My granddaughter, who's had a hard life, said tonight on her way to bed, Granddad, I like it when you stay up until I'm asleep. Oh my, I wish I could be God and stay up until all the kids are safe in bed. So all you smart atheists and confident Christians, what's the problem here? Why can't we take care of little children? How come it always ends up being Christians against Atheists or Muslims, Democrats against Republicans, Rich against Poor, somebody against somebodyl, on and on. Dear Lord,l we've been at this for thousands of years and still can't take care of our kids any better than the Egyptians did. What is wrong with us? Please, don't post a scripture telling me to trust Jesus. That hasn't worked for two thousend years, that's a fair trial.
2010-06-23T23:57:12Z
Hey Tim, I see you don't take emails. Whatcha scared of?
?2010-06-23T23:04:37Z
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The only thing that is going to keep all the kids safe is people like you who do what they need to do. People who don't focus on the artificial constructs of life that we preoccupy ourselves with, religion, politics, American Idol. It's all the same, just distractions.
Well, I kinda believe that religion was created as a way to set up useful societies where everyone was kind of "on the same page" (and to control the population). But the problem comes when there are multiple religions, and people disagree.
Religion inherently makes people think illogically, and have strong beliefs based on unsound premises, so that complicates problems too.
Today's society is also very much worse of than before. Most the world lives in poverty. And when the going gets tough, people start throwing out "petty" things like morals in favor of personal survival. But, I think this has the ultimate effect of making things worse for everybody.
One of these kids will figure it out as long as we remind them that what we have is unacceptable. A peace that is more than the absence of violence, a peace that gives reconciliation and kind regards will be established as a reasonable, obvious idea by one or more of them.
Infant mortality has decreased a bit over the last few millennia; child labor and child prostitution has not gone away, but it is less.
If the idea that children are not property can be accepted by the entire of Western culture, then the idea of peace can be accomplished step at a time.
There will still be tragic lives and there will still be injustice. Rhetorically, what is the alternative to emotional catatonia and accepting what is as good?
Can't figure out how to say this without sounding so saccharine. This indicates how bad things are.
Religion HAS helped. Ever heard of St Jude's Children's Hospital? Yes there has been much strife over religion but in the history of mankind there's also been much good from it. All the bad stuff makes the news though and the good stuff doesn't. Don't get yourself all mired in the atheist versus Christian, Democrat versus Republican nonsense, those battles will exist for another 2000 years. Just do the best you can and do something to make your granddaughter's life better. Teach her to pay it forward and one by one we can make a better world.
Because just like you, everybody else wants the other guy to be consumed with what they are concerned with and not with their own problems.
Along comes religion and adds a veneer of authority on a universal scale that no one is supposed to be able to resist or deny and now nobody has a reason to submit to anything but their own beliefs.
Stay alive for your granddaughter and teach her tolerance and compassion and a sense of duty and honor, with a healthy dose of skepticism for self protection.