what happened to family values

Some of us -- shudder, shock! -- aren't Christians. Or eat chicken-fried steak (you have heard of cholesterol, yes?). Yet we remain nonviolent and productive members of society and call our mothers regularly and even obey the speed limit and pay our taxes on time.

Wacky.

Great number of kids turn to drugs when religion - shoveled down the throat by their parents- stops being an answer. Young people need morality, values respect. Unfortunately in the 21 century religion ceased to offer answers to many.

I had never heard of "chicken-fried steak" until i left home. I was not impressed. We used to have a big brunch after church, because we did not eat before we went to church.

We never invited no Jews, though, so we often had ham, and didn't think a thing about it.

Bretter,

I am very curious about what brings you here. You obviously have traditional religious values, and you have said you are in seventh grade.

You are going to find people here who are older than you... most of us are pretty decent (for adults). But if I am reading between the lines correctly you are a young teenager from a deeply religous southern family.

You probably haven't had very much experience with people who aren't like your parents. There is a big world out there, and there are a lot of different types of people. Many people here have had experiences and beliefs and ideas very different to what you have been exposed to.

If you are going to be here, you are going to have to recognize that people don't have to believe in the Bible, or even God to be decent, happy people who love their kids, stand up for what is right, and are generally happy in life.

I, like you grew up in a deeply religious family. I had to go through the process of figuring out how the experiences of my religion (which sheltered me from the world) matched or conflicted with the experiences once I started learning about the world .

To be honest, I am not sure if you being here is good for you... If you were my kid, I might want to protect you-- especially if I was raising you to be religious.

Are you ready to be open minded enough to listen to, and accept, the experiences of people who come from very different backgrounds than you?

WHY???

Bretter will be exposed to things on A2K that he or she will almost certainly not be exposed to in her normal day to day experience. And she get this by interacting with people who are almost all of us adults.

I doubt he or she will have anyone have person to talk with objectively if something that happens here is upsetting.

Most of us are decent. But this is a rough and tumble place with adults.

I don't know Bretter's age. At 16 a kid is ready to have their world view challenged. At 13... I am not so sure.

sorry I did not know she/he is only 13.

However, I would like kids to be open to the world. Only then , they can make their own choices.

Heck! Even I'd go to church if someone had chicken fried steak ready afterwords.

I am also a fan of chicken fried steak-- a delicacy which I was ironically introduced to at church. I have always been a Northerner, but I am a quick convert to good food.

Mmmm. With mashed tators and white pepper gravy.

When exactly did the word "family" become synonymous with "Christian"? Really bugs me, that.