Do you believe in God?

[TheCracker]

The idea of a religious school is oh so wrong and should be made illegal. Don't care what the parents want, either.

My school was a religious one. If anything it made me anti-religion. But thankfully it didn't force feed us crackpot creationist hokum.

 

[nk4e]

Reading several profiles on Youtube, I wonder who is really right. Everyone bases their opinions on books that have been translated over and over again. Being Catholic, I do believe in God though some people think other wise. What if God is love? What if? Why do some families spread the word while being read to it and thought about it while others worked for the pain and received a greater meaning of god?

 

[Sureboss]

Same thing happened to me, and many others I know. I just find it baffling that with something as important as our kids education, we can let their schooling be done by an external group with a clear agenda to spread their words.

 

[Exorcet]

The idea of a religious school is oh so wrong and should be made illegal. Don't care what the parents want, either.

That's a terribly biased and poorly thought out statement. There is nothing wrong with religion, and there are potential gains to learning [about] it. It's overly zealous close-minded people that are the problem.

 

[Sureboss]

I've got no problems with people learning about religion, but the idea of a school run by a religion is wrong. They have too much control.

 

[TheCracker]

I've got no problems with people learning about religion, but the idea of a school run by a religion is wrong. They have too much control.

It's like having a school run and funded by it's politics department. Which ever political leaning it has will influence pretty much everything else it teaches. The schooling of children should not be partisan in any way, if possible.

 

[Duke]

The idea of a religious school is oh so wrong and should be made illegal. Don't care what the parents want, either.

I'd never send my kids to one, but I'd never say parochial school should be made illegal. Parents should have a right to educate their children as they deem appropriate. Going to a religion-based school is entirely a matter of choice on the part of the parents and child. Nobody is forcing them to go there.

Now, publicly-organized and -funded religious schools, that I would have a problem with.

 

[Danoff]

I've got no problems with people learning about religion, but the idea of a school run by a religion is wrong. They have too much control.

Speaking as an atheist who was educated in one such school, I'd have to say that they offered a far superior level of education at a bargain price. And I wasn't in the least bit tempted to join the cult. My wife (another atheist) was also educated in a religious school. She also felt they they offered a far superior level of education (though hers cost quite a bit more), and she was also not in the least bit tempted to drink the Kool-Aid.

I would consider sending my hypothetical children to a religious school.

 

[Sureboss]

Well, there is a difference there as state schools here are free. (Well, taxes pay for them, but there's no up-front fees, unless you go private.)

I wasn't saying the standard of education was wrong, it's the principle of it. As all my schools were Church of England, all good schools.

 

[Pako]

Speaking as an atheist who was educated in one such school, I'd have to say that they offered a far superior level of education at a bargain price. And I wasn't in the least bit tempted to join the cult. My wife (another atheist) was also educated in a religious school. She also felt they they offered a far superior level of education (though hers cost quite a bit more), and she was also not in the least bit tempted to drink the Kool-Aid.

I would consider sending my hypothetical children to a religious school.

The level of education and in more cases than not, one on one attention to the student is a very positive selling point for sending your kids to one. 👍

As I am sitting here and looking and the current political trends of today and popular political views of the past, how much is a persons belief or lack there of is related to political influence?

I also wonder if there are members here that have changed their belief system, one way or another, since the conception of this thread?

 

[Hun200kmh]

I guess it all depends on what's teached in any school, religious or not religious. I think most of the users in gtplanet have the best of both worlds, meaning: democratic states and therefore state-schools that teach the respect for individual rights; religious schools where fundamentalism and violence are non-existent, at least in 99,99% of them.

So, I am religious and I have no problem in having my kids in a state public school, because I know they won't be looked down, or as being "retarded", just because they believe in God. And I have many atheist friends that chose to educate their children in religious schools, because they know the level of education there is good and because they know that those schools don't try to push religion into the children.

It's all about respect.

Of course things would be different if : a) the state's schools teached my children that religion is evil; b) the religious schools teached my children that atheism is evil.

 

[Danoff]

The school I attended definitely pushed the religion agenda (including a class dedicated to religion, mandatory mass, and a mandatory "Lord's Prayer" at the beginning of each day). I vividly remember (~2nd grade) asking my mom why I didn't have a baptism candle to bring to school when the teacher asked all of the students to do so.

That being said, those things had very little influence on my outlook.

 

[Omnis]

I went to public schools where they worshiped Al Gore. I think it would've been cool to go to a religious school just to study Christian theology and moral philosophy.

 

[Duke]

Well, there is a difference there as state schools here are free. (Well, taxes pay for them, but there's no up-front fees, unless you go private.)

I wasn't saying the standard of education was wrong, it's the principle of it. As all my schools were Church of England, all good schools.

State schools here (pre-college-level) are tax-supported with no tuition, as well. There are no public state-supported religious schools. Far and away most private religion-based K-12 schools in the US are affiliated/subsidized by the Catholic Church, and most enjoy a fairly good level of instruction, and charge varying levels of tuition. The distant second (in terms of number of schools) for religious private schools are probably the Baptists.

