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Uncertainty Forum Master


Joined: 23 Oct 2005 Posts: 3414 Local time: 9:46 PM Location: Pennsylvania
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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:36 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm pretty sure it's impossible to live in America without being exposed to Christianity at all. My parents never really talked about religion at all and I was still exposed to it. It's not like your parents are the only people you ever see. You don't have to be an expert of a religion to switch to it. |
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neon Excelsior!

Joined: 09 Jul 2005 Posts: 4943 Local time: 8:46 PM Location: FL
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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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Couldn't she have seen a tv show, a Christmas ad, a book at the library? How about hearing something from a friend? Or seeing somebody with a Jesus t-shirt?
She or her parents could also be lying. I mean, it's not like people make stuff up to get publicity. _________________ Born-again atheists
Practising troublemakers
"Go! put off holiness, / And put on intellect." --William Blake, 1757-1827 |
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CET The Spiritual Atheist

Joined: 02 Apr 2003 Posts: 12846 Local time: 6:46 PM Location: SoCal, USA

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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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| ShaSha wrote: | | As I mentioned if they are telling the truth, then she is experiencing something that the average person is not. As many here have mentioned over the years, Jesus is not something most 4 year olds bring up without having been taught or exposed to. Spirituality would be the more likely common ground in cases where there is no Christianity. Since she is focusing at least partially on Christians, it is either for spiritual reasons or reasons of fraud. I am unable to find any neutral reasons for it. |
This little girl most likely hasn't spent every minute of life around mom. Preschool? Day care? Kindergarten? Babysitters? All are possible and even likely opportunities for someone to expose this child to christianity. _________________ Namaste,
CET
The Spiritual Atheist
"Much of the suffering in the world comes from the delusion that we are separate from one another." - Gautama Buddha
"Those who dance are considered insane by those who can't hear the music." - George Carlin |
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Fallingwater

Joined: 29 Jul 2003 Posts: 505 Local time: 12:46 PM
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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 2:10 pm Post subject: Re: Girl can paint heaven?? |
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| Hmmmmm, it kind of looks like little Artkiana paints without wearing any pants or undies. Check out the 32 second mark and it looks like she's wearing a sweater and an asscrack. |
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SvZurich Loki's Little Valkyrie

Joined: 06 Oct 2003 Posts: 22926 Local time: 6:46 PM Location: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington DC
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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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Xian Kiddie Porn? Ewww! _________________ Kimberly (HSBUH) aka
Baroness Sylvia von Zurich (the only Goldwater Conservative) endorses the Meadow Party's Bill and Opus for the 2012 Presidential election!
The Atheist Forums have new rules! |
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ChrissyFos Lobal Dominatrix

Joined: 08 Dec 2005 Posts: 5315 Local time: 9:46 PM Location: Here, There and Everywhere
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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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| ShaSha wrote: | | As I mentioned if they are telling the truth, then she is experiencing something that the average person is not. As many here have mentioned over the years, Jesus is not something most 4 year olds bring up without having been taught or exposed to. Spirituality would be the more likely common ground in cases where there is no Christianity. Since she is focusing at least partially on Christians, it is either for spiritual reasons or reasons of fraud. I am unable to find any neutral reasons for it. |
Even if the parent's are telling the truth, who is to say that she's actually experiencing anything? She could be using what most people refer to as an imagination. It's obvious that the girl is creative. I do find it hard to believe that grown adults would make such a drastic decision and convert to Christianity, because their 4 year old was seeing and hearing things. If this little girl were brought up in a Christian home and she just out of the blue began claiming that a voice in her head told her she was an atheist, do think her parent's would deconvert? Doubt it. That would probably be a trip to the psychologist or local preacher. Several months ago, my entire family got together for dinner, and when my youngest brother, who is now 6, was asked to pray, he responded with "No, I don't believe in god!". Everyone at the table immediately looked to me for an explanation. I have never had a conversation with him about god or atheism, so the only thing I could think of was that he could have overheard a discussion I might of had with my other brother, who is an agnostic. His parents or even his Sunday School teachers might have discussed it in front of him. The possibilities are endless. Kids that age are very impressionable. If you give them an inch, they'll run a mile with it. The people that are jumping on this supernatural bandwagon with this girl obviously have their own agenda to prove. Why would god go to the trouble of showing himself to one girl and not everyone? _________________ This space is reserved for inarticulate meat puppets who have no true perspective outside the refuge of quotation marks.
Reverend Mother
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SteveInSF Forum Plebian


