1/18/17 Chubs Had A Religious Debate At School?

    I still am not sure where it came from, but Chubs was telling me over the weekend that they had a debate over being religious and being atheist.  Although I know I am atheist and I feel strongly about this, I am not sure kids in 6th grade are old enough to argue intelligently over this.  Ultimately, there is no right or wrong answer in whatever position one takes.  My problem with the debate was that the kids were not so much as arguing with facts as using personal attacks to get their way.
    Chubs, probably because he has heard me go on one time too often, sided with the atheists and a couple of his friends jumped on him saying things like "what? we can't be friends if you are atheist!" or "I can't believe you don't believe in God, the Bible tells you that He is real."  These are not arguments built on solid foundation, these are emotional cries of someone demanding to have their way or they won't "be your friend any more."  But really, I guess that is the ultimatum God gives us-Mathew 10:32 Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
    Wife has not wanted me to get all into this topic with Chubs as she feels I spoiled Boy's thinking on the matter.  I think the Bible does a fine job of ruining religion all by itself.  I encourage Chubs to read the bible as much as he wants.  First of all, I don't get why the Bible insists on keeping women down, such as 1 Timothy 2:12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. or 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 let the women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but let them be in subjection, as also saith the law. 
    I am not going to get into my position too much as this is a short blog, but another problem I have is that religion is not so matter a choice as what you grow up with.  A catholic will raise catholics, a muslim will raise muslims, so it is not that you believe whatever, it is just that is what you grew up believing in.  If you had grown up during the heyday of Greek Mythology, you would believe in Zeus, Poseidon, Hades and all the other gods, or even in Mexico before the Spanish showed up, they were very polytheistic.
    If I must believe in something then, I choose to line up with the "smart" people and be atheist.  People that think, for the most part, end up being atheist, from Abraham Lincoln, to Charles Darwin, Sigmund Freud, Einstein, Hawking, and so many more.
    Chubs may have lost the debate, but I like to think he is now on my side, and that is a win I will quietly take.  I cannot convince everybody to think, but at least if my boy's do, they have a chance.  I will always encourage them to explore religion, if you are logical, you can only stay in that realm so long before you give in to the lazy phrase of "take it on faith."  I can provide toys and candy and keep the dream of Santa or the Easter Bunny alive, but I cannot promise everlasting life, so I cannot pretend believing in Jesus will guarantee anything that ostentatious.  I wish, but logic doesn't get me there.