My son tells me on a walk yesterday heaven is not real.

[ccpro]

Like op I believe in a higher power whatever that may be. And like op I went to Catholic School for 12 years, alter boy, tons of religious classes and I am not religious I think people fain and wade on their faith. My kids attended Catholic School as well because I felt they needed direction before they drew their own conclusions. My brother is agnostic, I feel my oldest son 19 may be as well. I think it's totally wrong for wife to impose her philosophy on a 4year old, I almost feel religion is a "crutch" for most until they figure life out a little better. My 1/2 cent.

 

[Gabriel]

To everyone there is free will...Gods gift to us..use it as you may..but know choices have consciousness..I pride myself on not preaching my believes and expect the same from others.. however I believe we will all have to pay for our sins one day.. either here or somewhere else another day...let every man decide their own faith and be judged 1 day..for we are men and responsible for our actions...NO ONE IS UNCOUNTABLE

 

[Grizzly911]

Hey Bobby, it's like the other guys said earlier. You have to let him do his own research and allow him to learn based on his own experience. At the same time don't allow his mind to be closed off by other people. Based on my own experience my parents used to go to baptist churches and try to use religion to control me. It's when I begin to seek for myself what is real and what is not. I let the scriptures lead me, I write down questions in my head and try to seek the answers for myself, sometimes I get the answers right away and other times the answers come later. If you boy ask questions, simply answer what you know and other times, tell him to wait. It'll come to him.

 

[heavydeads83]

I was raised religious as they come. Now I’m not sure what I believe. I’m 36 and quit going to church when I was 18.

 

[The Phoenix]

I was raised religious as they come. Now I’m not sure what I believe. I’m 36 and quit going to church when I was 18.

I was also raised very religious and went astray from the time I was 18-33. I started to see the reality of the situation and made my decisions accordingly (take that however your imagination leads you). I am thankful for being raised right those first 7 years which gave my the insight on the steps I should take as an adult. I just have personal faith and attend a Messianic synagogue for fellowship & learning. I’ve gotten away from traditional churches and have learned that faith makes better sense from a Jewish perspective than following the long held traditional rituals of paganized Christianity.

 

[Skullcrusher]

I think that hunger for truth is very important. Not only in religion but in life in general.

 

[Jin]

I think that hunger for truth is very important. Not only in religion but in life in general.

“The unexamened life isn’t worth living.”
-Socrates

 

[CohibaRobusto]

I really like Pyrrho:

Pyrrho realized that the ignorance he confessed to himself was very different in kind from the ignorance of children, dogs, and stones. It was learned ignorance. It was the result of intellect and inquiry, of mind trying to know and failing, of reason propounding questions to itself that it could not answer. It was a painfully acquired recognition of his limitations and himself, not the barren ignorance that never tried to conquer itself. Ever since Socrates learned that all his wisdom consisted in knowing his ignorance, skeptics have prized learned ignorance as the first step in honest inquiries toward truth.

Learned ignorance is not an end in itself. However, in the skeptic's experience inquiry usually fails and when it fails honest inquirers recognize learned ignorance to be the result. But before any serious inquiry can begin we must admit that we do not know. Learned ignorance is humility and honesty, the opposite of rash prejudice, and at least the ground (if not the consequence) of any genuine investigation.

 

[BrotherJ]

My parents shoved religion down my throat growing up - it had the opposite effect on me and caused me to become full on anti-religious/atheist for a long time. I don't consider myself atheist now, more agnostic/whatever now. And lost the whole anti-religious zeal once I worked through bitterness/resentment towards my parents. Looking back if they had not forced any of it on me I would have been more open to it, at least from the standpoint of benefits of having a community/support group around you. Moving when I did it can be hard to make in-person friends when you don't have a church or communal thing to plug into.

 

[Jin]

My parents shoved religion down my throat growing up - it had the opposite effect on me and caused me to become full on anti-religious/atheist for a long time. I don't consider myself atheist now, more agnostic/whatever now. And lost the whole anti-religious zeal once I worked through bitterness/resentment towards my parents. Looking back if they had not forced any of it on me I would have been more open to it, at least from the standpoint of benefits of having a community/support group around you. Moving when I did it can be hard to make in-person friends when you don't have a church or communal thing to plug into.

Spirituality>religion

Jesus was a huge critic of religious people:

”in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of man”

 

[Jin]

Spirituality>religion

Jesus was a huge critic of religious people:

”in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of man”

Damn cut and paste.

 

[German89]

Damn cut and paste.

rookie moves

 

[lfod14]

God ain't gonna lift these weights for me! Lol

In all seriousness though, I try to teach my kids to look at all points of view and make their own decisions about what works for them. I do encourage them to treat everyone with respect as an equal and not to judge other people for their beliefs. Being kind to our fellow humans is a core value for me.

THIS! No proof of a God, or a lack of one. The lessons most religions teach are good ones though. Teach it all and let them decide when they're old enough.

 

[lfod14]

I send mine to catholic school. I'm not into religion.

I don't push anything onto him. At least at school they can teach him. If he chooses to believe, so be it.

I'm may be right behind you man! I went to Catholic school for my first couple years and swore I'd never do that to my kid, but given the world we live in now I'm borderline petrified of what the public school system will brainwash him with!