Weeeelllll, two of our carpool moms are social workers. Several good friends are in front-line social work. So pretty much regularly.
And because of my employment I interact with more and occasionally need to get involved personally.
Sounds like your on the other side of the coin here Rhea. My experience with most social workers is about "managing" their folder of you.
I wish we could have better service here. There is such a mish-mash of support and disdain for the programs in general. It must be very difficult to keep morale up.
I agree. My step mother has her Masters and is pretty high up there in management in the social worker world, and as such, she is addressing those very same issue. Unfortunately, most social workers are simply over worked and they don't have the time to build a relationship with each individual. Another thing I've noticed, not all, but some social workers get into the business to help fix something broken in their life. These social workers usually come with a bias and presuppositions that automatically condemn certain people. But that's just a side note... when you do that kind of work for a living, often you end up teaching somethign you don't want to teach to somebody you don't want to teach it to. It's business, and you can't fix that because it's just the nature of the beast.
Thank you. Although - I kinda do think I'm pretty typical. Most of my atheist friends are pretty social and active. And when we get together community service projects for the kids, there is great enthusiasm - though the group is never limited to atheism, it's just a group of friends doing things, and many of them happen to be atheist.
That doesn't surprise me. Like minded people often get together on a regular basis.
I was entertained to find at the church where my daughter attends that quite a few of the other families in the pews were also atheist, we're just there for the community service opportunities. And I suppose, given the reception my "Christian Left" thread got, probably ALL of the people in that church would be considered "non-Christian" here.
You might find that many of the people you thought were good christians are actually good atheists.
Anyway, I do understand the enormous value you got from Christianity, and while my experience is that it is not the only source, I understand your perspective. But that's why I would think this program from the OP should have a wide range of choices AND the church part should not be just attendance.
I didn't get a chance to read your Christian Left thread... Sorry.
The thing about this OP, is I came into it with the notion that the other social programs were already in place and that church, was just another option for those the judge deemed worthy to be presented the option.
As far as athiest going to church, honestly.. and can I be honest here? I think that people in general have the potential to be good people and do the right things many many times over, both Christian, and Athiest. But the thing about being a Christian, is that we know where we are going when we die. That may not be important to some people while other people believe different things about what happens when they die. But what really matters, and I'll quote Jesus, but what matters is this, "Go, and be that neighbor".
Because I think there is something about 'being that neighbor' that connects us as a community... it puts us outside of ourselves, and we get a good honest glimps of the world around us. Aside from knowing where I'm going when I die, the Bible helps me and guides me to live a life worth experiencing through "being that neighbor', or through the neighbors who come to assist me when I really need it. I don't need religion, but I need a neighbor.
So, go out there and be that neighbor. In a grander view, I'll give praise to God and continue to see God's work all around me, and well, I'm not sure what you do, but I'm sure God is blessing you all the same.
