People who suddenly "find religion"

[Pyraxis]

How do kids get involved in a church if their parents don't go? Do they go with their friends?

[Icequeen]

How do kids get involved in a church if their parents don't go? Do they go with their friends?

Friends, their parents, grandparents. One of my best friends used to drag me to Sunday services with her, if her grandmother didn't see her there every Sunday in the pew behind her she would never hear the end about it all week long.

The woman was a generally nasty human being, if she cracked a smile you would swear it was going to break her face, but she was a totally different person at church. I found it interesting....and rather sad.

Had other friends whose parents where heavily involved in the church and you never knew when you would end up at church if you came over to spend the night. That came to an abrupt end when I was around 12 or so and their oldest son got caught playing house with the pastor's wife.

My son had one grandmother doing the routine and the other with her ...trying to mediate that some days was a real blast.

I too, want him to be able to think for himself on the matter.

[odeon]

Fear of mortality.

That's a good one. Always thought it more to do with absolution, in the case of Christianity anyway. There's some wrongs that can't be righted. Absolution has always seemed such a foreign concept, unable to be grasped, or understand why anyone would even want it.

Absolution is useful if there is an afterlife and if there are less than attractive alternatives to it.

It would be useful even without afterlife, but they do go nicely together, yes.

Absolution without afterlife is a useless concept. Forgiveness, on the other hand, applies to the living. That, and a good alibi.

Absolution is freedom from personal guilt, and a very powerful concept on its own. People need to be forgiven; that's why they apologize and seek forgiveness. In some circumstances, jesus is the only one available to accept the apology. Personally prefer to own my own guilt so not saying absolution is a rational concept, only useful.

Actually absolution is a formal release from guilt, meaning that there needs to be an authority able to offer it. While the word itself is frequently given as a synonym to, say, pardon, it's rarely used in that sense, if ever. It almost requires that extra special religious touch.

[Jesse]

I think humanity likes to know or atleast pretend to know. When a person doesnt know its pretty distressing to them, 

[odeon]

Indeed. Although explaining away things with a god isn't knowing.

[El]

Indeed. Although explaining away things with a god isn't knowing.

But, apparently some people find it comforting.  (How that works, I don't know.  The Judeo-Christian description of god is fucking horrifying.  Mood swings like he's up in heaving doing crack.)

[Jack]

Fear of mortality.

That's a good one. Always thought it more to do with absolution, in the case of Christianity anyway. There's some wrongs that can't be righted. Absolution has always seemed such a foreign concept, unable to be grasped, or understand why anyone would even want it.

Absolution is useful if there is an afterlife and if there are less than attractive alternatives to it.

It would be useful even without afterlife, but they do go nicely together, yes.

Absolution without afterlife is a useless concept. Forgiveness, on the other hand, applies to the living. That, and a good alibi.

Absolution is freedom from personal guilt, and a very powerful concept on its own. People need to be forgiven; that's why they apologize and seek forgiveness. In some circumstances, jesus is the only one available to accept the apology. Personally prefer to own my own guilt so not saying absolution is a rational concept, only useful.

Actually absolution is a formal release from guilt, meaning that there needs to be an authority able to offer it. While the word itself is frequently given as a synonym to, say, pardon, it's rarely used in that sense, if ever. It almost requires that extra special religious touch.

True, but not necessarily requiring an afterlife to be a powerful concept.

[Jack]

I think humanity likes to know or atleast pretend to know. When a person doesnt know its pretty distressing to them, 

Welcome back.

[Jack]

How do kids get involved in a church if their parents don't go? Do they go with their friends?

Dropped mine off.

[Al Swearegen]

How do kids get involved in a church if their parents don't go? Do they go with their friends?

Dropped mine off.

Same. I do not get anything out of it, that doesn't mean that I have to stop her. It also doesn't mean I have to put up with it either, because I think it is all nonsense and I am not hypocrite enough to go through the motions pretending otherwise.

[Parts]

How do kids get involved in a church if their parents don't go? Do they go with their friends?

Dropped mine off.

Cheep daycare on Sunday mornings? 

[Jack]

How do kids get involved in a church if their parents don't go? Do they go with their friends?

Dropped mine off.

Cheep daycare on Sunday mornings? 

[odeon]

Indeed. Although explaining away things with a god isn't knowing.

But, apparently some people find it comforting.  (How that works, I don't know.  The Judeo-Christian description of god is fucking horrifying.  Mood swings like he's up in heaving doing crack.)

Most gods are. I don't understand how anyone can find any explanation involving a god to be sufficient.

[odeon]

Fear of mortality.

That's a good one. Always thought it more to do with absolution, in the case of Christianity anyway. There's some wrongs that can't be righted. Absolution has always seemed such a foreign concept, unable to be grasped, or understand why anyone would even want it.

Absolution is useful if there is an afterlife and if there are less than attractive alternatives to it.

It would be useful even without afterlife, but they do go nicely together, yes.

Absolution without afterlife is a useless concept. Forgiveness, on the other hand, applies to the living. That, and a good alibi.

Absolution is freedom from personal guilt, and a very powerful concept on its own. People need to be forgiven; that's why they apologize and seek forgiveness. In some circumstances, jesus is the only one available to accept the apology. Personally prefer to own my own guilt so not saying absolution is a rational concept, only useful.

Actually absolution is a formal release from guilt, meaning that there needs to be an authority able to offer it. While the word itself is frequently given as a synonym to, say, pardon, it's rarely used in that sense, if ever. It almost requires that extra special religious touch.

True, but not necessarily requiring an afterlife to be a powerful concept.

Not necessarily, no. A sufficiently powerful religion doesn't require it, but right now, I can't think of a single religion that would work without the promise of it.

[odeon]

How do kids get involved in a church if their parents don't go? Do they go with their friends?

Dropped mine off.

Same. I do not get anything out of it, that doesn't mean that I have to stop her. It also doesn't mean I have to put up with it either, because I think it is all nonsense and I am not hypocrite enough to go through the motions pretending otherwise.

It's also what I did, when my daughter went through this thing with her friends. Plus, I encouraged her to think for herself when picking her up afterwards and discussing what she had just heard.