I met a Christadelphian in Grande Cache. He was spiritually lonely and tried to start a bible study with me and hubby. He found the Lutheran worship closest to his sensibilities.
Christadelphians (Christ brothers/Sisters)
by Rip 39 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Rip
Dear confusedandalone, it seems to be unavoidable for the little ones. They are part of the equation and that's why i am reluctant at joining any group. I don't want supprises as in the JW
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jgnat
Every group will have its surprises, Rip. My girlfriend, who attends the Unitarians, says it is marked by the members who are damaged by other churches. So perhaps a little drama here and there.
If you want strict interpretation of the scriptures, non-trinitarian, the Christadelphians are for you.
If you want a loose and welcoming community, non-trinitarian, then the Unitarian Universalists are better. Get used to unusual elements. The service I attended we had a burning ceremony, letting go of the hurts from the last year. Most ironic, the Unitarians put quotes on their wall very similar to the Witnesses, only they are secular quotes from great thinkers.
For the little ones, how about the YMCA?
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adamah
RIP said-
Dear confusedandalone, it seems to be unavoidable for the little ones. They are part of the equation and that's why i am reluctant at joining any group. I don't want supprises as in the JW
It's more work to do so, but why not pass along YOUR moral code (that you've taken the time to clearly-define in your own mind) to your children?
Too many people are simply too lazy to do so, and simply delegate that responsibility to another entity.
Google for "humanist parenting" to find many examples of how it's done, but here's a good start of the example of non-religious parenting with Dale McGowan (who wrote a book on the topic). Here's a phone interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwvloykoAxg
Adam
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jgnat
Adamah, ever heard of helicopter parents? How about home schooling? I'd say parents are ever more protective of their children these days. I believe children generally manage to raise themselves quite well under our benevolent supervision. I think children benefit from being exposed to new communities and different ideas.
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Rip
thanks, Adamah
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adamah
Jgnat said-
Adamah, ever heard of helicopter parents? How about home schooling? I'd say parents are ever more protective of their children these days.
Home-schooling in many cases is a form of intellectual incest, IMO, having witnessed the example of my sister-in-law JW who barely made it out of secular high school but who insisted on the right to teach my nephews throughout their lives (they were more often than not pointing out her misunderstanding of the topics, but nevertheless they were robbed of the exposure to MANY different thoughts and beliefs of teachers, in the name of protecting them from diverse thinking).
But again, the OP seems to want to give his kids exposure to morality, as if religions have a monopoly on the subject. I'd argue the opposite, since the Bible is teaching NOT morality, but blind obedience to authority by selling the virtue of faith. That's not encouraging free-thinking, but dogmatism, often sold via a crude system of reward/punishment (eg heaven and hell).
Adam
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jgnat
No argument there, adamah. I'm simply protesting that parents are not lazy these days, when it comes to raising their children.
I once watched this horrible wife-swap episode where one set of parents were "grazers", eating off the trash of civilization. They were home-schooling of course. The mother picked up a package of red meat and explained to her little boy that the red running juice was injected hormones from Big Industry. I shudder to think of the tangle of truth and fiction that made up that child's upbringing.
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adamah
jgnat said-
No argument there, adamah. I'm simply protesting that parents are not lazy these days, when it comes to raising their children.
I guess if you're willing to overlook the massive difference in effort required to brain-wash one's kids by passing along the parent's own ignorant beliefs with the effort required to teach children to actually THINK critically, then yes (which is obviously variable, depending on the abilities of the parents). I'm not willing to overlook it, but unfortunately a parent's right to home school their children is protected as a form of religious freedom.
Regardless, the OP is looking to join a religion (eg Christadelphians) since he's willing to assume that the Bible IS a source of morality, when that is a highly-questionable assumption, as if humans need a fear of God sending them to Hell to lead a moral life. I'd say the Bible offers clear examples of immoral behavior, where morality is not even a question that the individual is authorized to decide for themselves.
Adam
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Rip
Adamah, the little ones need our moral guidance. They ask questions (existentialists ones) and we have to answer them. Critical thinking is for adults. They will learn it in school and university. Also they need to be social and civil. This is learnt practically in the context of group or peer influence. The question is which group...