Jesus Camp

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by limey

I grew up an atheist (not with Pie's splendid pedigree, however!) and I had a framework. What I really resent is how, in Britain, the Church of England is seen as being the moral arbiter on every questions, as if it were not possible to have a moral stance on a question without the Christian god telling you what to think. You, Sundae Girl, seem to be saying the same thing. Tell m this isn't true!

And to Pie too - I think perhaps it was the times I was brought up in. I grew up under Thatcher's Government, and in those days it seemed like the only publicly recognised credo was "Greed is good" (yes I know that's from Wall Street, but it was accepted long before it was written). Whereas I was brought up on the Gospel of St Matthew - If a stranger asks you for your shirt, give him your coat as well. It was at odds with the times and made me feel my framework came from religion.

I do accept my statement was sweeping, and I hope that if I did have children I'd be able to give them my own framework. But I stand by being indebted to Christianity - as much as my parents' humanism to soften it - for my views today.

Also, Pie - my parents didn't lie to me when they told me God loved me no matter what I did. I don't believe in their God - but they did at the time, and so did I. My parents gave me the same message of course (they loved me) but parents are human and can't help showing that sometimes they wish you had a Pause button.

I am glad to hear from people with an atheist upbringing though. It gives me hope.