Question:
Was it wrong of me?
2008-01-01 02:44:56 UTC
About a week ago I was on vacation with my family at an observatory, and I overheard this boy ask his dad how stars were made. When his dad answered with, "God decided to shine light upon us so he created the stars." I walked over to the boy and told him that stars were made up of gasses and other particles that were pulled together by gravity, and that it had nothing to do with God... Was I out of line or did the kid deserve to know the truth?
26 answers:
2008-01-01 03:00:06 UTC
Had I been there, I'd have applauded you. (Though you likely were out of line)



Stupid people need to be realistic and get out of the frickin stone age. Teaching your kid about your religion is fine, but trying to make them a fundamentalist who ends up being made fun of in school when he contradicts the teacher saying that the sun revolves around the earth and the sun is gods eye or some BS like that... Its just rediciolous.



When the bible was written, people had no idea that the world was not flat, they had no idea what cells and atoms were, simple diseases killed people due to a lack of understanding....... ....... The "star" that guided the three wise men to "baby jesus" was Jupider... Known then as the star of kings, because people didn't know that earth wasn't the only planet back then... And yet, people try to teach their children that everything in the bible is 100% accurate, dispite things that humanity has learned during its years of study and learning. Teaching your kids hatred or notedly false information is just stupid. I'm sorry if this offends anyone, but seriously, take a step back and think about it!
H.
2008-01-01 12:22:08 UTC
Definitely not. What he was told was wrong. Nothing wrong with saying it has nothing to do with God because....it doesn't.



I'm not an astrophysicist, but some people here saying what created the gases etc is very childish. Isn't it far more unlikely for there to be some all powerful, invisible being who says a few words and wills these gases into existence? I trust the scientific method and the fact that scientists can admit when they're wrong, more than a bunch of Arabs 2000 years ago sitting in a tent.
Juggling Frogs
2008-01-01 11:18:59 UTC
I think the last line was out of line.



If you came up to the child politely and explained the physics, then smiled sweetly and left, you'd be a bit of a hero.



(After all, the family *was* visiting an observatory. Clearly they are not anti-science.)



The father gave *his* child a beautiful, poetic explanation. Your explanation would have enhanced it.



Instead, you found it necessary to toss in that "nothing to do with G-d" line, which was hostile and arrogant.



You purport to care about the intellectual life of this child stranger, but you were really working out some issue with your own upbringing.



Had you been polite and left off that last sentence, the father likely would have thanked you.



He could even have saved face afterward and said "...and that's the way G-d did it..." and your physics lesson would have been transmitted intact.



Instead of stars, what will this kid remember? A jerk who invaded the intimacy of his time with his father, making some point about gas.



You say you care about this boy having access to science, but all you accomplished was to undermine your credibility.



For all we know, the father didn't know the scientific answers himself, and was doing his best. Perhaps, had you been polite, both father and son could have benefited from your knowledge, rather than resenting your attitude.
2008-01-01 12:13:04 UTC
Well, it is considered impolite to butt into a conversation between strangers, regardless of the topic involved. If you were part of their group then it would have been OK to speak your mind, although any relationship you would have had with his dad would have been admittedly strained. I have to say, though, that if this kid was old enough to be in school, then his dad really should have known better than to give such a childish fairy-tale type answer. As for you Christers out there, this poster wasn't trying to indoctrinate the kid into eeeeevil atheism, he was just explaining the truth as he knows it. Sheesh, you people think we're all trying to ensnare people into the army of Satan or something.
An Independent
2008-01-01 10:58:05 UTC
In the bigger picture of things, I think not. The reason being that many Christians try to teach the children of non-Christians false things. Here you were trying to teach a Christian child a true thing. Maybe God did create the stars that way. But, that wasn't your point.
zahida shireen
2008-01-01 11:21:19 UTC
yes, u r right scientifically but u also had told the boy that gasses and other particles that pulled together by gravity are created by God they cannot be created of their own.

