I think people believe god exists because their parents said so. Their parents took care of them, gave them their favourite food, helped them when they fell down and all the basics plus more. Why would they repeatedly lie to them? An attack on religion becomes an attack on their parents, and their parents are pretty cool.
Faith is an individual choice. A born skeptic, I never believed in an invisible sky-daddy. My parents never went to church.
Mom dropped off us four kids for Sunday School, shoving us into the arms of the Lord. Picked us up afterward. Dad played jazz trumpet on Saturday nights and slept in the next morning.
They probably hoped church would teach us to behave. Didn't work.
"I don't want to go to church anymore," I told her at 12. "I decided I'm an atheist."
"That's fine, honey," she replied. "What do you want for dinner?"
"I became an atheist in nursing school when I realized a woman cannot turn into salt," Mom said and laughed when I was 35. News to me.
I tend to think that most children get into religion BECAUSE they know no different and BECAUSE their parents drag them along every Sunday, etc, as babies, toddlers, etc, etc.
That way it becomes a kind of in-grain routine and habit, much like any other addiction, that developing mind of the child sees as being normal and necessary even though it is most definitely not.
'Addiction' is interesting wording. If a child was raised to belive you needed to do a dance to make it rain enough to have a good harvest, would that also classify as an addiction?
@JeffMurray Yes, because mentally that child has the imbedded idea that such a thing MUST be done for the end result, the pleasure of seeing it rain, to occur.
@Triphid I think addiction generally has a 'despite negative outcomes' aspect to it. Personally, I don't know that I'd classify any rain dancing or some religious beliefs/practices as addiction.
@JeffMurray Is it not the rituals/ceremonies that are the root of the 'addiction' as I see it, it IS the the manner in which the belief system is tailored and presented to suit the prospective new 'follower' and his/her needs as well, the rituals, etc, are, imo, merely ways to re-enforce the addiction to the belief system, etc.
Their parents aren't lying to them, they believe it too...
Unfortunately True as well.
Children (and humans in general) are curious and a simple answer good or bad is better than nothing. From god to dark matter to real and fake conspiracy theories. Children ask like 400 questions a day (apparently I don't recall from where so could be wrong).
There parents aren't lying... So if they aren't they can't be wrong right?
@DragonDust Of course they're wrong, they just don't know it, so they're not lying. Lying doesn't mean to say something that isn't true, it's to be intentionally deceptive. Would you say that a scientist that reported on preliminary results that mislead him to the wrong conclusion was lying?
Posted by 1patriotWorld’s Fastest Indian to Ride Again In the 1950s and 1960s, Burt Munro was a motorcycling legend.
Posted by FrayedBearIn the event of nuclear war between USA & China what are the most likely first strike targets?
Posted by 1patriotThis is a big concern
Posted by vocaloldfart Australia being turned into ‘51st US state’ – ex-PM Canberra is losing its strategic autonomy due to its security pact with the US and UK, Paul Keating has argued The US is surrounding...
Posted by 1patriot[rebelnews.
Posted by 1patriotThat would be a plus....
Posted by FrayedBearTime for Australia to follow suit?
Posted by 1patriotthey are creating a 15 Cities all along this coast in Australia
Posted by 1patriotthunder writes: I remember early in the pandemic when there was a protest outside the hospital (Toronto Canada).
Posted by vocaloldfart Is this the way of the future?
Posted by vocaloldfartIf you think times were tough under the LNP Mafiosa in the previous years, Give Dutton the disastrous destroyer the vote in the next election, and look foreward to worse to come.
Posted by vocaloldfartMichael Pascoe: And the award for the worst Liberal leader goes to… ?
Posted by vocaloldfartDingoes elevated to 'almost-human' status in pre-colonial Australia .
Posted by vocaloldfartVanadium batteries’ sustainable energy hailed as key to solar revolution Vanadium could be the answer to using solar and wind round the clock, silencing critics who say they’re useless when the...
Posted by FrayedBearThis amused me. How about you? "Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia." Charles Shulz
Posted by FrayedBearNine chairman, and former Australian Treasurer, Peter Costello is now promoting war with China after making $millions lobbying for defence companies BY SHANE DOWLING ON MARCH 12, 2023