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Discussion » Questions » Religion and Spirituality » What do you think atheists' children learn in atheist Sunday school?

What do you think atheists' children learn in atheist Sunday school?

https://www.salon.com/2013/09/22/atheism_starts_its_megachurch_is_it_a_religion_now/


Posted - April 15, 2018

Responses


  • 5391
    Atheist Sunday School? That would be a hoot. 

    If there were a school dedicated solely to secular themes and values, it would be aligned with the general knowledge of our time, without promoting allegiance to faith in archaic ideals of supernatural beings and ”revealed” word. This post was edited by Don Barzini at April 15, 2018 11:23 AM MDT
      April 15, 2018 6:58 AM MDT
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  • 2658
    IDK, Maybe Ron knows.
      April 15, 2018 7:09 AM MDT
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  • 44173
    First of all, it's Saturnday school.
    They learn that the bible is an interesting, but boring, children's fable book used to frighten everyone how we are all damned to hell if we don't follow the rules of some big guy in the sky who is called god. He will trample us as little Italian girls trample grapes just for uttering his name in vain or not honouring our drunken, abusive parents. Then the kids will eat cookies with lots of sugar, GMO wheat and gluten.
      April 15, 2018 7:36 AM MDT
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  • 2657
    Where do they learn that information from?
    But if they would read the Bible they would find out that Hell as an eternal punishment for the immortal souls of the wicked is non existent. 

    (Romans 6:7) For the one who has died has been acquitted from his sin.
    (Romans 6:23) For the wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.
    (Psalm 146:3, 4) Do not put your trust in princes Nor in a son of man, who cannot bring salvation.  4 His spirit goes out, he returns to the ground; On that very day his thoughts perish.
    (Ecclesiastes 9:5) For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all, nor do they have any more reward, because all memory of them is forgotten.
    (Ecclesiastes 9:10) Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might, for there is no work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave, where you are going.

    EDIT: Was it my comment that inspired this question and if so would you rather stay misinformed as to what the Bible really says?:

    https://answermug.com/forums/topic/55108/does-it-bother-you-when-someone-here-quotes-the-bible-to-make-a/view/page/1 This post was edited by texasescimo at April 19, 2018 11:29 PM MDT
      April 15, 2018 8:14 AM MDT
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  • 5391
    Smiting. There’s an awful lot of smiting, and wrath. Ooooh. Scary stuff. 
      April 15, 2018 8:39 AM MDT
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  • 44173
      April 15, 2018 9:46 AM MDT
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  • 1393
    Drone operators feeling a buzz of God go through them as they press the "smite" button that launches the missile on the unsuspecting occupants of a car, house or wedding reception hall?
      May 14, 2018 1:46 PM MDT
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  • 14795
    How true.....one should never eats junk foods or listen to adulterated man made junk nonsense either.....

    Far better to worship something like me to ensure no one will ever come to any harm.....:)D 
      April 15, 2018 3:33 PM MDT
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  • 1393
    "something like me"?
      May 14, 2018 1:49 PM MDT
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  • 14795
    Yes....Im often a thing when its convient....lol
      May 14, 2018 3:35 PM MDT
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  • 1393
    :) :) .... and how can I get that thing when it's convenient?
      May 14, 2018 3:54 PM MDT
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  • 7776
    Perhaps how to be independent thinkers without following the "flock".
      April 15, 2018 9:48 AM MDT
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  • 2657
    Yet many think that the universe just happened on it's on when it's been proven to be impossible and many believe that macro evolution is fact when many new and distinct life forms appear so suddenly in the fossil record. What shepherd is that flock following?
      April 19, 2018 11:34 PM MDT
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  • 5835
    Notice you have to pay to read the article. Atheists think it's a crime to receive gifts in Christian churches!
      April 15, 2018 11:23 AM MDT
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  • 13395
    Did you pay -how much? I've never had to pay for any website article. 

    Never heard atheists think it's a crime for Christian churches to present free bibles to anyone. 
      April 15, 2018 11:32 AM MDT
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  • 7919
    Ah! I saw that and thought it was really cool. I initially thought it must be some kind of money-raising scheme or someone trying to take advantage of tax breaks for churches, but it seems legit. 

    So many service organizations are run for/ by churches and it's tough to find opportunities for non-religious families to volunteer. For example, I've personally tried to find an organization that would let my children and I serve the needy- maybe gathering supplies, putting together care packages, or even working in a soup kitchen. Not one place will let me bring my kids. A church could, however, create it's own service program that includes everyone. I think it would be awesome if lessons surround things like that social responsibility, civic responsibility, and so on. 

