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Atheist Summer Camp

Atheist Summer Camp An atheist summer camp for children is taking place in Somerset, to offer a "Godless alternative" to religious camps. The five-day camp in Somerset for children aged eight to 17 rivals traditional breaks run by the Scouts and church groups. Camp Quest aims to encourage skepticism and critical thinking.

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15 Comments

Current View: 15 / Show all Comments

Vizreel : LVL 42: VP 5: said:

Vizreel

19 votes NegativePositive

117 days 14 hours ago...

I`m an atheist and I believe this is wrong. It seems to me that these people are doing the exact same thing to children as religious camps, instilling their own concepts upon unused minds (or steering them in a chosen direction if you will) taking away the most essential part of having a "scientific mind": being able to question your own beliefs. Children need to believe in Santa Claus, Jesus, The Easter Bunny, Mickey Mouse so they can learn later on that the truth is not necessarily what you believe. The world`s greatest atheists believed in the biblical god at some point in their life so key steps have to be passed through in life in order to achieve a greater state of mind.

If you teach a child that love is nothing more than an socio-biological concept created through evolution required solely to propagate the human species then you`re taking away a very important experience from his life and subsequently said child will become inapt in processing certain aspects of life. It`s basically a crime to take away experience from a child.

sato : LVL 30: VP 3.9: said:

sato

56 votes NegativePositive

117 days 14 hours ago...

wow, organised non-religion, fucking brilliant idea!

^^ dude i get what ur saying but there`s an important difference; one day ur parents tell u actually there is no santa claus or easter bunny, but don`t do the same for god. according to the reporter those kids r encouraged to think for themselves rather than just believe what they`re told, which i think is the best defense agains6 con-men, used car salesmen, politicians and other peddlers of stretched truth.

astelan11 : LVL 22: VP 3.1: said:

astelan11

29 votes NegativePositive

117 days 13 hours ago...

While it`s possible a camp like this may take away some of a childs innocence, all they`re teaching them is to think critically.

The alternative is a summer camp that teachs children to externalise blame, to feel ashamed and to judge things and plain right or wrong. And the rest of it.

Sir spanks-a-lot : LVL 41: VP 4.9: said:

Sir spanks-a-lot

29 votes NegativePositive

117 days 12 hours ago...

@ vizreel:

about the whole not having a critical part of your life because you know from an early age that love is just a chemical reaction...

i learned this when i was 8 or 9, reading a Calvin and Hobbes comic. Calvin wakes up in the middle of the night and asks his mom if love is just designed to keep the species continual.

It was a very big realization for me, but it didn`t deprive me from anything. I actually realized why people do certain things in the name of love. If anything, it taught me to separate my emotions from my decisions.

I`d rather have my kids growing up knowing that there is no santa claus, easter bunny, or the dead-guy-on-a-stick. i`d rather explain things to them, not throw them a half-ass excuse because my brain can`t comprehend certain things.

exploder : LVL 49: VP 5: said:

exploder

14 votes NegativePositive

117 days 12 hours ago...

Great idea, sad there seemed a bit of sneer in the newsman`s voice, or maybe a tone of "for real?".

Vizreel, you are wrong. Filling a childs mind full of truth is different than filling it with bullshit. Religion is something children do just fine without. And more`s the better if they understand exactly what and why that entire realm of thought IS bullshit. This world is full of religious crap, and starting off the young with clear minds and the guidance they need to see through it is exactly what we need more of. The only thing lost is confusion and wasted time. Life is so incredibly magical for children anyways, they don`t need garbage to distort it.

I remember being under 10 yrs old, and asking my parents about religion. I was told I could either be a Christian, or keep living at home. It was a good joke, with an honest message. I also remember at age 5, refusing to pray in kindergarten, because I just didn`t believe in god, and it felt like a lie.

There are so many amazing things in this world, that missing out on organized religion is no crying shame. I can say without hesitation that being a lifelong atheist has been a rich, empowering, elightening, and happy experience.

I also think it`s critical to empower a childs mind with SOUND logic and good quality information. I don`t think religion provides that. In fact, I think it does the opposite. You get a child that grows up forming vast complexes of mental / emotional machinery, all cross wired with absolute bullshit. Not a wise plan.

And on a political front, I think it`s about time we atheists get to know each other, get organized a bit, get more vocal, and make sure our kids know how to fight the bullshit. Because it is a fight. Look at the fanatic fucktards of all religious stripes; so many violent, ignorant, hatefull people. Someone needs to hem them in, and plow them under.

