[Disgruntled Intern]

Here's how I feel about the whole wee kiddies/let's love god thing.

When you're young, you're extremely impressionable. Mommy or Daddy tells you it's not socially acceptable for you to eat with your hands and chew with your mouth open, with some gentle reminders, you stop. Forever, in most cases.

Same goes with fear. If mommy or daddy tells you that if you're not asleep when 'santa' comes, you'll only get coal, the kid damned near forces himself into a coma every christmas eve.

Fear is a powerful motivational tool, and unfortunately, parents use it to get their children to think in the same mindset as them. [when it comes to religion, atleast.]

Mommy says, "Now jimmy...are you going to go to church tomorrow?"

Jimmy: "Nah, I wanna sleep!"

Mommy: "Well okay then sweety. Have fun burning in a lake of fire for all eternity after you die. which could be any second."

Then you bet your ass that young child is going to go to church. I personally have nothing against children being raised in a religious way or home; as long as they weren't pushed into it with fear.

When parents offer to take their child to church, that's awesome. I mean, I see no point in taking any child under atleast 6, since they will definitely not have a real grasp on what's going on.

But when parents give their child the chance to see what church is all about, without being threatened with eternal damnation and so forth, that's good. Let the kid form his or her own opinions. Let them think for themselves.

Then, if they choose religion, they did it themselves. Not just because their parents threatened them with 'hell'.


EDIT: "Can you have a grand estate next to God's house in heaven. Yup!"

Um, oddguy, let's be realistic here. If god is truly omnipotent, then what use would he have for a house? And if and when you go to heaven, assuming there is one, if you could have a house, what's stopping you from sticking an xbox, or whatever else you want inside of it?

Don't be silly.