Sunday School for Atheists

[nhboy]

"On Sunday mornings, most parents who don't believe in the Christian God, or any god at all, are probably making brunch or cheering at their kids' soccer game, or running errands or, with luck, sleeping in. Without religion, there's no need for church, right?

Maybe. But some nonbelievers are beginning to think they might need something for their children. "When you have kids," says Julie Willey, a design engineer, "you start to notice that your co-workers or friends have church groups to help teach their kids values and to be able to lean on." So every week, Willey, who was raised Buddhist and says she has never believed in God, and her husband pack their four kids into their blue minivan and head to the Humanist Community Center in Palo Alto, Calif., for atheist Sunday school."

Sunday School for Atheists - TIME

 

[Bustem' Down]

"On Sunday mornings, most parents who don't believe in the Christian God, or any god at all, are probably making brunch or cheering at their kids' soccer game, or running errands or, with luck, sleeping in. Without religion, there's no need for church, right?

Maybe. But some nonbelievers are beginning to think they might need something for their children. "When you have kids," says Julie Willey, a design engineer, "you start to notice that your co-workers or friends have church groups to help teach their kids values and to be able to lean on." So every week, Willey, who was raised Buddhist and says she has never believed in God, and her husband pack their four kids into their blue minivan and head to the Humanist Community Center in Palo Alto, Calif., for atheist Sunday school."

Sunday School for Atheists - TIME

Or you could just designate Sunday as Family Day. No friends, no TV and no Phone, just a day as a family.

 

[vbailey]

They do know that something is missing, ( God ) in their lives. You can't replace that emptiness with just anything...that place was meant to be filled with God! They can try Sunday School, but without God in it, it will still feel like something is missing.

 

[Xaquin44]

They do know that something is missing, ( God ) in their lives. You can't replace that emptiness with just anything...that place was meant to be filled with God! They can try Sunday School, but without God in it, it will still feel like something is missing.

I fill that emptiness with tacos.

like god intended.

 

[Bustem' Down]

They do know that something is missing, ( God ) in their lives. You can't replace that emptiness with just anything...that place was meant to be filled with God! They can try Sunday School, but without God in it, it will still feel like something is missing.

I don't feel anything missing, so your assumption is wrong.

 

[itsbob]

They do know that something is missing, ( God ) in their lives. You can't replace that emptiness with just anything...that place was meant to be filled with God! They can try Sunday School, but without God in it, it will still feel like something is missing.

Which one?

 

[browneyes]

Well on a positive note, I think parents in search of a way to teach their children better values and morals sounds like a good idea. (I think God should be included but that's my belief.)

 

[vbailey]

Well on a positive note, I think parents in search of a way to teach their children better values and morals sounds like a good idea. (I think God should be included but that's my belief.)

God has been the most positive thing in my life, I could not imagine living life without God. Every blessing in my life has come from loving and knowing God.

 

[Xaquin44]

Every blessing in my life has come from loving and knowing God.

mine has been from my wife, son, parents, friends, family, and coworkers .... but I'm sure all those people who have actually done things for you appreciate knowing that they are back seat.

 

[Toxick]

... pack their four kids into their blue minivan and head to the Humanist Community Center in Palo Alto, Calif., for atheist Sunday school."

So what exactly do they teach there? That there are no gods?

Sounds to me like it would take exactly 1 class to know all you need to know for gradutation.

 

[Xaquin44]

So what exactly do they teach there? That there are no gods?

Sounds to me like it would take exactly 1 class to know all you need to know for gradutation.

hahahahaha

best T/F Final ever lol

 

[Xaquin44]

I'm glad you asked, of course they mean this one

I worship the 'mormon' version that adds meatballs is a newer testament.

 

[vbailey]

mine has been from my wife, son, parents, friends, family, and coworkers .... but I'm sure all those people who have actually done things for you appreciate knowing that they are back seat.

All the people in my life are wonderful gifts from God, and I thank God for them every day. My husband and I are best friends, we have that relationship because of God. You can have a good life without God, but when you have God, wow, what a blessing it is.......God gave us Free Will, we can choose him or not.....He wants us to choose him because of the many blessing he can give us if only we ask. My family/friends are one of those blessings.

 

[Toxick]

Well, I'm certainly glad that this has turned into a Christian vs. NonChristian thread - because Christ knows we don't have enough of THOSE.



