Another version of taking my kids to church. We were unchurched, and our kids in grade school came home and were telling us that the kids they played with told them they were going to hell, as didn't go to the local catholic church. We did some investigating, and ended up attending a Unitarian Universalist church in Albuquerque. We reviewed the curriculum for the classes, and though that they were very good. They didn't teach dogma, and had the kids do lots of thinking about things, and questioning. Must of worked as none of my kids are religious. Think they are great parents, and people.

Does anyone else see a bit of a contradiction here ?

"We don't need a god or religion to feel connected "

"We are all connected through the energy proven to flow through us, as we are all composed of the same things that makes the grass and the stars."

What exactly is this energy you speak of, if not some sort of religious concept ? It certainly doesn't have a scientific basis. And don't say electricity - there is no connection between the electric fields of individual organisms.

Indoctrination is so rigid. No amount of explaining would ever convince your friend that religion is an evil lie. One of the prime directives of religion(or any brainwashing)is that it is all good and true...even when the evidence CLEARLY points to the extreme opposite.

Take them to volunteer, it teaches them tolerance and to be grateful for what they have. One of the things wrong with our country is children feel entitled. The phone in the house was not mine, it was the familys'. Take away a child's phone today and they feel they whole world come crashing down.