A Woman In Texas Complains About The God Taught To Other’s Children
TXBlue08 Wrote “Why I Raise My Children Without God” on the CNN site. This woman is raising her children in a community in which she feels herself a religious minority. She keeps a blog and writes about these things. The main points of her article were these:
- God is a bad parent and role model
- God is not logical
- God is not fair
- God does not protect the innocent
- God is not present
- God does not teach children to be good
- God teaches narcissism
The piece itself is an interesting protest. In her conclusion she asks for tolerance, and that people keep their beliefs private. I’m not sure she’s really after privacy (given that she broke her own by writing her piece) but rather wishes to engage in the conversation about religion. Most of the article is a protest OF the beliefs of others. Another way to think about the article is that it is a defense of NOT following the dominant theistic culture around her.
If we would reverse her complaint we might suppose that if there were a god she would prefer that this god would be as follows:
- That God be a good parent and role model
- That God be logical
- That God be fair
- That God protect the innocent
- That God be present
- That God teach children to be good
- That God model humility
If I had time it would be helpful to work through the whole piece, but many of her points are essentially the same. Here are some quotes:
If God is our father, then he is not a good parent. Good parents don’t allow their children to inflict harm on others. Good people don’t stand by and watch horrible acts committed against innocent men, women and children. They don’t condone violence and abuse.
If there is a good, all-knowing, all-powerful God who loves his children, does it make sense that he would allow murders, child abuse, wars, brutal beatings, torture and millions of heinous acts to be committed throughout the history of mankind? Doesn’t this go against everything Christ taught us in the New Testament?
He does not keep our children safe. As a society, we stand up and speak for those who cannot. We protect our little ones as much as possible. When a child is kidnapped, we work together to find the child. We do not tolerate abuse and neglect. Why can’t God, with all his powers of omnipotence, protect the innocent?
Does she ask for a bad thing? Continue reading
