Parental Influence on Political/Religious Choices of A2Kers

Hi... I don't know what I am... My dad was a warden in the church... that being the church of England in London.Then just after he returned from the 1914 war, and had no job, it necessitated (he told me) to one day to go to the priest of his church and ask him if he could help him out, as he had no money for food or rent.... was told there was no money available as it was needed for gods work. That night he broke into the churches poor box and never went inside a church again. He did send my sister and I to Sunday school but neither of us liked it much, so that didn't last long.
We were "taught" religion in the school once a week same as all the other schools did, it didn't take hold in any way and i always remembered the priest as being a very weak soft insipid man, on the other hand, our science teacher was very tough and religious, I was dumb and naughty, his "punishment" for misbehavior was to give you a verse from the bible to learn off by heart and repeat it the next lesson.... but much preferred the other teachers method.... the sending you off to the head master, for a cut from the cane.
As you can imagine I ended up looking on the bible as a punishment, I still do when I have to read the bible thumpers quoted verses in the religious threads, they make as much sense to me now that they did all those years ago.
I have 3 sons who were never taught about religion, as I never thought it was necessary, also, never found the necessity to talk about it to them. The three of them are now married and have given the wife and I seven grandchildren... with the help of course of three daughter in laws, all the grandchildren are in their late teens and none of them or the rest of the family have had any inclination or need for religion and I feel quite happy with the fact... that it seems, according to the Christians here on Able2know, we will go to "hell" .... all I can say is "bring it on"
In my country (Australia ) one is obliged to vote by law. If the government of the day is doing a good job that's who I vote for

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On the religious front, I am with the same church as my family, but my views are different from those of my family.

Politically, I'm all over the map. Some of my family has switched parties, some have switched back, and I view myself as the least extreme of the bunch.

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My parents were both Franklin Roosevelt liberals,
and both voted for him 4 times, each.

I never supported Roosevelt.
I eventually succeeded in convincing my mother
that Roosevelt was alien and inimical to the innermost essence
of Americanism, which is INDIVIDUALISM and personal Freedom
( the power of government and personal freedom being INVERSELY PROPORTIONAL ).

Hence, my mother and I both voted for Barry Goldwater in 1964.

David

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I grew up with a mother who was the choir director at a Methodist Church but did not believe in Jesus.... I was a choir boy with a huge Episcopal Church but only for the vocal training.... I was left alone practically all the time and received no real religious or political training....

I guess what I learned by observation was that most people don't care about you... the rest actually delight in your misfortune and a very few are real live giving caring people with a genuine grounded faith of some sort.(like some I've met here Very Happy

) They are totally in the minority however. You are basically on your own and whichever politician or deity is running the show that seems pretty universal.

That doesn't mean I'm bitter or hate humanity or anything. I believe religious figures and political figures, like the rest of us, should conduct themselves in a manner grounded in ethical behavior. I try to do so and try to teach my cubs to do so.

The one Christian belief I really subscribe to although I'm not as successful at it as I could be or would like to be is that nothing works without love but real love in your heart would take care of every other problem where interaction within our species is concerned.

I also don't think that is going to happen, but if we try to live that way it is what defines us, successful or not.

I sort of had to figure out my belief system on my own. I try to coach my cubs while giving them the space to draw their own conclusions.

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Haven't the slightest inkling regarding the political views that my parents held? As to religion, although not particularly religious. I follow the religion of my ancestors. Judaism.

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BBB
I was raised in my adopted family never feeling like I fit in with them. I was different and didn't know why until 10 years old when my mother told me I was adopted. I detested my mother's protestant religious hypocrisy and her politics. My father didn't talk much about religion or his politics.

I probably started out as an agnostic in my teens and evolved into an apatheist in my twenties (a type of atheist who, rather than not believing in any gods because the arguments for them are weak, simply doesn't care about the existence of any gods and goes about life as if none existed.) By the end of my twenties, I decided being an agnostic was a cop out and I was really an atheist.

Politically, I was a liberal Democrat who was generally disgusted with them, but not as much as I was disgusted by Republicans. In the 1970s, I met Michael Harrison (Author of "The Other America") and found someone who's principles I could believe in and support. I became a member of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (dedicated to working within the Democratic Party DSOC) and remained a member until Harrison's death.

I was attracted to DSOC after years of trying to work a variety of political organizations in pursuit of my various social causes. But I never joined any political organization. What made it hard was political dogma, just as religious dogma is the most troublesome. I found many socialists were the most difficult to work with because their dogma got in the way of achievement. I found Communists to be the best to work with because they kept their goal focus and didn't get down and dirty over dogma. I worked in the Labor Movement for several decades, achieved a lot, but finally burned out.

I found the best organization and goals in Michael Harrington's DSOC. They were realistic and not radical in pursuit of their goals of making the world a better place.

I've not yet mentioned the movement that I enjoyed the most. The Cooperative Movement. It contained a mixture of all types of political and religious beliefs. What we had in common was our efforts to make life better for all people throughout the world. I guess it was partly my religion, my politics, and my social network. I was able to do a lot of good, much more than in a religious or political organization because no dogma arose to hamper our goals.

