OT: Home Schooling

K wrote in news:Xns966058E641620notmenotherecom@216.196.97.142:

I sure wasn't trying to define it -- just to say that it was a type of religious belief -- that there is no God controlling destiny or anything.

Where were you looking again?? M-W.com???? not according to my search

see Merriam-Webster

Entry: athe·ism Pronunciation: 'A-thE-"i-z&mFunction: noun Etymology: Middle French athéisme, from athée atheist, from Greek atheos godless, from a- + theos god

1 archaic : UNGODLINESS, WICKEDNESS 2 a : a disbelief in the existence of deity b : the doctrine that there is no deity

Encyclopædia Britannica on line

Oxford Dictionary atheism /aythi-iz?m/ ? noun the belief that God does not exist.

? ORIGIN from Greek a- ?without? + theos ?god?.

Cambridge Dictionaries Online

[Show phonetics]noun [C] someone who believes that God or gods do not exist

Search any dictonary

Boy, my Webster's defines atheism as the denial of the existence of God, particularly with regard to theistic formulations (c.f. agnosticism, skepticism)// godlessness in belief or as a guide in conduct.

That's always been my understand> According to M-W.com...

Stitcher wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Duh, sorry -- early morning brain fart. I looked up *religion*, not atheism. The assertion was atheism was a religion; still don't think atheism fits the definition of a religion.

K

Actually your definition is for the one for religion in M-W.com there are no practices and observances for atheists nor is it a system of beliefs or a cause (Main Entry: 1cause Pronunciation: 'koz Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from Latin causa

1 a : a reason for an action or condition : MOTIVE b : something that brings about an effect or a result c : a person or thing that is the occasion of an action or state; especially : an agent that brings something about d : sufficient reason 2 a : a ground of legal action b : CASE 3 : a matter or question to be decided 4 a : a principle or movement militantly defended or supported b : a charitable undertaking )

In no way could Atheism be classed as a religion. NO faries, no goblins, no founder, no prophets ; no sons, daughters or cousins of gods; no gods, no mother nature, no karma, no great collective ocean of consciousness, no live rocks, trees or crystals; no evil eye, no spells, no incantations, no magic, no tokens, no great plan we are all being manipulated to follow except by politicians. ruby

Brain fog is a valid excuse. Ruby

-- Brenda

Well, I occasionally submit to myself that my guardian angel is watching over us. So the tapes of my childhood Methodist training occasionally sneak in. :-) And I do wonder about the law of physics: If a butterfly flaps its wings in Tokyo, does it rain in New York? But I certainly don't have any divine references in my life. :-)

What intrigues me is the misconceptions we get over words. How they can color our logic. I listen to a LOT of public radio, both national and Wisconsin. Forgetting for the moment that some feel it is left-wing (it's not), just listening to the callers who phone in to air their views gives a broad spectrum of American thought. So often people say that the U.S. Constitution is filled with religious dogma. Lordy, one read will tell you how dry and unreligious it is. It is a scheme of government. That's it. Or, they will tell you all the religious references in the Declaration of Independence to bolster their view that our founding fathers were all religious zealots. Quite the contrary. But they won't hear otherwise.

You cannot take one piece of paper and form an opinion. You have to do lots of reading. This serves to inform: a little knowledge is dangerous.

There was a fascinating Op Ed piece in Monday's USAToday about the myths of globalization. Because of this RCTN conversation, I was smiling as I read: "Every claim that globalization equals peace ignores the facts. Suggestions that the world is flat may be right, but not in the ways intended. The new flat-worlders aren't the information-age aristocrats rising above their fellow citizens. They're the millions of frightened believers who reject science and social change, while debasing religion to superstition. The inquisition is back."

Dianne

- "The Journal of Needlework" - The E-zine for All Needleworkers

Good evening Melinda , i have no trouble if you abbreviate ..

i ubderstand what you say, i just think the other way , i encouraged my children and my students , to always seek their own way in everything , i always pointed out that there is no one TRUE way , and one should learn the possibilities and choose and be responsible for that choice .... Eventually every child will face something [ many things] that will conflict with the home training , My way you go with the kid through the conflict, He knows you try it together. And when the ytime comes and he has to face it on his own he can rely on the experiences he faced conflicts with you .....

No , i am just reacting to the most elaborate description you gave both to your methods and your opinions about other kids.