Who created the gasses ? who made the gravity? who made this universe? even an atom cannot be created my man or an atom cannot be created on its own how on earth this large universe come in to existence without any creator.

Isnt it STRANGE!
french fry
2008-01-01 10:49:02 UTC
out of line.

it was a boy.

im guessing 9 or 10 years.



it was more of a "in the moment" answer.



and God might have indeed made the stars. OUT OF GASSES AND OTHER PARTICLES.



you both were right but it was rude to invade a question like that.
furgetabowdit
2008-01-01 10:50:57 UTC
You were almost right but you took God out of the matter for he is the great creator and if that is how he did it . But you felt a need to tell a child the parent belief in a creator is false.
ziffa
2008-01-01 10:54:34 UTC
You should have taken the argument with his parents if you wanted to clarify your position - one aught not impose but rather express an opinion to anyone especially to a minor accompanied by his parents. There are some protocols you know .



Peace
A A SA
2008-01-01 10:50:57 UTC
YES! you are lucky that father didn't slap you silly, it is the parent's choice to raise their children in this manor, I myself home school my child but he does get the scientific methods explained to him because I believe that God used science to create with.

Just think before you speak, so you don't get injured!
sunshine
2008-01-01 10:51:14 UTC
How dare you! That child has as much freedom to believe God exists as you do to believe he doesn't! Go your own way and don't bother poor innocent children with your OPINION!



I really hope that poor boy saw the wolf behind that lie.
abiogeek2
2008-01-01 10:49:53 UTC
You were out of line, if someone came to my son and spewed christian filth on him about how god's shining a heavenly christmas lights on us in the sky, I would be furious!! Same deal here. Although that doesn't change the fact that it's pretty funny, and totally awesome!!
Blue
2008-01-01 10:55:22 UTC
The kid would of known the truth eventually without your help. You only accomplished belittling the kids dad in front of him.
2008-01-01 11:03:10 UTC
Yeah, you were wrong. Whoever said gravity has nothing to do with god?
skame
2008-01-01 10:50:49 UTC
Probably yeah. Debating and arguing religion with adults is perfectly acceptable, but I think telling a child is probably a bit wrong. It depends on the boy's age though, if he was at least 12, then I think that's fine.
2008-01-01 10:47:46 UTC
Of course you were out of line.



It's not for you to override the rights of parents to teach their children about God's existance.



Also, what makes you so sure that God does not exist. That there is no absolute proof does not make something false, it just means that it COULD be false, and therfore, COULD be true.



If people CHOOSE to have FAITH, who are you to try and take that away from them?



Is anyone else here sick of having Godless people state for sure that there is no God, just for a lack of proof that there is? Why don't you people prove to me that there is no God?



Oh? Can't do that either, can you?
2008-01-01 12:40:20 UTC
Honestly, you were out of line.



Who says both of your answers are not correct?



Religion and science do *not* exclude one another.
2008-01-01 10:48:14 UTC
You were out of line...

The child did not ask you
2008-01-01 10:48:09 UTC
Did you tell the boy who made the gases.?

Did you tell the boy who made gravity?

The boy did deserve to know the truth.

Can you control the weather?



Do you think all of this universe was created by osmosis?
2008-01-01 10:58:19 UTC
you deserved to know the truth

and by golly

you got it

and you rejected it
Nemesis
2008-01-01 10:48:07 UTC
The truth is the most important thing



Sp Adam, it's OK to lie to your kids?
Jack
2008-01-01 10:48:05 UTC
You was not out of line.





Adam R- yeah I guess you're right, there are no laws against lying to kids, so the parent is free to delude as he wishes.
Christy S
2008-01-01 10:48:50 UTC
Well it dosent really matter now, youve already said it cant go back and change it.
2008-01-01 10:59:10 UTC
Yeah, it's sad that his school didn't teach him that already though.
2008-01-01 10:51:28 UTC
No I think you did the right thing. You (partially) pulled him out of ignorance (in my opinion).
2008-01-01 11:02:50 UTC
truth is best


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