As an old woman, I've mellowed just a little bit, but still have strong feelings about injustice in the world. Now, I let the younger generations carry the torch. They had better not let me down or I will whip their butts!

BBB

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some young guys are paying big bucks for those spankings BBB.....

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BPB

Bi-Polar Bear wrote:

some young guys are paying big bucks for those spankings BBB.....

I know. Makes me weep every day in fury.

BBB

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Bi-Polar Bear wrote:

.... I was left alone practically all the time
and received no real religious or political training....

I was a little surprized
by some of the biografical similarities
of our histories, Bear.

From the age of 8,
I was alone a lot of the time also.
I felt a little more personally secure since I armed myself,
in case self-preservation became necessary: it did not.
No one ever sought to impose any religious or political filosofy upon me.

Quote:

I guess what I learned by observation
was that most people don't care about you...

Agreed.

Quote:

the rest actually delight in your misfortune

I did not have THAT problem.

Quote:

and a very few are real live giving caring people

I was like that; never thought much about it.

Then in later middle age,
I discovered that giving can be FUN.
I adopted a hobby of dumping unexpected gifts ( usually cash )
upon unsuspecting individuals ( not so much collectivist charities ),
out of the hedonism of it.
It began when I was putting a handful of dimes n quarters
that were bulky n heavy, into my pocket.
I saw some boys who looked around 11 years old,
in a grassy park area. I threw the coins up; I heard a ringing,
as the airborne coins hit one another, then fell in the grass
and the boys lunged for them. I saw that the gift was successful
in that one of the boys showed a mixture of astonishment n gratitude,
as he called out thanks. It was enjoyable.

Quote:

with a genuine grounded faith of some sort.

To my mind,
it is more interesting what people
tell u AFTER thay have returned from clinical death.
Most of them remember only awakening,
but some remember adventures,
thereby suggesting the possibility of conscious life
continuing to exist, independently of a supporting network
of blood, flesh n bones.

Quote:

(like some I've met here ) They are totally in the minority however.

You are basically on your own

I see that as a GOOD thing.

Quote:

and whichever politician or deity is running the show that seems pretty universal.

That doesn't mean I'm bitter or hate humanity or anything.
I believe religious figures and political figures, like the rest of us,
should conduct themselves in a manner grounded in ethical behavior.
I try to do so and try to teach my cubs to do so.

The one Christian belief I really subscribe to although I'm not as successful
at it as I could be or would like to be is that nothing works without love
but real love in your heart would take care of every other problem where
interaction within our species is concerned.

Its interesting that the consensus
of people who have returned from clinical death
( usually in hospitals ) have reported that
there IS a Judgment Day, in which the decedent himself is the Judge,
doing so by 2 criteria:
1. Love
and
2. Learning.

Quote:

I also don't think that is going to happen, but
if we try to live that way it is what defines us, successful or not.

See above.

Quote:

I sort of had to figure out my belief system on my own.
I try to coach my cubs while giving them the space to draw their own conclusions.

Good Luck
David

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Re: BBB

BumbleBeeBoogie wrote:

I was raised in my adopted family never feeling like I fit in with them. I was different and didn't know why until 10 years old when my mother told me I was adopted. I detested my mother's protestant religious hypocrisy and her politics. My father didn't talk much about religion or his politics.

I probably started out as an agnostic in my teens and evolved into an apatheist in my twenties (a type of atheist who, rather than not believing in any gods because the arguments for them are weak, simply doesn't care about the existence of any gods and goes about life as if none existed.) By the end of my twenties, I decided being an agnostic was a cop out and I was really an atheist.

Politically, I was a liberal Democrat who was generally disgusted with them, but not as much as I was disgusted by Republicans. In the 1970s, I met Michael Harrison (Author of "The Other America") and found someone who's principles I could believe in and support. I became a member of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (dedicated to working within the Democratic Party DSOC) and remained a member until Harrison's death.

I was attracted to DSOC after years of trying to work a variety of political organizations in pursuit of my various social causes. But I never joined any political organization. What made it hard was political dogma, just as religious dogma is the most troublesome. I found many socialists were the most difficult to work with because their dogma got in the way of achievement.
I found Communists to be the best to work with because they kept their goal focus and didn't get down and dirty over dogma. I worked in the Labor Movement for several decades, achieved a lot, but finally burned out.

I found the best organization and goals in Michael Harrington's DSOC. They were realistic and not radical in pursuit of their goals of making the world a better place.

I've not yet mentioned the movement that I enjoyed the most. The Cooperative Movement. It contained a mixture of all types of political and religious beliefs. What we had in common was our efforts to make life better for all people throughout the world. I guess it was partly my religion, my politics, and my social network. I was able to do a lot of good, much more than in a religious or political organization because no dogma arose to hamper our goals.

As an old woman, I've mellowed just a little bit, but still have strong feelings about injustice in the world. Now, I let the younger generations carry the torch. They had better not let me down or I will whip their butts!

