On my blog I embedded the one Blasphemy Challenge video that I really, truly appreciated. It uses humor too. It is OFF THE SCALE to watch a picture of Christ himself denying himself! I couldn’t stop laughing.

I think the strength of Blasphemy Challenge is that it’s usually tongue-in-cheek. As things like this go along they sometimes start taking themselves too seriously. To stay strong, movements need not just the challenge of satire and ridicule from opponents outside, but from proponents inside as well. Otherwise self-importance, arrogance and intellectual sloth settles in.

(Sigh) So much to mock, so little time.

puppy kicking?

Ah, somebody got that!

http://video.xanga.com/Beloved_Spear/ef26d256201/video.html

It’s a really cute video. I just don’t agree with the flawed reasoning.

The “Atheist upbringing” of my own children (when I have them) will be as follows: along with the standard stuff (evolution, critical thinking, puppy kicking), they WILL get to know the bible. They will be introduced to christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, etc. and the concept of religion in general, and I will do my best to make that introduction as unbiased as possible. Any “pro-faith” choices they might end up making in their lives will be based solely upon available information and not upon any sort of indoctrination, and I will be okay with that.

That’s a great approach. We’re planning to expose our kids to multiple religions as well.

And it has nothing to do with the freedom, joy, grace, and mystery that I want my kids to experience from their faith.

That’s also a good point, Mike C. Faith is always best when it’s freely experienced, not forced. I’m something of an exception in that I was never indoctrinated into christianity during my youth, but I ended up leaving it behind anyway. Those who hold onto belief because it is their own choice and not someone else’s are, IMHO, much more likely to be the reasonable, rational people society needs to continue functioning well. I could be wrong.

The “Atheist upbringing” of my own children (when I have them) will be as follows: along with the standard stuff (evolution, critical thinking, puppy kicking), they WILL get to know the bible. They will be introduced to christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, etc. and the concept of religion in general, and I will do my best to make that introduction as unbiased as possible. Any “pro-faith” choices they might end up making in their lives will be based solely upon available information and not upon any sort of indoctrination, and I will be okay with that.

I’m starting to come to the conclusion that manditory bible study in school SHOULD be required.

And school prayer.

It’ll make Jesus the uncoolest thing in the world to kids. EXCELLENT! My evil plan is working!

That’s actually a good point. That’s part of why I would never send my kids to a Christian school. I think combining religion with the authoritarianism and general unpleasantness of the American educational experience can often be fatal to a young person’s faith. When I was a youth pastor I saw it over and over again with the kids who came to us from the local Christian high school. Their experience of having belief forced on them by the school, of being tested and graded on it, of having the typical school rules and added legalisms of a conservative Christian environment treated as if they were on the level of biblical commands often combined to make these kids completely cynical and disgusted with what they’d seen of Christianity. And it has nothing to do with the freedom, joy, grace, and mystery that I want my kids to experience from their faith.