But - some (at least one) of us are interested in the original topic, which had absolutely nothing to do with Judeo-Christian faiths or their derivatives.

 

[Xaquin44]

If he gave you free will, then you chose your husband .... not god.

If god gave you your relationship then you don't have free will do you?

 

[Xaquin44]

Well, I'm certainly glad that this has turned into a Christian vs. NonChristian thread - because Christ knows we don't have enough of THOSE.

hehehe

But - some (at least one) of us are interested in the original topic, which had absolutely nothing to do with Judeo-Christian faiths or their derivatives.

well, since we know atheists don't believe in a supreme being, I suggested we talk about tacos

but noooooooo

 

[This_person]

If he gave you free will, then you chose your husband .... not god.

If god gave you your relationship then you don't have free will do you?

You know, I wasn't born when the Constitution was written. Certainly, it couldn't be for me. My family wasn't even in the area! And, my family (other than me) has no military history, so the rights and freedoms fought for and won after 230 odd years of our nation don't really belong to me. Or, do they?

Of course, we know they do. So, why are these rights and freedoms mine, when I did nothing to specifically choose them? Well, it's a birth right. I have the free will to move to another country, another continent - to be free from these rights and freedoms. I choose to stay. Free will. But, I still did nothing (theoretically) to earn these freedoms - they're just given to me. Should I be thankful to the men and women before me with the knowledge, skill, sacrifice, etc., for ME? They didn't know ME, so it couldn't be for ME, right?

It was for me, and all like me. I have reverence for their sacrifice, for the world they created for me, the laws and limits and everything about what is America.


Probably long before now, you're asking yourself what my point is.

God gives us the framework, the country, the freedoms, the moral base to know how to choose. They're our choices - we have free will. But, all of the "country" of our lives is because of God (for those of us who believe). We give thanks for the gifts He's given us, and acknowledge that our relationships are gifts, even though they are choices.

I hope this little analogy helps. I haven't given it a lot of forethought to make it work well, but I think you'll get the point.

 

[This_person]

"On Sunday mornings, most parents who don't believe in the Christian God, or any god at all, are probably making brunch or cheering at their kids' soccer game, or running errands or, with luck, sleeping in. Without religion, there's no need for church, right?

Maybe. But some nonbelievers are beginning to think they might need something for their children. "When you have kids," says Julie Willey, a design engineer, "you start to notice that your co-workers or friends have church groups to help teach their kids values and to be able to lean on." So every week, Willey, who was raised Buddhist and says she has never believed in God, and her husband pack their four kids into their blue minivan and head to the Humanist Community Center in Palo Alto, Calif., for atheist Sunday school."

Sunday School for Atheists - TIME

Anybody think it's funny the guy running the place is named Bishop?

I did......

I had never heard the term "rationalist" before. Does that imply they believe having faith is irrational?

 

[Xaquin44]

You know, I wasn't born when the Constitution was written. Certainly, it couldn't be for me. My family wasn't even in the area! And, my family (other than me) has no military history, so the rights and freedoms fought for and won after 230 odd years of our nation don't really belong to me. Or, do they?

Of course, we know they do. So, why are these rights and freedoms mine, when I did nothing to specifically choose them? Well, it's a birth right. I have the free will to move to another country, another continent - to be free from these rights and freedoms. I choose to stay. Free will. But, I still did nothing (theoretically) to earn these freedoms - they're just given to me. Should I be thankful to the men and women before me with the knowledge, skill, sacrifice, etc., for ME? They didn't know ME, so it couldn't be for ME, right?

It was for me, and all like me. I have reverence for their sacrifice, for the world they created for me, the laws and limits and everything about what is America.


Probably long before now, you're asking yourself what my point is.

God gives us the framework, the country, the freedoms, the moral base to know how to choose. They're our choices - we have free will. But, all of the "country" of our lives is because of God (for those of us who believe). We give thanks for the gifts He's given us, and acknowledge that our relationships are gifts, even though they are choices.

I hope this little analogy helps. I haven't given it a lot of forethought to make it work well, but I think you'll get the point.

But even if the relationships 'given' by god are ours to take or walk away from then they are or are not our own doing, and not gods.

and as for the constitution (or any laws really) .... well people choose to break or uphold that document every day.

(I'll be honest I didn't really see where you were going with that one).

 

[Xaquin44]

Anybody think it's funny the guy running the place is named Bishop?

that is kind of funny =)