But you haven`t answered what i asked , >

OK ,,,, >

Ok >

thank you , may all kids be happy and healthy . >

But the example is an example of your views not of mine.. >

And do you think this is enough ????>

Ah i was thinking that if you are so kin on one saying why not adopt others ,, choosing and picking Sayings as long as they fit your opinions is Done by all of us , i just like to read more from every person , Voltaire wasn`t too kin on religions ,,,

Thank you for your patient answers , i am always curious to understand how other people think .... mirjam

Aha Ruby !!! we have one Common practice :>:>:>:> The freedom to have our own opinions !!!! :>:>:>:> mirjam

Don`t Worry Dianne :>:>:>:> All Humans , need to feel they aren`t alone all the time ,,,, the Collective Memories, Intergenerational transfer and last but probably most influential , folk stories , fables, films etc,,,, filled our unconcious with layers of images about Angels , faieries etc etc,,, The New Age Trends have added to those images ,,, and after all it is a bit of fun and gives some nice thoughts..... The Hand as an Amulet against the Evil in general or specificly the Evil eye, is seen all over the Middle East , parts of Middle Asia , and Africa. Muslim Hand the " Hamsa" fingers downwards , Jewish Hand the "Hand", fingers upwards. The color Blue [ Eye, Heaven, Clear water ] is also quite common as amulet. Ps this is also the Prevetative STOP sign on the ROAD !!!!!! we live with images that transform over the ages , but derive basicly from Natural human movements & feelings.

Like you , i do listen to programs where people call in and express their views , i think thes are the most interesting programs , from which i learn a lot.

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??????????????????can you elaborate on this Curious idea ???/ Globalization is anEconomical / social idea ,,,Surely not so humanistic in it`s ways. mirjam >

And how lucky we both are to have that freedom. The more I learn the more curious I become about my world and the people in it. ruby

Why? It would seem to me to be critical that you teach your children to evaluate conflicting information and accept or incorporate that which best fits with their values and frame of reference, or even to change their frame of reference if necessary. Protecting your children from exposure to conflicting opinions fails to prepare them to enter the world, which they must do at some point. In the long run, the information they retain isn't nearly as important as the ability to critically evaluate what is presented to them, in my opinion.

Elizabeth

Since many religious groups acknowledge a Creator, you can't argue that the above is explicitly or exclusively Christian. In fact, Thomas Jefferson was a Deist, not a Christian, as were many of his contemporaries.

Elizabeth

Separation of Church and State is shorthand for the first part of the first amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."

Yes, but not a Christian one.

No, they didn't. Liberal and Deist principles guided the writing of both.

Elizabeth

"a philosophy of life."

Elizabeth

Don`t Worry Dianne :>:>:>:> All Humans , need to feel they aren`t alone all the time ,,,, the Collective Memories, Intergenerational transfer and last but probably most influential , folk stories , fables, films etc,,,, filled our unconcious with layers of images about Angels , faieries etc etc,,, The New Age Trends have added to those images ,,, and after all it is a bit of fun and gives some nice thoughts..... The Hand as an Amulet against the Evil in general or specificly the Evil eye, is seen all over the Middle East , parts of Middle Asia , and Africa. Muslim Hand the " Hamsa" fingers downwards , Jewish Hand the "Hand", fingers upwards. The color Blue [ Eye, Heaven, Clear water ] is also quite common as amulet. Ps this is also the Prevetative STOP sign on the ROAD !!!!!! we live with images that transform over the ages , but derive basicly from Natural human movements & feelings.

Like you , i do listen to programs where people call in and express their views , i think thes are the most interesting programs , from which i learn a lot.

--------------

??????????????????can you elaborate on this Curious idea ???/ Globalization is anEconomical / social idea ,,,Surely not so humanistic in it`s ways. mirjam >

Main Entry: philosophy of life

1 : an overall vision of or attitude toward life and the purpose of life 2 [translation of German Lebensphilosophie] : any of various philosophies that emphasize human life or life in general

Being an atheist may be part of a philosophy of some peoples lives but not in itself a philosophy. Atheism refers to non belief in a god or deity and tells you nothing about a persons"Philosophy of life" overall vision or attitude or purpose or how a person views human life in general or specific terms. an atheist may or may not value life, may or may not have a moral code which they live by and one cannot assume that an atheist has a particular "philosophy of life" We do not know if they think the world was populated by beings from other planets, or if they evolved here on earth. One does assume that a religious person has some code of ethics ,and "Philosophy of life" emanating from his or her particular religion. On face value one assumes for example that Christians are forgiving, tolerant people because this is the view one gets of Jesus from the new testament. one does not expect Hindus to eat beef as cattle are sacred . If a person is an atheist we know only that he or she does not believe in a deity.

Ruby