tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17732427.post1570582475406669826..comments2023-06-23T10:26:21.277+02:00Comments on Memoirs of an ex-Christian: I will choose my own wayKevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16752824290056143050noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17732427.post-78581223455744237172008-06-02T22:06:00.000+02:002008-06-02T22:06:00.000+02:00Simply and poignantly stated. This post brought t...Simply and poignantly stated. This post brought tears to my eyes. I am thinking of my yet un-born niece, her mother (my sister) and myself for I have thought your thoughts so many times and never expressed them in words.Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01344297469634652441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17732427.post-66005843162531407232008-03-30T09:27:00.000+02:002008-03-30T09:27:00.000+02:00Very good comments all around. I came up with the ...Very good comments all around. I came up with the idea for this piece when thinking about all the burdens and expectations that society places on a newborn child when it enters the world; some of it good, some of it bad. I guess I wrote the post in support of individualism, but there is some weight to the argument – as outlined by some of the comments here – that pure individualism might not possible: the culture in which we are born forms much of who we become as individuals, and every decision we make is somehow made within the context of the collective. It is quite difficult – maybe even impossible – to fully disconnect ourselves from what we have inherited from our culture, but maybe we can at least make a choice on which bits and pieces to follow (the bits and pieces being various traditions, religious beliefs, etc). <BR/><BR/>I also didn’t write to post to criticize religion, culture or tradition in particular. This post is a statement against the belief that the individual has no right to choose.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16752824290056143050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17732427.post-66299034193781027132008-03-27T22:02:00.000+02:002008-03-27T22:02:00.000+02:00Very good piece of writing, Kevin (should be publi...Very good piece of writing, Kevin (should be published!) I especially loved the south-africanisation of the people. and quite thought provoking as to the life-directing power that parents have over their children. Although there were several dynamics going on there...apart from belief systems...(race issues for example)..which may not always be a factor. hopefully some things will be put right in our life time -or our chuildren's... as for beliefs, are we saying to have none is better than having them? Or to have them but keep them to ourselves entirely? this would essentially wittle down to not having any. it's like holding back on opinions or advice or guidance...* A person who does that might as well not have any to give, as far the potential receiver of (*) is concerend. So basically, have your beliefs (for good reason though!), share them by all means, yes, even with the new life being born into this world, but DO let him hear the other voices too and give him the same freedom to choose his beliefs like we did/do and love him anyway.<BR/>no, not tolerate. love.Debbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04640420054699239576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17732427.post-7052769527465807462008-03-26T19:27:00.000+02:002008-03-26T19:27:00.000+02:00I really liked this post. We're all born with abs...I really liked this post. We're all born with absolute freedom of choice, unfortunately we're also born without any knowledge and all of the knowledge we do gain is from the culture we're born into. It really takes a lot of a person to break from that culture and claim that absolute freedom of choice again.Brandonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03908889892993698417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17732427.post-42688306202757325842008-03-25T17:31:00.000+02:002008-03-25T17:31:00.000+02:00Though we are not born believing anything (about G...Though we are not born believing anything (about God or anything else for that matter) we *are* born into a culture which may include a religion - which most people will adopt.<BR/><BR/>All we can hope for is that at some point in people's lives they actually make a decision to be part of that - or not. But I don't think that most people actually make that decision & stay with the belief system they are accidentially born into.CyberKittenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394155516712665665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17732427.post-65701603923543532922008-03-24T17:24:00.000+02:002008-03-24T17:24:00.000+02:00I really love this Kevin. Especially holds power ...I really love this Kevin. Especially holds power as I read it, if I just stay in the moment.<BR/><BR/>And I wonder about the impact of the moments you were in when you wrote this.<BR/><BR/>As difficult as birth can be, in hindsight, for many, it is the easier journey. No baby chooses it's own way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com