 

[Sureboss]

I didn't know pre college was free in the States.

 

[Keef]

I went to public schools where they worshiped Al Gore. I think it would've been cool to go to a religious school just to study Christian theology and moral philosophy.

I went to public schools also. It makes me wish I'd have gone to a private, religious school instead, because I'd probably be a different person than I am now. The thing that makes private/religious schools so good is that they stick to their principles. That I think is the most important aspect of any religion, that it's a set of principles that you can stick to. The education you get at a private school is almost always much better than at a public school, because the curiculum isn't all politics and money. They teach you a lot, do it well, and challenge you pretty hard to not only get the work done but understand it all as well. Giving up and sitting in the back of the room hoping the teacher doesn't see you isn't an option.

But ultimately it's up to the student I suppose. But the positive reinforcement you get at a private school definitely helps.

Those schools can get pricey, btw.

 

[Omnis]

Like all schools, there are still some that aren't so hot/are corrupt/ whatever. Ultimately, for the religion-specific humanities, the teachers are the Christian/Catholic theologians, so it's not like you need a good school as long as you have the right materials.

 

[Pako]

My own personal experience, I went to a private Christian school from grades 2nd through 6th. That early experience made the rest of the schooling very manageable.

My son, on the other hand, a 10th grader this year, has struggled throughout his academic career. Being a young parent, private schooling was just out of the question so he grew up as one of 30 kids in class. Begging for attention that he never got, he is a product of "falling through the cracks". There are just too many kids per teacher. There are other issues at hand as well, but the public school system didn't help.

My daughter, on the other hand, has been going to Montissori private school since she was 2 1/2 years of age. As a progressive, non-religious school, she will be starting Kindergarten next year and is already 2 years ahead of the public school system, she will be 5 years old the end of July.

If I can manage to continue to pay the tuition, I would love to keep her in Montissori as long as I can.

 

[homeforsummer]

Everyone bases their opinions on books that have been translated over and over again.

Not strictly true. Speaking not as an atheist (although I am one) but as someone who's fascinated in science, discoveries are made all the time that give us more clues about our origins and those of the universe around us. I'd suggest that religion and creationism is much more based on books that have been repeatedly translated than science is.

 

[Joey D]

I went to Catholic school from K-8th grade, honestly I think that's what made me turn away from religion.

 

[Hun200kmh]

Many factors come into play to make anyone believe in the existence of God. Of course the way we grew up, the people we knew, the experiences we had, everything that surrounds and has surrounded us is very important. However, if we are not completely stupid, and even if we grew up surrounded by a religious belief, we always reach a point when we ask ourselves: "Do I really believe all this intangible theory that somewhere, or indeed everywhere, an higher being exists? One that has created us? One that knows us? And do I really have a soul? Does my spirit live after my body dies?" ... and lots of other similar questions.


Some reply to themselves: "No", some reply to themselves "Yes". The ones that pick the "Yes" to themselves will never prove anything to the ones that pick the "No". It's even futile to attempt that, because if the existence of God could be proven - scientifically - then God would himself be no different than the Universe. And the Universe isn't God.

It's a bit like the discussion in the other thread about Evolution vs. Creation. Some people think that there's opposition between these two concepts, when - really - there isn't, unless you read the Genesis as a factual account on how the universe was created (I know some people do, but I don't).

The point is: science can indeed discover one day how the universe is like it is now, they can even say that the universe will go eternally from big bang to big crunch and to big bang again .... however, and even if they prove beyond all doubt this theory ... people that believe in the existence of God will still have no trouble in keeping their belief. Because they will say (as I do) "that's all fine with me, but I believe that is no different (other than in size) from everything else we can see and experiment. That is no different from day and night, from seeds and plants, from eggs and animals. That just explains what we see and how it has become to be the way we see it."

So, there's no point in trying to establish - based in our scientific knowledge - the existence or non-existence of God. The belief that God exists is not and cannot be based in what we see, taste, smell, hear or touch. And, respectively, what we can see, taste, smell, hear or touch doesn't prove that God doesn't exist. That's why I think scientific knowledge is completely irrelevant both as a foundation to faith and/or to put it in doubt and make it dissapear.

Sorry for the long post

 

[orimarc]

No comment necesary.

 

[TheCracker]

As i mentioned before, i went to a religious (Methodist) Public School (Private School in the US) and i wish i'd been sent to the local Comprehensive (State in the US) not because of the religious aspect, but because it was actually the better school.

There was no interesting 'theology or moral philosophy' discussions taught in class. Of the two religious study teachers i can remember, the first one would read some random bible passage out to us then ask us to illustrate it for homework. The second one was the school's Chaplain and all i can remember from his classes was him telling us over and over again about his and his wife's sex life and what methods of contraception they used (withdrawal). He also had a keen interest in corporal punishment.

