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It was not that the kid was reading the bible that scared the parent but that they took a sudden deep(obsessive?) interest in something after only being exposed

It was not that the kid was reading the bible that scared the parent but that they took a sudden deep(obsessive?) interest in something after only being exposed to it on Youtube. I have kids and I too would be concerned if they suddenly took interest in a topic. Not that long ago two twelve year old girls murdered their friend because "Slenderman". Religious topics can lead to radicalization and/or cults.

tombert 2y ago
Purely in the interest of pedantry: I think it was attempted murder, I think the girl lived: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slender_Man_stabbing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slender_Man_stabbing Not that it changes your point at all, which I think I completely agree with.
- themaninthedark 2y ago
  Yes, you are right!
graemep 2y ago
An interest in something that has ha a huge and pervasive influence. Even if you are an atheist who would never reed it, if you are from a historicist Christian culture it has shaped your worldview.This is very well argued in Dominion by Tom Holland.
- tombert 2y ago
  I'm an atheist who has read large parts of the Bible, not even to understand history, but to simply try to understand the (ostensible) motivations of current leaders and constituents in politics today. I haven't read all of it, a lot of the Bible is a pretty dry read, but I have read most of it, and it has been at least a little illuminating to see what people will use for justification of stuff.
  - wahnfrieden 2y ago
    You've read more than those leaders and constituents
  - graemep 2y ago
    I do not mean that no atheist would read the Bible, but that even the sort of atheist who would not read the Bible has had their world view shaped by Christianity (including the Bible). I am a Christian and I have read bits of other religions' scriptures and a lot of other religions' mythology. How do you inform yourself about reading the Bible? Conflicts about interpretation, applicability, cultural context, personal context, translation, true original text, and even canon? I find the biggest problem (with both Biblical literalists and atheists!) is the tendency to read it as one book by one author. It is not even one genre! Or are you just interested in how a literal reading influences American politics? If you are talking about people using the Bible in a political context, most of the time they are misusing it. Not only are they cherry-picking but Jesus was apolitical ("give to Caesar what is Caesar's"). The book I mentioned argues that this evolved into separation of church and state (a concept that has been far more successful in historically Christian countries).
    - tombert 2y ago
      > Or are you just interested in how a literal reading influences American politics? Yes. A lot of conservatives claim that the Bible is the literal inerrant word of God.
- themaninthedark 2y ago
  My family went to church during my late elementary school years and I have been baptized and confirmed in the Methodist tradition, however I would more describe myself as agnostic. I take my children to church a couple times a year, so they can experience it. I would take them more often but we live in a area where churches are more culturally influential and function like social/status clubs, which means that there are more people who are there to be seen rather than there to because of agreement or sharing an ideology.

tombert 2y ago

Purely in the interest of pedantry: I think it was attempted murder, I think the girl lived: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slender_Man_stabbing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slender_Man_stabbing Not that it changes your point at all, which I think I completely agree with.

themaninthedark 2y ago
Yes, you are right!

graemep 2y ago

An interest in something that has ha a huge and pervasive influence. Even if you are an atheist who would never reed it, if you are from a historicist Christian culture it has shaped your worldview.This is very well argued in Dominion by Tom Holland.

tombert 2y ago
I'm an atheist who has read large parts of the Bible, not even to understand history, but to simply try to understand the (ostensible) motivations of current leaders and constituents in politics today. I haven't read all of it, a lot of the Bible is a pretty dry read, but I have read most of it, and it has been at least a little illuminating to see what people will use for justification of stuff.
- wahnfrieden 2y ago
  You've read more than those leaders and constituents
- graemep 2y ago
  I do not mean that no atheist would read the Bible, but that even the sort of atheist who would not read the Bible has had their world view shaped by Christianity (including the Bible). I am a Christian and I have read bits of other religions' scriptures and a lot of other religions' mythology. How do you inform yourself about reading the Bible? Conflicts about interpretation, applicability, cultural context, personal context, translation, true original text, and even canon? I find the biggest problem (with both Biblical literalists and atheists!) is the tendency to read it as one book by one author. It is not even one genre! Or are you just interested in how a literal reading influences American politics? If you are talking about people using the Bible in a political context, most of the time they are misusing it. Not only are they cherry-picking but Jesus was apolitical ("give to Caesar what is Caesar's"). The book I mentioned argues that this evolved into separation of church and state (a concept that has been far more successful in historically Christian countries).
  - tombert 2y ago
    > Or are you just interested in how a literal reading influences American politics? Yes. A lot of conservatives claim that the Bible is the literal inerrant word of God.
themaninthedark 2y ago
My family went to church during my late elementary school years and I have been baptized and confirmed in the Methodist tradition, however I would more describe myself as agnostic. I take my children to church a couple times a year, so they can experience it. I would take them more often but we live in a area where churches are more culturally influential and function like social/status clubs, which means that there are more people who are there to be seen rather than there to because of agreement or sharing an ideology.