Joined: 16 Oct 2006 Posts: 195 Local time: 12:46 PM
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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:04 pm Post subject: |
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This is a Glenn Beck story. Same guy who brought John Edwards (the guy who speaks the dead) on his show for an hour. He is a complete hack who converted to Mormonism after going through rehab for alcohol and cocaine. He will put a Christian filter on any story that he can and has shown his obvious bias time and time again.
There is little doubt that the girl has talent, but if she were really recieving visions of Jesus from God, would he be a caucasian with green eyes? That suggests that she is getting 'inspiration' elsewhere. If Jesus did exist, he wasn't a white guy. |
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Mr_C Reckoner

Joined: 26 Jun 2006 Posts: 6615 Local time: 7:46 PM Location: Pale Blue Dot

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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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Jesus the Missing Years,
age 10
BWAH!!
Yeah, that's some *snicker* inspired shit right there. _________________ "If we long to believe that the stars rise and set for us, that we are the reason there is a Universe, does science do us a disservice in deflating our conceits?"
Carl Sagan
The Atheist Forums Rules
Summary: Just play nice, mmkay? |
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ShaSha Forum Master


Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Posts: 4986 Local time: 8:46 PM Location: Minnesota
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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Uncertainty wrote: | | I'm pretty sure it's impossible to live in America without being exposed to Christianity at all. My parents never really talked about religion at all and I was still exposed to it. It's not like your parents are the only people you ever see. You don't have to be an expert of a religion to switch to it. |
Remember, this is age 4. Some of my children were exposed to some masses during infancy and early toddler but most were not exposed to any religious pictures or thought processes prior to active school. So this child could have fit that category easily. |
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ShaSha Forum Master


Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Posts: 4986 Local time: 8:46 PM Location: Minnesota
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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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| CET wrote: | | ShaSha wrote: | | As I mentioned if they are telling the truth, then she is experiencing something that the average person is not. As many here have mentioned over the years, Jesus is not something most 4 year olds bring up without having been taught or exposed to. Spirituality would be the more likely common ground in cases where there is no Christianity. Since she is focusing at least partially on Christians, it is either for spiritual reasons or reasons of fraud. I am unable to find any neutral reasons for it. |
This little girl most likely hasn't spent every minute of life around mom. Preschool? Day care? Kindergarten? Babysitters? All are possible and even likely opportunities for someone to expose this child to christianity. |
Give me evidence not speculation! Until then I will take their word over your words because they were there  |
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ShaSha Forum Master


Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Posts: 4986 Local time: 8:46 PM Location: Minnesota
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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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| SteveInSF wrote: | This is a Glenn Beck story. Same guy who brought John Edwards (the guy who speaks the dead) on his show for an hour. He is a complete hack who converted to Mormonism after going through rehab for alcohol and cocaine. He will put a Christian filter on any story that he can and has shown his obvious bias time and time again.
There is little doubt that the girl has talent, but if she were really recieving visions of Jesus from God, would he be a caucasian with green eyes? That suggests that she is getting 'inspiration' elsewhere. If Jesus did exist, he wasn't a white guy. |
What do you mean by a Glenn Beck story? Everything I read referenced the official website and had nothing to do with someone by that name.
If there was really a Jesus via the Holy Spirit, he could be any race with any color of eyes because of "his paternity"? But let's say that he didn't even really exist but god does yet chose to emphasize a bit on Jesus for god's own reasons. Once again, if he didn't exist then he could be represented by any race etc.
Most of her work is not Jesus involved and most of her work is spiritual and not Christian. In other words there is an emphasis on god, not christianity which is why her work is pretty far reaching. |
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Mr_C Reckoner