BBB

Gee, BBB,
I wonder how u felt when the Berlin Wall was torn down
by freedom-loving Germans,
and how u felt on Christmas Eve, 1991,
when was left of the communist empire collapsed
into annihilation, like its cousin, the nazi empire.

I remember that I had a very Merry Christmas in 1991.

David

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BBB
scrolling by a stupid question.

BBB

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Re: BBB

BumbleBeeBoogie wrote:

scrolling by a stupid question.

BBB

Yeah, I can 't imagine Y.

It wudn 't be for the same reason,
the same emotion, that certain German fellows felt
when the nazi empire collapsed in 1945.

Did HURT, BBB ?
Seeing the flag of communism
torn down from the top of the Kremlin
on Christmas Eve of 1991,
as the communist empire fell into the abyss of annihilation,
that it may rest there cheek by jowl, next to the nazi empire ?

Just as an aside,
when I was a kid in high school,
and thereafter in college,
I worked for the House Committee on unAmerican Activities,
as an Anti-communist spy.

It was volunteer work; I did not ask to be paid.
I did not require money in exchange for this.
It was a labor of LOVE,
endeavoring to injure communism and communists like the Rosenbergs; ( electrifying ).

I remember a meeting attended by Gus Hall
( a brusque, unpleasant fellow, even ruff on the other commies ).

After the meeting, as I was going home,
paused waiting for traffic to clear, Gus Hall appeared close to me,
in the street. I cud not help but reflect upon how E Z
it wud be to take him out, like picking an apple from a tree; so nice,
but that was not my mission, so I let him go in peace,
n I just went home.

Years later, I took some delight in reading an interview of him,
concerning his being around to WITNESS the fall of communism.
I took some pleasure in that,
and I was glad that I had allowed him to see that.

U get your chuckles where u can find them, BBB.
David

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In terms of method, I see no difference between how middling America perceived Communism and OmSig's roistering, threatening, screaming multi-color bold face type. Both are examples of shoving stuff down throats.

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plainoldme

plainoldme wrote:

In terms of method, I see no difference between how middling America perceived Communism and OmSig's roistering, threatening, screaming multi-color bold face type. Both are examples of shoving stuff down throats.

Did I say I was a communist? No. Did I say I supported the communist cause? No.

In civil rights causes, a wide variety of people joined together to further the cause. Sometimes, the communists participated and I was glad to work with them to achieve change along side with many other political types.

That's why I don't choose to respond to anyone who would try to smear me as a red.

BBB

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plainoldme wrote:

In terms of method, I see no difference
between how middling America perceived Communism
and OmSig's roistering, threatening, screaming multi-color bold face type.
Both are examples of shoving stuff down throats.

Point of information:
To what threats do u refer ?

Threats to do WHAT, if I may ask ?

It is a historical fact that the commies
were into terror, slavery, torture and murder
on an ineffably MASSIVE scale,
negatively affecting literally hundreds of millions of victims.

It seems to plain old ME,
that YOU take that very lightly--
that the indescribable pain, fear and slavery
from which thay were saved only by the mercy of death
were and still are ACCEPTABLE to you; tell me if I 'm rong.

Were u equally as friendly toward the nazis ?

My use of color is harmless.
It serves to make distinctions among
the concepts that I post,
like indenting a paragraf; no harm done.

I don 't believe that the size
of any of my fonts has changed YOUR mind
about anything; ( or anyone else 's ).

Do u disagree ?

David

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Re: plainoldme

BumbleBeeBoogie wrote:

plainoldme wrote:
In terms of method, I see no difference between how middling America perceived Communism and OmSig's roistering, threatening, screaming multi-color bold face type. Both are examples of shoving stuff down throats.

Did I say I was a communist? No. Did I say I supported the communist cause? No.

Quote:

In civil rights causes, a wide variety of people joined together to further the cause. Sometimes, the communists participated and I was glad to work with them to achieve change along side with many other political types.

That 's interesting.

If some of your favored causes
were supported by the nazis,
wud u also be glad to work with them ?

just curious

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Re: plainoldme

OmSigDAVID wrote:

just curious

Just weird.

If I was your mom I would have voted for anyone you said just to shut you up.

You should go to U3A and study communication.

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Re: plainoldme

hingehead wrote:

OmSigDAVID wrote:

just curious

Just weird.

If I was your mom I would have voted for anyone you said just to shut you up.

You should go to U3A and study communication.

U say u wanna be my mom ?
Its a little late for that.

What is U3A ?

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Sorry dude, U3A is the University of the Third Age, sort of like University for senior citizens here in Australia. I assumed you were of an age because you voted for Goldwater in 64, that makes you at least 63 years old.

The communication suggestion was because you have no concept of how your use of colour, apalling spelling and variable font sizes reduces the chance anyone will ever take you seriously. Of course that's only minor compared to your obsessions and paranoias evident in your posts, but it would be a start.

I wish I'd done psychology so I'd have some idea where you're coming from.

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Parental Influence on Political/Religious Choices of A2Kers

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