Ultimately, love is the real magic, and you can only teach it by strong personal direct example. No book or ideas or philosophy or rules can help much, and indeed, if taken too seriously, those things usually get in the way of actually demonstrating love.

And even if love is "nothing more than an socio-biological concept created through evolution required solely to propagate the human species",

Love will still be the most magical, profound, meaningful, pleasurable experience in your childs life, regardless of the technical theories behind it. The crime is not providing that love, that experience. The rest is details.

exploder : LVL 49: VP 5: said:

exploder

9 votes NegativePositive

117 days 12 hours ago...

^ Vizreel, your reaction to this vid seems kind of like another common response to atheism that I often see:

As soon as any atheist dares breath a word about it, a whole bunch of religious people, and sadly some atheists too, will immediately accuse him of fanaticism.

Call it the "just as bad as..." syndrome.

This, in spite of the fact that they, with their churches, billboards, bibles all over, radio & TV shows, etc.; they walk around as if they own the whole fucking world, and all truth in it. It`s a harsh double standard they claim rights to.

I have a problem with that response. I (obviously?) take great offense to it.

Because no christians are going to preach for me and my good fellow atheists, it behoves us to spread the good word of real freedom from tyranny. Anyone who doesn`t like it if we really actually beleive <- what we -> say, out loud even (of all things, how dare we?), well they can just suck it.

So don`t be a chickenshit atheist. Be a brave atheist. Be someone who isn`t afraid to own a hunk of this world. We aren`t burning the religious, so the least they can put up with is good loud earfull of our bullshit in return for the many loud earfulls of theirs that we have to suffer.

And don`t be afraid that actually teaching your children something is a bad thing. Shit, they will learn one thing or another, at least take your chance to give them your best. I can assure you that most religions won`t miss the chance, and they are usually not so kind, and very seldom so sensible.

Doqaz : LVL 35: VP 4.3: said:

Doqaz

8 votes NegativePositive

117 days 9 hours ago...

I started becoming an atheist at 3rd grade, the school I was in promoted critical thinking and independent thought (I took it seriously), as in their guidelines, but the students and teachers had a different mind set. It was hell and I didn`t believe in it.

All summer camps or "retires" where religious in context, and failing to resist group opinion as well as my own, I was left thinking that god is a fucking asshole (even if I don`t believe in him).

I praise this atheist summer camps efforts, even if it`s too much to label it "ATHEIST summer camp"..

Vizreel : LVL 42: VP 5: said:

Vizreel

0 votes NegativePositive

117 days 5 hours ago...

Ok, I see some of you see atheism as being "the truth" of why the world is. I see atheism as a state of mind that`s called upon when entering a religious argument. What bothers me is how you let this state of mind, atheism, encompass your whole world-view much like religious people let their beliefs cloud every aspect of their life. Scientists that believe in a god leave their god outside the laboratory because he knows that the two, science and religion, are two completely different things. You mustn`t talk about atheism outside of a religious talk because even in its ethymology it`s obvious it cannot exist without the religion factor.

So having established that atheism is in strict and bilateral correlation with religion you can see how an atheist world view cannot exist without religion thus you cannot teach atheism without teaching religion by default. The scientific mind needs to be able to willingly challenge its own beliefs so having an atheist camp that presupposes critical thinking needs hence to teach children critical thinking regarding atheism which, as you would`ve guesses, presupposes teaching religion as being the correct form of "challenging their beliefs" if said critical thinking is taught properly in the first place. If they take out the word "atheist" from this whole business then I fully agree with this initiative or whatever you wanna call it.

!IAmCanadian! : LVL 39: VP 4.7: said:

!IAmCanadian!

9 votes NegativePositive

117 days 4 hours ago...

Why not just send them to normal camp? you know the ones with canoes, Log houses, Campfire songs, Games and activities?

I just dont see a purpose in athiest Camp... But whatever, some people might like the idea. But it is better then Religious camps

Skiba : LVL 41: VP 4.9: said:

Skiba

3 votes NegativePositive

117 days 3 hours ago...

^^Thats right Virzeel...
Atheism exists only because of religion, and it`s only reason is to counter that belief systems. You dont have to be in opposition to something to teach a child logical thinking. If you wanna teach them something non-religious at summer camp, start with science. After the basics of science and logic, critical thinking will come on its own. You dont introduce an idea like religion and say "you need to be skeptical of this". Once the child has the "tools" for logical thinking the rest will follow.
If the child at some point comes to the conclusion that religion is BS, then he or she should be critical of that too.

