It's just a fact.
No, it isn't a fact. It isn't even close to a fact. You made the assertion, the onus is on you to support it. Mme's offer of early daycare, broken families, and alcoholism is much closer to the target, surely. She's a teacher who has raised three unchurched kids. I expect she knows a bit about this. We've all heard about the influence of violence, emotionally or otherwise unavailable parents, too-strict parenting, poor role models. Never, ever have I seen a suggestion that secularism correlated with negative behavior.
Here is something I found right at the top of a quick google:
What causes a child to misbehave?
Environmental Factors:
Diet/Nutrition
Poor Role-Models
Exposure to Violence
Ineffective Parenting
Media Influences
Peer Pressure
You'll notice that being unchurched is not on that list. A healthy church experience may in some cases be helpful in creating a positive environment for child development, but it's hardly defining.
but to personalize it and be offended makes me feel bad, too.
First of all, I said I wasn't offended, just startled. People usually keep such opinions to themselves, at least when they're in the company of so many of the dissed persuasion. As for you feeling bad, I don't feel the least bit bad about that.
It seems to me that the pros and cons of a religious life can be discussed dispassionately like anything else?
We are having a civil and well modulated discussion, seems to me. |