    From what I can recall, and I did actually attend Sunday School with a friend of mine when I was pretty young, it wasn't so much "history" lessons or biblical teachings. Sure it used the bible to generate the idea, but that was more a platform to teach social values. It was more along the lines of "You shouldn't steal because..." and "You should be grateful for what you have because..." perhaps with a bit of "God loves you" mumbo jumbo. All that stuff can still be applied to an atheist Sunday school, but it it would offer up perhaps more personal and social responsibility vs "God loves you." 

    I think that would actually be pretty cool. 
      April 15, 2018 11:26 AM MDT
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  • 5835
    There is so much of that in denominational churches that they might as well admit to being atheistic. Most people who claim to be Christian can not tell you how they became Christian or what the benefits are. That's why they teach public morality and philosophy instead of doctrines.
      April 15, 2018 4:53 PM MDT
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  • 2657
    Not sure about morality? These days many seem to expect their children to have pre-marital sex. Just part of growing up, so they say.
      April 18, 2018 5:22 AM MDT
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  • 6477
    I suspect there could never be a truly atheist Sunday school as such- the very idea is that to follow set dogma and fairy stories in a sheeple like way is an anathema to them. They teach independent thinking, to think for oneself. And even then the whole idea of *Sunday* is a religious one isn't it.. so they would probably definitely want too choose another day. This post was edited by Adaydreambeliever at May 14, 2018 1:50 PM MDT
      April 15, 2018 11:28 AM MDT
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  • 6477
    Adding to my previous reply a bit... I saw that they were trying to distance themselves a little from the term atheist, that's interesting and they were saying that it's non-religion, religion - that too is interesting as it's not true atheism as such. 

    Here in the UK *most* charities and volunteer programmes are non-religious and we are not a religious country anymore, and haven't been for a long time. Most natives identify as vaguely accepting of the idea of God but don't go to church or do anything connected with the religion.... there are more atheists, agnostics and of course other religions. 
      April 15, 2018 11:38 AM MDT
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  • 1393
    true they "don't go to church or do anything connected with the religion" but the royals and high ranking parliamentarians attend church regularly. Also, births, marriages and deaths are still church related for most Britons
      May 14, 2018 3:28 PM MDT
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  • 14795
    They would only learn things about Facts and never ever about Pure Fiction.....:)

    All childred should be forced to attend.... Who knows   !!! ......maybe in time there  would be no more wars..... :)
      April 15, 2018 3:25 PM MDT
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  • 5835
    There is in fact a church for atheists who feel like they are supposed* to go someplace on Sunday morning. It is called Unitarian-Universalist. You should see what the children present when they do a show. They are wonderful!

    *If there is no God, whoinell does the supposing?
      April 15, 2018 4:59 PM MDT
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  • 7280
    The phrase "the awkward irony of the atheist sunday (sic) school" does not do justice to the insights of the Time magazine article quoted at length in the link.

    A "Sunday school" designed for atheists by atheists serves a real function and has to do with issues that atheists consider important to be sure their children are aware of---much like the believer also wants some basic concepts to be passed on to their children.


    https://albertmohler.com/2007/11/29/the-awkward-irony-of-the-atheist-sunday-school-2/



      April 15, 2018 5:23 PM MDT
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  • 1305
    How to evade inheritance (death) tax?

    It's a 2013 article, I'm surprised those things would still be going, still it's a way to avoid inheritance tax.

    Maybe they teach them that life has no ultimate meaning, that it doesn't matter in the greater scheme of things whether you do well at school, become a doctor or a thief or murderer, whether you have a Ipod, a Iphone, whether your children grow up to be a great inventor, or your children's children grow up to be a nurse, a lawyer, a journalist, or a rapist, or you are bullied at school, or you suffer MS, or your child dies of leukaemia, or whether you swerve inheritance tax like the Rothchild's who are the one of the richest families in the world and could end world starvation tomorrow but don't,  it all means nothing because it all ends in zero.  Life begun and will end for no reason, and so your sum total adds up to zero.

    So why are we living under the tyranny we do, working 40 hours a week, for the greatest part of our life, retire when we are too old to enjoy it, arthritis, hip replacement, heart disease, cancer, dementia, then we are either put into a home, where the house that we worked for all our lives is sold off to pay for the care that costs £850 to £1000 a week, or we grow old with all our faculties, restful in the thought that our lives work will help our offspring, for only the government to take 40% for inheritance tax, when they'd taxed us all our life on our earnings.  why don't the atheists focus on that, why doesn't everyone? Is secular really any different to religion when it comes to thought control? Because we are still slaves/plebs/citizens and we are being majorly screwed all our life by our governments/mafia.

    Let's face it, in school most of what they teach you is absolutely useless in the real world.












    This post was edited by kjames at May 14, 2018 1:53 PM MDT
      April 17, 2018 5:30 PM MDT
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