I had a most interesting lunch with two of my friends today and to say the lunch did not go as I had envisioned it would. Basically, what my lunch turned into was a "Religious Intervention" and I was the Intervenee.
This is how it played out:
Statement by me:
Yeah, we are having some "issues" at home with a Monster. I am thinking about hitting up the local Buddhist Temple to see if it could bring some balance into our lives.
What followed:
Very long discussion of how I was not giving my kids all the opportunities that are out there in life because they do not have religion in their lives. And Blogger friends, please take note of this part...SEVERAL TIMES I was told how LIBERAL, yes LIBERAL I am! How I wish so many of you had been there to hear it:)
This is who I am.
I am a non-believer. I do not believe in a defined God. I do not follow the teaching of any religion. I was raised Roman Catholic and was confirmed and married by an Episcopal Priest and I have had all three of my children Baptized in the Episcopal Church(Husband is Episcopal). For most of my adult life I have searched for a religion that I believed in. I am a very spiritual person, just not religious. In my journey, I have studied many religions that include but are not limited to Catholicism, Islam, Judaism, Mormonism, Jainism and Buddhism. I have taken many religion classes in college and even spent time at a Catholic University. The bottom line is, I don't believe what the are teaching and therefore, I do not teach it to my children. There have been several times since my children have been born that we have gone to church regularly as a family. However after a few months of trying to believe, I realize that what my children are hearing are not things I believe and therefore they are not "lessons" I want my children learn.
I do not understand why it is so difficult for people understand why I do not want children to be brought up being taught things that I think are lies. Are other parents asked to teach their children things they don't agree with or is it just me? What if I were Jewish and my husband Christian, would one of us not be lying to our children and ourselves if we raised them in one or both those religions?
This is how I raise my children. I raise them with the knowledge that I have of the world. I do this in a way that I feel is age appropriate and often let them lead their learning. My children have asked, have learned and celebrate many different religious and cultural traditions. And I am okay with that. I think my children are growing up with the knowledge that there are many different beliefs and none of them are wrong, just different. And as they grow-up and learn more either through their own studies or from friends and family, they will be free to explore what they wish. I will not discourage or stop them from that path...well, I might if it were a scary cult:)
One of the last questions I was asked today was what if I am wrong? What if I am wrong and Christianity is right and I face Jesus at the Gates of Heaven, what will I do? I answered that I would look at Jesus and tell him I was wrong and I believe, through my studies, that Jesus will forgive me and allow me into heaven. I also believe that he would accept my children.
I hope that their is a "God" an "after-life" but as of now I cannot say I believe that. I will not stop searching for answers nor will I change the way I raise my children. I believe with all my heart and mind that knowledge is the best thing I can give my children. The desire to search for it and never stop looking. The best thing we are given in this world is an abundance knowledge, I believe it is a tragedy not to see it.
4 comments:
couldn't agree more!! i too was raised roman catholic and i struggle with blind faith!! i need/want proof...lol!!! so we let our children explore all religions, and want them to choose their own path. i personally feel that religion is bad, and is the cause of most wars....who needs it! obviously many...so for the sake of our children, i keep my mouth shut! : )
The world needs more liberal atheists.
Just stop calling them Monsters!
You never commented on my post about God being a pre-pubescent alien.
What would you say to him then?
lol
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You are empowering your children with knowledge and therefore allowing them the opportunity to make choices in their lives.
Good for you for taking a stand for what you believe and therefore being in integrity with yourself and your family.
Keep straying from the herd and the opportunities will be limitless :-)
I can't say I agree but it is your life and you must do what you think is best for your life.
However My view is different obviously from when you have read things on my blog.
I think there's this misunderstanding with people on what Get's you into heaven.
I don't think I have to explain to you since you studied all this before.
People tend to like to make excuses for themselves when it comes to the afterlife, saying things like "I'm a good person." that seems to be a staple among people.
Truth is, you can be the nicest person in the world, you can give and help charities, feed the hungry and do a ton of things.
God set up a standard for us to live by and that means we have to be perfect which none of us are, That's why Jesus died to help bridge the Gap.
Now, If you are standing before God in the end and He asks you why you should be let into heaven, you'll say "Because I was a good person."
God will assess but then He will show you everything that you ever did and the fact that you didn't atone for those wrong things you did.
You'll look at Jesus and ask Him to help out but all He'll say is "Sorry I don't know you."
It's relationship not saying sorry, the point of being on earth and living our lives is to have the time to ask forgiveness of our wrong doings along with Getting to know Jesus.
I can be the nicest person in the world but without knowing Jesus all my deeds amount to nothing and will fade away.
If we could have a second chance after we died there would be no reason for Jesus to have died and most of all we wouldn't have to follow any of God's commandments.
We could just live how we want and God would let us in but it doesn't work that way unfortunately.
It's very sad that people have been misled to believe we'll get a second chance when the fact remains that it will be too late to do anything about our sins or anything else after we die.
If I were to break the law and then I was arrested and brought before a judge, then said "Look Judge, I didn't really think you were going to be here but listen, I'm sorry for what I did and if you could just let me go that would be great thanks."
A good Judge isn't going to just let you go, You have to pay for your crimes and the same goes for the afterlife.
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