An Atheist In Lutheran Class entries. I also read Mike’s posts on the ebay atheist site.

Thank you all.

I just stumbled across this article at MSNBC. Apparently, other folks are thinking about this child behavior “problem” and how different people perceive it. And it’s not restricted to behavior in church.

My own experience is like David’s. When I was childless, I thought children were generally brats and their parents should be drawn-and-quartered for not controlling them in public. Now, that would be me!

Atheist rating

I have to admit then when I was younger and childless I was more like the complaining lady mentioned above. I went to a church at a Christian camp and the camp-workers’ children seemed to be all over the place. Some were on the floor in the aisle, at least one wandered all over the sanctuary during the service and several were very vocal on a variety of subjects not at all related to the service.

Having now spent some time raising two daughters of my own, I have to say I’m a bit from the other camp now. At the church we now attend we regularly gather together in the sanctuary for prayer during the middle of the service. A couple of Sunday’s ago, a four-year-old said something funny to his father as we were gathering. Dad tried to control his laughter, but it began to seep out as the praying began. Soon half the church was trying to choke back their own laughter, so prayers were punctuated with snorts, sneezes and a host of other sounds that would probably be better suited for a Three-Stooges movie screening than a prayer session.

Rather than be upset with the little boy or his father, many of his told him afterwards that we appreciated his moment of levity even at that time. Such things happen with families. And I always hope that God is able to laugh with me, but never at me.

As an avid, lifelong nail chewer myself, I hope this anti-nail-chewing agenda doesn’t grow beyond this church. It’s a dangerous fundamentalist submovement, and as much as I’ve searched in scripture, I can’t find Biblical justification to ostracize the nail-biters.

I believe I was born this way and should be treated with respect.

I’m kind of in the same place you are, only on the other end of the spiritual spectrum. I am continually amazed at peoples’ ability to just be civil with each other here. We all have our views, and WHEN ASKED, our opinions are actually interesting to people who don’t share them.

I post once on Thursdays over on the eBay atheist site. Hope to see you there!

I’m almost an atheist myself, by the way.

I think I’ll take you up on the offer to join the discussions here.

I really can’t tell you how amazing I find this site !