Clearly you didn’t endure 13 years of Catholic school, have a mother who continued to tell you to “get right with God” well into adulthood, and also have to sit back and shut up while your nephews and nieces continue to get exposed to it, poisoning yet another generation. It’s religious tolerance from people like yourself that gives this nonsense an untouchable safe haven in which to continue to fester and grow and slow the progression of society.

@AaronScardina You assume incorrectly - I was baptized, went to catechism, went to St. Joseph's Catholic school, made my confirmation and I was even an altar boy - none of the above killed me. In terms of your nieces and nephews - it's none of your business how their parents choose to raise their kids - it's not about you. Having said that, my comment was what you did on Mother's day. You could have given her that book at any other time but instead, you chose her day to make it about you. You wanted to get your digs in and that is being a jerk. It was her day, it's not your place to change her and so you should have made it about her.

My mother is a strict Mormon - she knows that I am a non-theist and yet we have wonderful conversations - many of which include religion because our egos aren't so fragile that we become easily offended by different beliefs. She knows a lot of wonderful non-theists and I know a lot of wonderful Christians - not all are extreme and they teach their kids by example but the core of that stems from religion. It may be nonsense but we live in a country where it's OK to believe in nonsense. Get over yourself and the next time mother's day comes around make it about her.

@SLBushway If parents are free to raise their kids any way they please, then is it okay to molest your kids? Beat them? Verbally and emotionally abuse them? I don’t know you. Maybe you think it’s okay, but when child abuse is discovered, most reasonable people try to step in and help the kids. Telling children that if they don’t behave a certain way or believe unbelievable things they will be punished for eternity in hellfire IS child abuse. It can create mental and emotional scars that run VERY deep. Maybe it didn’t affect you that way, and you should consider yourself fortunate.

As for mother’s day, it seems you are living by the assumption that just because a woman has sex and gives birth, she is automatically deserving of a celebration. Any jackass can become a mother, it doesn’t make them worthy of respect by default. In the case of my mother, I do love her, and I do believe that she did the best she could. Overall she is a great mother. But she was raised with ignorant beliefs, and she did her part to pass them on. It’s the least I can do to illuminate her life with some truth and reason.

Kind of off topic, but if your mother is a strict Mormon, how did you end up in Catholic school?

That is the question. We shall see. It’s a short book so I’m hoping she goes for it.