"The great trouble is that the preachers get the children from six to seven years of age and then it is almost impossible to do anything with them."
— Thomas Edison, (1847-1931)
Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt.
— Clarence Darrow
It is an interesting and demonstrable fact, that all children are atheists and were religion not inculcated into their minds, they would remain so.
— Ernestine Rose
Jesus Camp: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_EKHK1C2IE
2007-07-05 05:55:12 · 11 answers · asked by HawaiianBrian 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Very funny Thomas!
2007-07-05 14:53:54 · update #1
Trent: I share your line of thought, but what you are describing could be considered a country's culture and doesn't have to be mixed in with ancient religious superstition. I'm certainly NOT in favor of homogenizing the mystery of life found other cultural traditions.
2007-07-05 14:57:18 · update #2
You omittted a quote by Adolph Hitler regarding the indoctrination of children, "Give me child until the age of six and I will give you a Nazi for life!"
When someone is forced to learn to think a certain way, with a certain out look or from a certain perspecitve without truly being allowed to think and consider freely they often loose thier sense of their humanity and loose sight of their place in the grander scheme of things. However, people can learn and they can change despite how difficult that change might be.
may you be well.
2007-07-05 06:06:48 · answer #1 · answered by Big Bill 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
All right, let's take these one at at time. Whatever Edison was talking about he was simply being cute with this terse remark.
For Clarence Darrow's point- are we not to question scientific theories? If we did not we would still believe the earth was flat.
For Ernestine Rose- Firstly, if not taught children would not believe a lot of things. What does that prove? Furthermore, if what she states is true, that everyone starts out as a atheist, where did religion ever begin? Seems to me, even early man spent time looking out into space an wondering if there was something else besides the finite.
It is a pity people are so impressed by glib remarks.
.
2007-07-05 06:07:51 · answer #2 · answered by Jacob W 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes, he was. But we cannot really contemplate anything to remedy that save taking children away from parents...and how do we even broach a topic like that.
People are made during those formative years, but it is not impossible for people to change. What we really need to do is continue encouraging a dialouge and to also show that non-belief is not a disease and that there is nothing WRONG with people who choose not to believe in the systems on offer.
And we also need to continue to show just how irrelevant ideas from 2000+ years ago are.
Mr. P.
2007-07-05 06:00:49 · answer #3 · answered by Mr. P. 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
"It is an interesting and demonstrable fact, that all children are atheists and were religion not inculcated into their minds, they would remain so."
That can not be correct for obviously if the concept of God was simply thought up, someone had to think of it, without intervention.
"Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt."
I agree.
2007-07-05 05:59:27 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
yeah he was right-O mate, but if the whole world was full of atheists, it wouldn't be a very interesting place now would it? No offense and I respect atheists and their beliefs entirely, but I think religion and the way we all have our own beliefs makes this world more interesting, you know? Going into big cathedrals, or dancing with my Hindu dance teacher. There are so many different beliefs to explore if they were not here then, that's half the culture of this world gone.
2007-07-05 06:00:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Edison and Benjamin. Eddie and Ben sound adorable :)
2016-05-18 23:15:19 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
>>>It is an interesting and demonstrable fact, that all children are atheists and were religion not inculcated into their minds, they would remain so.
— Ernestine Rose <<
Baloney. There are lots and lots of people who were raised in the atheist "faith" as children, who became Christian (Catholic or Protestant) as adults.
.
2007-07-05 06:01:54 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
NO. I was brouhght up in a Atheistic way and I always knew ther had to be something bigger than us all even though I wasn't exposed to religion
2007-07-05 06:00:24 · answer #8 · answered by qrund 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Great Thomas Edison was totally right.
Christians still shamelessly quote his name in list of christian scientists.
And look at that first answerer... What a jerk!
Online church! hahahahaha!!!
2007-07-05 05:59:56 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Mark Twain had some winning quotes as well.
2007-07-05 06:04:53 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