” wrote:
"As most people are probably aware, deliberately putting religious superstitions into the uninformed minds of children is a form of abuse that ranks alongside paedophilia (both sexual and sadomasochistic). Unhappily this former occurs in a greater or lesser extent in all faith based schools. To avoid it, it is necessary to adopt the draconian measure of closing down all such schools, as one finds already in many enlightened countries. An e-petition demanding this from the British government is at:
petitions.pm.gov.uk/faithschools/
It is already the second most widely signed of the current petitions concerning education. I urge all reasonable persons to follow my example and add their names to the list."
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V responds:
There are many spiritual based schools that are wonderful institutions of learning as well as offering a nurturing and compassionate community to be part of John.
On a road trip last year I was fortunate enough to visit one of them - a Quaker school in Ohio.
I was very impressed with their work.
Their philosophy:
“Olney Friends School challenges students to grow. We celebrate intellectual vigor, provoke questions of conscience, and nurture skills for living in community. Truthfulness, simplicity, non-violence and respect for the good in every person. We sum these up in our Community Rule: Be truthful; Harm no one.”
Are they the perfect school?
No, but they work towards perfection all the while knowing they are imperfect humans doing the work.
Same with many other spiritual based schools and universities out there doing lots of good my friend.
The Jesuits also do an outstanding job at proving a good education based in a spiritual foundation. If it wasn’t for the Jesuits I would have never been introduced to my philosophy studies.
Would you like to shut down Boston College, Fordham and Loyola because they are Jesuit universities?
Atheists look at this topic with tunnel vision. They like to fantasize what the world would be like if religion would never have been invented.
Sure Christians do bad things, so do all practitioners in other religions. But many of these religious practitioners also do good things John.
What about the atheists?
Well, lets look at some of them to see what the world would be like if it was 100% atheists.
jesusneverexisted.org/jne/forum/ … opic=509.0
No, I prefer to keep things as they are and keep religions, even with all their warts and imperfections.
I believe religions do more good than harm.
I shudder to think what the world would be like if it was composed solely of atheists John.
You never see atheists taking up charitable works and feeding and clothing the poor in any organized way as Christians do.
There may be the odd atheists philanthropists here or there, but nothing organized like Christians charitable organizations.
I wrote to the president of American Atheists, UK Atheists, the Secular Humanism Foundation, Sam Harris and others about this very topic…none had the courtesy to reply.
Shows how much interest atheists really have in humanity.
Talked with a fellow this weekend that served in the JVC for two years in Micronesia. Was very impressed at the work the JVC does.
Sometimes charitable giving and volunteering to help those in need gets put on the back burner when people argue over religion, politics etc. Have you ever thought of helping others instead of hurting them?
Whether you are atheist, agnostic or theist being humane to humans is within your power. The only thing holding you back is prejudice. Just lose the prejudice and you can be a freed of bondage and become a humane human.
Atheist can serve right along theists and work in charitable organizations. Yes, it is hard work but very rewarding. The JVC also has many US opportuneness as well if you don’t wish to go overseas.
A few other charitable organizations that serve good causes. Check them out. most accept agnostics or atheists.
The key is a willingness to offer charitable kindness to other humans. This transcends religion or maybe it may be better said is the foundation of all religions when we work to be humane to humans.
careforceinternational.ca/dnn/
I have no connection with any of these organizations, other than gratitude for the work they carry out.
If anything you should be kissing the asses of the theists that attempt to provide a virtuous education to the young people.
The many countries that the US has been at war with and subsequently lost the war to can be most grateful we were not an atheist country. If we were a country that did not apply Christian principles to our captors millions more would have been killed.
Atheist run countries have a policy of extermination and ethnic cleansing rather than applying charity. Atheist like to claim religion killed so many people…well without religion in world the killings would have been much worse.
When I discussed Christian principles one time an Atheist piped up to say “the Christians have no principles,” and “Jesus was a fabled creation of the Christians.”
When we sperate the personalities from the principles it makes looking at things much easier. When I am referring to Christian principles I speak of such things as charity, works of mercy and the golden rule, where the emphasis is on principles and not on the personalities of the church.
For even if Jesus was just created as a fable, these Christian principles are universal truths in their own right if one desires to live a life at peace and promote the inner peace of others in this world.
“The Corporal Works of Mercy”
To feed the hungry
To give drink to the thirsty
To clothe the naked
To harbour the harbourless
To visit the sick
To ransom the captive
To bury the dead
“The Spiritual Works of Mercy”
To instruct the ignorant
To counsel the doubtful
To admonish sinners
To bear wrongs patiently
To forgive offenses willingly
To comfort the afflicted
To pray for the living and the dead
You see, by applying the rule of reciprocity or rule of opposites we can see if we were in these positions of the needy mentioned above, we would like such charity bestowed on us for the most part. What about our children, parents and loved ones?
Wouldn’t we wish the same for them? We have no loved ones? What about our neighbors? The Christian ethic says to treat one another as we would wish to be treated. As we give ~ so we receive.
Even if an atheist, as we give peace - we receive inner peace as many of the tools I mentioned above do not require belief in God, they only requirement is a desire to be at peace and to bring peace to others. This is the Christian doctrine in a nutshell, when we put principles before personalities.
As you instill seeds of peace within others you plant the same seeds and water these seeds within you as well.
As James Allen wrote in “As a man Thinketh” ~ To think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all - such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; and to dwell day by day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding peace to their possessor."
This is universal truth that transcends man made religions.
Remember, we do not have to do it perfectly. Just look for direction and forget perfection - for perfection or range is of the ego and form is of the soul. There are many tools for peace within the worlds spiritual paths, no one said these paths are perfect, in fact, it was once said that walking the spiritual path is akin to walking on a razors edge. But if we bother to be honest, non prejudicial and to look, we can find tools that can help us be at peace whether atheist, agnostic or believer.
Take care,
V (Male)
Agnostic Freethinker
Practical Philosopher
AA#2