Atheist parents!

Yep, I'm with Yggdrasil on that one. I believe that a lot of children grow up not really knowing what they believe.
Children have their belief systems already determined many times, handed down by their parents and the children willfully accept. Its easy to do as we grow up being influenced by our parents in most respects, religion included.

There are good and bad parts to gain from religion. The consideration of course being the ability to recognize where the line is drawn.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by PretzelCorps

When the time came that I was old enough to reason that Santa was not "real", in the most mundane sense of the word, me, being the reasonable and grateful human being I am came to love and respect my parents more for it, knowing just how much effort they put into it, to suspend the illusion that just maybe there is in fact a great benefactor out there that does not discriminate between race, or religion, or anything else, but good and bad.

While sentimentality isn't without its charms, I disagree. Lying to someone about a fat jolly man dropping down the chimney is nothing short of hysterically misleading. It certainly doesn't do much to form a practical mind in developing children around the world.

It is cute, but who cares?

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I feel sorry for your kids. Instead of allowing them to believe that, just maybe, a little bit of beneficial magic (God fits this category too) can exist,

Magic exists in many places. God doesn't need to be the only constant in the realm of miracles.

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And then you wonder why your kids still lie, and cheat, and steal cars and beat up the neighbour's little handicapped boy.

Cuz dey don't beleeve in deh 10 commandments?

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Thank you, but sometimes I think "the truth" can be just a bit more harmful than "Santa".

Harmful only to a child. The truth doesn't go away just by covering it up with a lie.
Only in knowing the identity of 'harm', can it be avoided and dealt with.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Unless I am missing something, I am pretty sure Divest was being sarcastic...

I think quality people are quality people, regardless of spiritual beliefs.

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1) If your entire post was clear to begin with, why did you feel the need to go back and edit the information in after I had replied? It wasn't clear but now it is. I am not getting on your case, I am just double-checking as I wasn't quite so sure.

2) Yes but you shouldn't have referenced Divests post as the focal point if you were purely referring to LordSword without mentioning you agreed with Divests post. It was confusing. I am just saying.

I agree with pretty much everything you said.

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