This camp looks fun. I went to a Christian summer camp when I was 11. We got to memorize Bible verses :( Though they did show Three Stooges movies in the pavilion when it rained.
Are they able to disprove them? i mean is it possible to disprove a negative? Sounds fun anyway.
The problem religion has with this is that religions are propagated by indoctrinating kids. If a child is allowed and encouraged to think outside religion likelihood is that he/she won't believe it.
I don't think the level of indoctrination is as strong for christian children in the UK as it is in parts of US. I didn't have too much trouble becoming an atheist, but it wasn't problem free.
Well, absence of evidence is evidence of absence....
In any case, you're right that the religion problem isn't a prevalent in the UK, but you still have the odd nutter popping up on your doorstep or in the streets telling you you're going to burn in a fiery pit because you don't believe what they do.
At least it's rare to find people in the UK who will act unreasonably toward atheists.
Which? Unicorns or God? I suppose in either case I'd be more inclined to believe something if I could actually see it or see its impact with little doubt that it and it alone were capable of causing such an impact.
I was skeptical for the first 30 seconds because I could see too much comparison with things like Jesus camp, but watching the video through you can see it's not about dissuading children from religion, but rather it's about getting them to think critically on the subject.
To be honest, anything that encourages children to think for themselves has to be a good thing.
"I was skeptical for the first 30 seconds because I could see too much comparison with things like Jesus camp"
I posted this because that was the reaction of some who call themselves rational critical thinkers, who appeared to be thinking with their emotions rather than their intellect, when this camp was first announced. Teaching children to think critically is the opposite of the brainwashing that takes place in Jesus Camps.
I noticed they used the Invisible Pink Unicorn as a deity to disprove rather than Allah, the Christian god, etc.
Quite clever, as it means they aren't attacking or preventing children from believing in established religions. Instead, they're making a hypothetical argument and letting the kids decide whether the IPU is as believable as God*.
*Although obviously the Invisible Pink Unicorn is far more believable than God. After all, at least we have a half decent physical description!
I was thinking about it but concluded that there was a stronger case for God. Even though the evidence is as non-existent, the fact that we cannot explain the cause for the universe may leave room for a Deistic belief in an god-like entity. Whereas Unicorns would be part of the existing material world.
It's the best camp ever! I went to it and it's great. They weren't trying to get us to believe in the unicorns, it was all just a bit of fun.
naturenad 2 years ago
That is an awesome camp
Tavera12 2 years ago 2
This camp looks fun. I went to a Christian summer camp when I was 11. We got to memorize Bible verses :( Though they did show Three Stooges movies in the pavilion when it rained.
strontiumcrypt 2 years ago
"Make the most of it while it lasts"
And they say Atheist don't have morals.
ToroQ3000 2 years ago
Unicorns do exist! It says so in the Bible.
aartvegan 2 years ago
"Unicorns do exist! It says so in the Bible."
But that thought experiment is to disprove invisible unicorns, not the "real" ones from the bible, or the The Last Unicorn movie. :p
TheNakedAtheist 2 years ago
Or the one that Neil Patrick Harris rides.
CuriousMoth 2 years ago
Are they able to disprove them? i mean is it possible to disprove a negative? Sounds fun anyway.
The problem religion has with this is that religions are propagated by indoctrinating kids. If a child is allowed and encouraged to think outside religion likelihood is that he/she won't believe it.
I don't think the level of indoctrination is as strong for christian children in the UK as it is in parts of US. I didn't have too much trouble becoming an atheist, but it wasn't problem free.
Deathugee 2 years ago
Well, absence of evidence is evidence of absence....
In any case, you're right that the religion problem isn't a prevalent in the UK, but you still have the odd nutter popping up on your doorstep or in the streets telling you you're going to burn in a fiery pit because you don't believe what they do.
At least it's rare to find people in the UK who will act unreasonably toward atheists.
CuriousMoth 2 years ago
"absence of evidence is evidence of absence...."
What evidence would you expect if it were true?
Deathugee 2 years ago
Which? Unicorns or God? I suppose in either case I'd be more inclined to believe something if I could actually see it or see its impact with little doubt that it and it alone were capable of causing such an impact.
CuriousMoth 2 years ago
Very nice :3
TheReasonWhyGuy 2 years ago
I was skeptical for the first 30 seconds because I could see too much comparison with things like Jesus camp, but watching the video through you can see it's not about dissuading children from religion, but rather it's about getting them to think critically on the subject.
To be honest, anything that encourages children to think for themselves has to be a good thing.
CuriousMoth 2 years ago 2
"I was skeptical for the first 30 seconds because I could see too much comparison with things like Jesus camp"
I posted this because that was the reaction of some who call themselves rational critical thinkers, who appeared to be thinking with their emotions rather than their intellect, when this camp was first announced. Teaching children to think critically is the opposite of the brainwashing that takes place in Jesus Camps.
TheNakedAtheist 2 years ago
I noticed they used the Invisible Pink Unicorn as a deity to disprove rather than Allah, the Christian god, etc.
Quite clever, as it means they aren't attacking or preventing children from believing in established religions. Instead, they're making a hypothetical argument and letting the kids decide whether the IPU is as believable as God*.
*Although obviously the Invisible Pink Unicorn is far more believable than God. After all, at least we have a half decent physical description!
CuriousMoth 2 years ago
I was thinking about it but concluded that there was a stronger case for God. Even though the evidence is as non-existent, the fact that we cannot explain the cause for the universe may leave room for a Deistic belief in an god-like entity. Whereas Unicorns would be part of the existing material world.
Deathugee 2 years ago
"the fact that we cannot explain the cause for the universe may leave room for a Deistic belief in an god-like entity."
To put it differently: the concept of God can only exist in our own ignorance.
CuriousMoth 2 years ago
yep, A God of the gaps.
Deathugee 2 years ago
Yep, critical thinking is a skill that's rarely taught and if you have to go to summer camp to get it, that's fine by me. Cool.
AncientAtheist 2 years ago 2
If only it was
TheReasonWhyGuy 2 years ago