Once you settle on a position, you have stopped critical thinking.

JimCarrSavannah : LVL 38: VP 4.6: said:

JimCarrSavannah

6 votes NegativePositive

117 days 3 hours ago...

Kum ba yah my; non-denominational or more likely fictitious omnipresent deity developed by aristocratic monarchy as an alternative to mass education therefore eliminating the threat of critical thinking and the associated danger it poses to illegitimate authoritarian rule; Kum ba yah......

Glitchen : LVL 37: VP 4.5: said:

Glitchen

7 votes NegativePositive

117 days 2 hours ago...

Cool, wish they had this when I was a kid. Rather that the bible thumping self righteous assholes who constantly told me I was going to hell. That`s dandy, now pass the chocolate and gram crackers or I`ll fling this flaming marsh mellow at your head.

Randomosity : LVL 37: VP 4.5: said:

Randomosity

1 votes NegativePositive

117 days 2 hours ago...

I see the point that`s been made that "Athiest camp",
(and indeed, athiests themselves), are promoting their own ideological agenda, just as "religious" groups do.
Now, I`m not a religious man, but I have taught my children about religion. Religion plays a very large role in the world we live in, and it` important that they understand why religious groups behave the way they do.
I have also taught them the sciences, and for the very same reason. If the children of today are to grow into wise leaders for tomorrow, they need all the information they can get about the world, and the people who live in it.
Above all, we need to instill in our kids a love of reading. If we give them a hunger for knowledge, THAT`S the most important tool they`ll have for making good decisions.
Now, I don`t have a particular problem with the exixtance or non-existance of what could be called "god". I don`t know if he`s there or not. I really doesn`t matter. We need to stop fretting so much about god, and start concerning ourselver more with PEOPLE. That`s the way to improve the human condition.


"Critical thinking, because thinking is critical."

exploder : LVL 49: VP 5: said:

exploder

3 votes NegativePositive

117 days 2 hours ago...

Vizreel, first off, and unlike many religious folks, I am ever mindfull that my godless worldview, whatever it may be at any given time, is FAR from any absolute objective truth. That is an important point. I honestly work hard to try to have a deep understanding of the world. I am happy to use whatever insight I can glean from life to debate / argue at length, teach, counsel. Throughout I remain open to revision in any way I can, open to any sound evidence. This is the process of mutual discovery and mental evolution that empowers humans. We explore this world together and learn from it.

I view this approach as being implicitly compatible with science, indeed informed by science in its best spirit.

But in a world where a vast majority of people are often preoccupied by religious fantasy, and where those fantasies are refected in action, a person who thinks alot ends up frequently rebutting those fantasies wherever they show up. I have to apply my godless understanding of reality for myself, frequently, because all too often, whatever is going on is religiously biased, and doesn`t make good sense. No one else is going to spell things out for me on a daily basis.

Thus the net result of being a godless person who thinks too much, is to be frequently reminded of all those myriad little differences in perspective. It seems many religious people take their worldview for granted, I cannot. If the net result is that "atheism" seems to permeate my world view, then so be it. I see this as positive awareness.

Your assertion that atheism is implicitly defined by religion, fails to capture the real experience. The godless perception of this world comes first for me, "atheist" is just a usefull description after that reality, even if it`s a definition by contrast. I much prefer NOT having to think about religion and all it`s nonsense (also skip reality TV, wrestling...). This godless world is AMAZING, and full of enough natural wonder to fully occupy a godless mind many lifetimes over. The experience is full of "WOW!", not "there is no god". But when I need words to describe my perspective, then "scientific" and "atheistic" are two of the more usefull descriptors that efficiently distinguish the way I think from many other people, who do happen to be religious.

Now, it is only natural for non religious people to teach their children in kind. It is also to be expected, that especially as a minority, non religious people will have to teach their kids about the stuff those religious folk are often thinking and doing. Anything less would be like a poor black child growing up in a strongly racist white town, and being sheilded from learning anything about their hatefull white neighbours or racism. Including the dangerous place of ignorance that would entail for the child. Religion is an inescapable part of humanity. Any ballanced world view is going to have to face it and understand it somehow. If "atheist" is the common name for it, that`s fine.

Commander Fluffy : LVL 30: VP 3.9: said:

Commander Fluffy

Hidden (Show Comment) -13 votes

117 days 2 hours ago...

All of you guys who are typing out page long responses are morons. Stop trying to convince everyone you`re smart. Because you aren`t :P

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