I find it humorous that people can not just let us not believe what we want not to believe.

My aunt called and asked if we had the baptismal gown that has been
passed down throughout the generations. I told her that my sister who
has a 4 year old would have been the last to use it.

"YOUR SON IS NOT BAPTIZED?!"

/facepalm/

So, my father asks me a couple of days later if my son is baptized. I
tell him that he is not and he should know that. His first argument is
that of Pascal's Wager which I told him was a cop-out and a waste of
time.

I then tell him that I think it would be offensive to the church if an
atheist family had their child baptized because it would not be
sincere. (this was an anti-argument)

His second argument was that we were not giving him the option of being
baptized and making his mind up for him. I was stunned by this one, jaw
dropped, then I started laughing... in my head. I informed my father
that if anything we are giving him more options, and NOT making his
mind up for him. He now has the option of choosing if he would like to
partake in a religion, choosing to be baptized or not. I am not making
the choice for him at birth.

"Well what if he dies before he can do that?"

"As an atheist, obviously I believe that it would make zero difference.
This is also what makes your religion so messed up, a child dies
unbaptized and your god sends him to hell or purgatory?! What if your
religion is wrong?! All of you burn then? There is little basis of good
vs. evil just whether you paid enough tribute to their gods!"

None of these arguments can he actually come back against, instead he
just comes back with a different one, I feel like I am playing Atheist
Bingo.

He then brings up tradition. It is tradition to be baptized, have first
communion, etc. I can almost respect that, although I do not think you
should do those things merely out of tradition. This just seems like an
entirely messed up idea. If we hung on to all of the traditions of the
past we would have some odd habits nowadays. Furthermore what is
preventing us from having our own traditions? What is preventing us
from have our own rites of passage? Perhaps we choose a couple of
milestone birthdays and make them extra important. Perhaps for the 10th
birthday we go camping for a week and learn about nature. I think the
child would walk away from that with more experience and feel more like
an adult than getting a weird flavored cracker put in their mouth and
splashed in the face with water.

My father and I debate things all the times and we do so with civility.
There were no personal attacks or raised voices during this discussion,
which is the way it should be if someone wants to talk about these
subject matters.

Views: 12

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

That's a bunch of you's. Yeah, makes sense, it's always about 'us' not them; for example those fundie riders bush paid (blackwater etc.)

Even goes as far as sedition on that note.


IMHO, go for the jugular or you'll just feel incomplete.
There are no such things as 'gifts' in reference to talents that an individual either learned from parents or studied or exercised themselves out of free thinking in the brain...
!
don't eat fast food folks, your day will be different
I'm gonna print off your BINGO card, then when my folks bring up Me being atheist. i'm gonna see how long it takes to get a bingo. thanks for that card.
Tradition alone is never a good reason to do something.
Yeah but no. It is not a reason in itself to be religious, but we still celebrate Christmas in our house, the Santa based Christmas anyways. When he gets old enough we will tell him about the solstice and how the sun was changed to son, etc. That is tradition based.

There are rites of passage that are both religion and tradition based in a catholic family, and that's why I say "almost respect that".

We put a turkey on our birthday cakes... why? Tradition and because it's kind of "wtf?"

RSS

Blog Posts

Death of a family member

Posted by Larry Taylor on May 20, 2013 at 8:15pm 4 Comments

OK. I am venting. My mother died two weeks ago. She was a “god fearing christian.” Before her death she refused all medical treatment. She wanted to be left alone. She even refused to speak with my brother who is a methodist minister. He is a pip, let me tell you! I suspect she did not believe, but a woman born in her time could not and did not state her actual beliefs. This is the opening salvo to all christians; FUCK YOU! I had so many people come and tell…

Continue

Unbelievable!!!!!!!!

Posted by Christy Stewart on May 20, 2013 at 2:17pm 6 Comments

This probably should not have shocked me as much as it did (especially since I am in Texas). I actually thought my coworkers were playing a joke on me because they know I am an atheist. Sadly, this was no joke. This actually happened.

I work in a psychiatric hospital. The doctors who admit patients are general MDs. (Psychiatrists see patients after admission) Yesterday evening we received several calls from irate parents. A new doctor who was doing admissions yesterday actually…

Continue

anti-atheist rant from an Orthodox Mormon part 2

Posted by Debra Stevenson on May 20, 2013 at 1:09pm 1 Comment

What do you think of this,

 

Nathan Young,

 

No Jason Torpy it is you that should be banned for promoting atheism, a belief that has no foundation in reality and zero proof behind it.  The letter was a mockery of your atheist beliefs.  I request to the board here that they remove Jason for his unverifiable beliefs in atheism for which he has no proof other than his arrogance.  The letter was a mockery of atheism.  Atheism is stupid and it should be mocked and it…

Continue

Anti-atheist post from an Orthdox Mormon

Posted by Debra Stevenson on May 20, 2013 at 12:42pm 3 Comments

 

What do you think of this Facebook comment?

 

 

Nathan Young to Jason Torpy,

 

for once you and I can agree on something.  We should disrespect beliefs that are untenable such as the belief that there is no God.  Indeed for me to respect you Jason, I cannot respect your belief in non-belief in atheism.  Your atheism comes across as arrogrance, smugness, and self righteous.  Indeed after reading "An Open Letter to My Religious Friends" I penned one…

Continue

Videos

  • Add Videos
  • View All

© 2013   Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: Richard Haynes.

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service