 

[nk4e]

Not strictly true. Speaking not as an atheist (although I am one) but as someone who's fascinated in science, discoveries are made all the time that give us more clues about our origins and those of the universe around us. I'd suggest that religion and creationism is much more based on books that have been repeatedly translated than science is.

True. 👍
So what did come first? The chicken or the egg?

 

[Famine]

The egg - as a mode of reproduction it predates the chicken species and indeed the entire avian Class by several hundred million years.

Unless you're specifically talking of chicken eggs, in which case it's the chicken - the egg from which the first member of Gallus gallus hatched was not laid by a chicken, but a proto-chicken. Its first egg was, of course, a chicken's egg - thus the chicken precedes the chicken's egg by a few months.

 

[Hun200kmh]

*picture*

No comment necesary.

There's one comment I need to make. Your post is uncalled and insulting on anyone that believes not only that there is a God, but also on anyone that believes in the divine nature of Christ, the one you called "cosmic jewish zombie".

I didn't insult anyone, and your post made me think "why did I bother posting in this thread at all". And considered deleting my previous post, since apparently it serves no purpose here.

Anyway, after thinking for a while, I decided to keep it there. And I will not report yours, in fact, there's no need, a super moderator has already posted after you did - without referring to your post - and therefore I think that fact made it clear for me that in gtplanet you can insult others religious beliefs without breaking the AUP.

So, I'll go back to the games and motorsports forums. I understand how the AUP works there, and I agree with the way it is implemented when someone breaks it.

I'm willing to discuss religion and religious beliefs anywhere, except in places where trolling is allowed. So, my intervention here has ended.

 

[Sureboss]

The egg - as a mode of reproduction it predates the chicken species and indeed the entire avian Class by several hundred million years.

Unless you're specifically talking of chicken eggs, in which case it's the chicken - the egg from which the first member of Gallus gallus hatched was not laid by a chicken, but a proto-chicken. Its first egg was, of course, a chicken's egg - thus the chicken precedes the chicken's egg by a few months.

I thought they only made the Spirra?

The second one was the school's Chaplain and all i can remember from his classes was him telling us over and over again about his and his wife's sex life and what methods of contraception they used (withdrawal).

Just his wife's sex life, but not theirs?

 

[Northstar]

There's one comment I need to make. Your post is uncalled and insulting on anyone that believes not only that there is a God, but also on anyone that believes in the divine nature of Christ, the one you called "cosmic jewish zombie".

I didn't insult anyone, and your post made me think "why did I bother posting in this thread at all". And considered deleting my previous post, since apparently it serves no purpose here.

Anyway, after thinking for a while, I decided to keep it there. And I will not report yours, in fact, there's no need, a super moderator has already posted after you did - without referring to your post - and therefore I think that fact made it clear for me that in gtplanet you can insult others religious beliefs without breaking the AUP.

So, I'll go back to the games and motorsports forums. I understand how the AUP works there, and I agree with the way it is implemented when someone breaks it.

I'm willing to discuss religion and religious beliefs anywhere, except in places where trolling is allowed. So, my intervention here has ended.

Not to take any sides or anything, but this is the part of the forum where the AUP isn't as strictly enforced. You are allowed to post your opinion no matter what it is as long as it fits the thread. You won't be able to find a place where someone doesn't get offended because religion is that kind of topic.

But as the old saying goes"if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen and stop your bitching"

(I added the last part)

 

[Joey D]

There's one comment I need to make. Your post is uncalled and insulting on anyone that believes not only that there is a God, but also on anyone that believes in the divine nature of Christ, the one you called "cosmic jewish zombie".

I didn't insult anyone, and your post made me think "why did I bother posting in this thread at all". And considered deleting my previous post, since apparently it serves no purpose here.

Anyway, after thinking for a while, I decided to keep it there. And I will not report yours, in fact, there's no need, a super moderator has already posted after you did - without referring to your post - and therefore I think that fact made it clear for me that in gtplanet you can insult others religious beliefs without breaking the AUP.

So, I'll go back to the games and motorsports forums. I understand how the AUP works there, and I agree with the way it is implemented when someone breaks it.

I'm willing to discuss religion and religious beliefs anywhere, except in places where trolling is allowed. So, my intervention here has ended.

It's Christianity broken down into a very basic form from an outsider. There are several pictures on the internet that do the same basic thing but for other religion and non-religions alike.

Honestly, if you look at the beliefs of Christianity it really doesn't make to much sense if you take into account what we, as humans, know to be true. Your whole religion is based on a man, who might not have even existed, who was crucified and came back to life...which isn't possible.

It's also still very debatable how accurate religious texts even are because as someone already mentioned they have been translated over and over again, which means information is being changed.

 

[orimarc]

There's one comment I need to make. Your post is uncalled and insulting on anyone that believes not only that there is a God, but also on anyone that believes in the divine nature of Christ, the one you called "cosmic jewish zombie".

It's Christianity broken down into a very basic form from an outsider.

If an outsider can't explain what your religion is without insulting it...there's something wrong.