Comments on: Don’t Tell Mom You’re An Athiest!

By: hi

hi — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 06:03:27 +0000

The reason the uncle reacted that way is because if a vegetarian consumes meat, it leads to very bad stomach problems. (after a long time without consuming meat, you can’t digest it well anymore and t takes a while to get used to it again)

By: jetseta

jetseta — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 05:08:33 +0000

What sort of god would need anyone to market for him like that? Does god the all-everything really need black shirts? A zealot is a zealot, no matter what the religious mind set, and doesn’t it make religion look oh-so-inticing???

By: Ashtray

Ashtray — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 05:33:44 +0000

That happened to me. Only with two different families.

By: rina joy

rina joy — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 09:31:00 +0000

i think the child has its own belief like as my belief god had created us and given us our own will,intellect,as the highest among god’s creation its up too does people to decide… as a 16 year old i should be concern, aware on every details i knew… its his decision and approval…

By: marshall

marshall — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 11:31:45 +0000

i am an atheist and if my mother forced her beliefs on me like that,she would be the one hangin from a cross not this bloke they call jesus

By: Chimpy

Chimpy — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 07:05:07 +0000

Protestant actually means anything that’s not Catholic or Orthodox. So yeah they do believe in Hell. Wiki this next time…

By: Chimpy

Chimpy — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 07:03:54 +0000

Wow. As a born-again Christian I’d like to congratulate her on pulling the exact wrong move. Smooth. Now at least I know what not to do when a friend announces that they’re an atheist.

“Now you’re not going to get any presents for Christmas! Because that’s what Christmas is about! JESUS CHRIST!!! YEEEAGH!”

Not cool.

By: Peter B

Peter B — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 01:57:47 +0000

There’s a major difference between raising a kid as a vegetarian (half of India probably does already…) and indoctrinating them with religious belief. With the vegetarianism the health benefit is easily enough explained, and the kid could well see the positive benefits of such a dietary style.

Religion, especially Christianity, asks you to believe in supernatural events that occurred over 2000 years ago, and to have faith in what are essentially invisible and mythical beings. Also, the religion has a major “or else” component. Let’s face it – you *are* frightened into believing it.

Big time difference and really the two shouldn’t be compared – although one could argue there’s just as many vegetarian zealots out there as there are religious zealots proportionally.

By: Chris R.

Chris R. — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 22:46:07 +0000

Well then they’re representing themselves very, very poorly.

By: BradDet

BradDet — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 22:15:07 +0000

Can’t say as I’m not protestant, but as far as I know, they don’t believe you will suffer and burn with eternal flames and brimstone for not believing.

By: Chris R.

Chris R. — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 00:56:35 +0000

Reply is down below, I don’t know why it didn’t stick…

By: Chris R.

Chris R. — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 00:53:08 +0000

Is “Protestantism” one of these “other religions”?

By: Kirsten

Kirsten — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 23:51:52 +0000

Oh, jeez… That’s the way to do it, lady. Use it like a punishment. Then he’ll “see the light.”

By: BradDet

BradDet — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 22:53:00 +0000

Think you maybe confusing Christianity, with other religions which branch out from it. (and some that don’t as well)

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 18:48:38 +0000

It is the right of every parent to raise their children as they think best, despite what others may think of their beliefs.

My aunt and uncle became vegetarians about a year before their son was born, and they raised him to be a vegetarian. On Thanksgiving, when my cousin was about two or three, he pulled some turkey off the table and started to eat it. My uncle ran into the room and made him spit it out. My family never said anything directly to my uncle, but they made fun of him behind his back, saying things like, “It’s not like it’s poison. It’s not going to kill him.”

While this was true, I reminded my family that he was the father, and it was his right to raise him as he saw fit. Yes, we could have our own opinions, but ultimately, the decision lay with the parents.

If my cousin grew up, and at fifteen started eating burgers at McDonald’s everyday, his parents would be just as upset as this mother was in this video.

That being said, I would hope they would not react in the same way as she did. I don’t find anything wrong with her trying to convince her child to believe in God, but I find a lot wrong with the manner in which she does it.

If we believe in God, we should do so for what he has done for us, and not what we’re told will be done to us.

By: Chris R.

Chris R. — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 18:03:21 +0000

Christianity is an emotional attack designed to reduce kids’ confidence. It’s the threat that if you don’t believe in Jehovah and his Zombie Son, you’re going to Hell, complete with fire, mutant kittens, and Hitler serving brunch. If that’s not child abuse, I don’t know what is.

By: BradDet

BradDet — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 17:31:19 +0000

Hmm..Don’t know if I would go that far, to some extent I expect I am always “forcing” my kid to do one thing or another. Sometimes we ‘force’ our kids to do things that we think is for “their own good”.

I think if the kids grows up and ends up resending his/her own parents that might be sufficient pusnishment..but is it really abuse, perhaps if it was an emotional attack designed to reduce a kids confidence of self-esteem from choosing different beliefs..or a physical attack then yes, but I don’t think I would classify “threating to remove christmas” as abuse, stupid maybe, shortsighted, but not abuse.

By: Judith

Judith — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 15:34:57 +0000

I think that forcing religion on a child should be considered as a child abuse.

By: Terry

Terry — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 20:16:12 +0000

This is pretty sad. Everyone is commenting (rightly) on the mother and her apparent hypocrisy but did anyone notice the father during all of this? I don’t think this kid is really interested in Theism or Atheism. He isn’t having a conflict of faith but is just trying to exert his independence and control over his parents and mother takes the bait and his father is completely disengaged. I know there is more to this scenario than just the 45 second clip but it does speak a lot about the dynamics of that household.

By: Chris R.

Chris R. — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:09:18 +0000

I have to object that you spelled it “athiest” :) This mother is clearly not the athiest, though perhaps her son is the athiest atheist of them all.