question for atheists, or people just free of religion?

Question

what would you do if your son/daughter was sucked into a cult? christianity, or any kind
I wouldnt mind having an homosexual kid, nothing wrong with that, and as a biologist I can tell you that, but I wouldnt like to have religion cloud their judgement

and please religion people dont answer, thanks alot

Answer 1

Um.... I'd recommend they read books by Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins. Oh, and Carl Sagan. Oh, and George H. Smith.

Answer 2

In most cases I'd try to be very patient with them. Most people get into cults only for a year or two before the shine wears off and they start looking for a way out, or at least a more sane way of living with the belief system. I'd do my best to maintain a loving and non-judgemental relationship, so that when they are ready they can use that relationship to climb out again. At the same time, I'd try to be aware of the kind of malignant trajectory that cults can have on rare occasions. It's very difficult to give a precise answer about where you find that point of no return.

I'm an atheist, but a Baptist theologian Charles Kimball wrote a very good book on this called "When religion becomes evil - five warning signs" which helps establish that point, and may be useful to someone struggling to free themselves from a Christian type cult.

Answer 3

I grew up under non-denominational christian. Up until about a year ago I was all for it even to the point of going up against other religions like Jehovah's Witnessess and Mormons saying my religion was right. Then I snapped because I was not happy jumping hoops and looking just proper for everybody. I had no friends. LOL
I now do not subscribe to religion although I still believe in God. I do believe that religion seems to be more about control and power than it does about being meek and lovely.
I've found more people out of religions to be loving than those that are in.
Now I am vegetarian and unreligious and have a daughter of my own and its been a huge fight with my family who are all boxed in with their religion. They do not even act like they go to church! I have tried keeping my daughter from my family until they understand they can't just oppose me to her with their beliefs in the negative way that they have. I'm all for different perspectives, but it has to be done in just the right way not to impose feelings of guilt if one does not agree!
Its been hell for months! Religions create divisions and are a distraction from the truths.

Answer 4

I have no religion but I believe in Truth and any subject like science and philosophy that helps me to understand the Truth and takes me closer to the Truth. In the process besides Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking, Davis Paul, Fritjoff Capra, Schrodinger, Halden and Albert Einstein, I read the Upanishads and the Vedanta which explain the subtle world where the laboratory is of very little help. Like the case of Stephen Hawking your mind and the brain are the best laboratory to analyse the Universe and its detailed data. Earlier, persons like Pythagoras, Galileo, Schopehaur, Hegel, Aurobindo, J.Krishnamurty and Russell also came under the similar category. These authors have immense contribution to the thought process of the present mankind but the so called atheists lack the capacity to grasp the Truth. They want proof. Seeing is no longer believing in theoratical and plasma physics. In Quantum Cosmology these tinsel arguments have no scope. But to-day science means to deal with the invisible realities in the world of particles and quanta, waves and quarks; concepts beyond the comprehension of our great advocates of 'atheism' over the internet specially the 'Yahho Answers' like ZERO COOL and others.

There is need for little introspection as to what extent I do not know and if I could increase my basic knowledge before I dare talk about it to a crowd over the Globe. It is much more than an entertainment for unemployed household wives to debate on such topics. You really badly require orientation, i.e. look towards the orient (East). Please read Vedanta, the ancient science of the East

You can not have a debate by barring non-atheists while talking about atheism as much as the religionists while debating on science.

Answer 5

Godzilla will crush all cults!


Seriously, I swear I'd lock my kid in the basement if I had to. If you don't have your mind, then what do you have?
I suppose I should add that I'm being a bit sarcastic; but until my children are adults, they're agnostic and exposed to everything I can get my hands on.

Answer 6

To be averse of religion as such is also not a scientific attitude. We should be concerned with the truth and that truth which has scientific validity. If there is any religion in the world which conforms and confirms the views of science should be accepted as a scientific religion. What is wrong in that?

Answer 7

You'd have to make a case by case decision. If it is not harmful, then the young person must be free to choose for themselves. However, a harmful cult, one that places unreasonable or dangerous requirements on its converts, I might take slightly stronger action.

Unfortunately though, if they're 18+... sometimes all you can do is love & hope.

Answer 8

Hard to say. If it did them no harm and made them happy, then I could learn to live with it. If it were something dangerous or totally irrational (ie: Scientology, JWs, etc...) then I would try to talk them out of it. As gently as possible.

Answer 9

The goal is to educate my kids while they're young enough, to encourage them to read, etc, so that hopefully this never occurs

Answer 10

Exactly. I'd be okay with gay, but if they came home all religious, I'd definitely feel like I had failed them in a major way.