Joined: 26 Jun 2006 Posts: 6615 Local time: 7:46 PM Location: Pale Blue Dot

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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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C'mon...it' just common sense.  |
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SteveInSF Forum Plebian


Joined: 16 Oct 2006 Posts: 195 Local time: 12:46 PM
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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:39 pm Post subject: |
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| ShaSha wrote: | | Give me evidence not speculation! |
| ShaSha wrote: | | What do you mean by a Glenn Beck story?. |
That voice in the background of the video is not God. It's Glenn Beck. He has a radio show and a tv show on CNN and he is a hack. And you are one to ask for evidence. You believe this girl is recieving 'spiritual visions'? Are colorful paintings evidence of that?
I love it when people who believe in the supernatural ask for evidence. I am sure if I meditate hard enough I too will see evidence of the supernatural realm. |
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ShaSha Forum Master


Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Posts: 4986 Local time: 8:46 PM Location: Minnesota
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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:46 pm Post subject: |
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| ChrissyFos wrote: | | ShaSha wrote: | | As I mentioned if they are telling the truth, then she is experiencing something that the average person is not. As many here have mentioned over the years, Jesus is not something most 4 year olds bring up without having been taught or exposed to. Spirituality would be the more likely common ground in cases where there is no Christianity. Since she is focusing at least partially on Christians, it is either for spiritual reasons or reasons of fraud. I am unable to find any neutral reasons for it. |
Even if the parent's are telling the truth, who is to say that she's actually experiencing anything? She could be using what most people refer to as an imagination. It's obvious that the girl is creative. I do find it hard to believe that grown adults would make such a drastic decision and convert to Christianity, because their 4 year old was seeing and hearing things. If this little girl were brought up in a Christian home and she just out of the blue began claiming that a voice in her head told her she was an atheist, do think her parent's would deconvert? Doubt it. That would probably be a trip to the psychologist or local preacher. Several months ago, my entire family got together for dinner, and when my youngest brother, who is now 6, was asked to pray, he responded with "No, I don't believe in god!". Everyone at the table immediately looked to me for an explanation. I have never had a conversation with him about god or atheism, so the only thing I could think of was that he could have overheard a discussion I might of had with my other brother, who is an agnostic. His parents or even his Sunday School teachers might have discussed it in front of him. The possibilities are endless. Kids that age are very impressionable. If you give them an inch, they'll run a mile with it. The people that are jumping on this supernatural bandwagon with this girl obviously have their own agenda to prove. Why would god go to the trouble of showing himself to one girl and not everyone? |
It is only atheists who believe that god hasn't "shown" "himself" to them. The rub is how does "god" show or talk to all of the others? That is unique and personal. Some are similar, some are a bit stronger such as the girl's case. Talent is everywhere including atheistic prodigies of other talents. Genius is genius whether religion is involved at all.
The parents didn't convert over night. If my one of my kids would have started talking out of the blue about messages from god, I would have listened but been careful on believing like anybody else. But if their stories were unique enough and continuous as hers appeared to be, I can certainly see somebody saying there's got to be more to this than the imagination or chemicals.
Deconversion could also happen if a four year old who had no reason to ever discuss god would start talking about people who believe in gods are just using their imagination. If that child started throwing out reasoning that would be advanced for his her age, then yes, the parents would at least have to consider it assuming they were free thinkers.
The key here is 4 years old. Your brother is old enough to have been exposed outside the home as well as possible shows.
I want to emphasize that everything is possible but until anybody presents any real evidence, I have no choice but to give the story presented of the artist a greater benefit of belief. |
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FlatEarth1024 Hey, Everybody!

Joined: 18 Sep 2006 Posts: 4152 Local time: 2:46 AM Location: Dippin' my balls in it.
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Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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I'm no psychologist, but reading some of these poems..... this kid is already a religious nut, no "gonna be" about it. _________________
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