When your kids ask you, can you tell them you're simply an atheist?

17 posts / 0 new

Thu, 02/28/2013 - 18:09

samking009

Can you boldly say to your kids you're an atheist and encourage them to be one themselves? Isn't that out of place?

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Thu, 02/28/2013 - 20:56

damanar

I do not encourage my

I do not encourage my children to be atheists. I encourage my children to think critically and value evidence.

Fri, 03/01/2013 - 00:02

samking009

So, will you be encouraged if

So, will you be encouraged if they are Christian and they believe in Christ and do good things?

Fri, 03/01/2013 - 12:24

(Reply to #3) #4

damanar

I will not be "encouraged,"

I will not be "encouraged," but I will not admonish them for their choice. As long as they are doing good, then I will be happy. But, please note the being Christian and doing good are not corollary.

Sun, 03/18/2018 - 10:16

(Reply to #4) #5

Sheldon

What makes you think they'll

What makes you think they'll automatically do good if they start deluding themeselves with superstition? What if they come home one day and start espousing the worst kind of religious bigotry?

Sun, 03/18/2018 - 10:44

(Reply to #5) #6

chimp3

Sheldon, are you trying to

Sheldon, are you trying to resurrect the dead? This thread is 5 years old. We could start a new one!

Sun, 03/18/2018 - 10:49

(Reply to #6) #7

Sheldon

My apologies but it appeared

My apologies but it appeared at the top of the forum in my browser? I hadn't noticed the dates.

Tbh the way posts are inserted into the middle of threads baffles me.

Fri, 03/01/2013 - 11:57

James

Samking009: Can you boldly

Samking009: Can you boldly say to your kids you're an christian and encourage them to be one themselves? Isn't that out of place?.to me out of place is to make choices for someone else including your own children, besides you are just one religion away from being an atheist like me. I dont have kids but if i do (i agree with damanar) i´ll teach them to think for themselves, to respect every live being, to protect nature, to care and to help; and if they choose to be part a religion i´ll respect them anyways; cause the will make that decision based on knowledge and true desirenot because they were bapstized as babies.

Fri, 03/01/2013 - 23:16

Rob

The only thing that is out of

The only thing that is out of place is to force your child to be anything. Be it an atheist or a christian. Children should be allowed to explore all religions and ideologies without fearing punishment from their parents. If you give them enough confidence to do this, then they will also have enough confidence to challenge any doctrines that come from outside their household. Which truly makes a person much stronger and able to be a productive and educated human being.

Tue, 03/05/2013 - 00:27

#10

Shawn Giraud

I have taught all 3 of my

I have taught all 3 of my children to look at all available evidence and come to their own conclusions. My oldest (24) decided she wanted to be a wiccan. My middle child (21) decided he didnt care one way or another so i guess he would be classified more as an agnostic/ undecided and my youngest (12) proclaimes to be an atheist. My wife is a non-practicing catholic that still believes in god so whenever he has questions we both give him an answer from each of our prospectives and let him make up his own mind.

Thu, 03/07/2013 - 01:03

#11

Rob

I congratulate you for your

I congratulate you for your work with your children Shawn. I believe that when we allow them to question and research in order to choose their beliefs we are truly doing a good job as parents. And building a foundation for this human been to be truly free of fear of any kind of religious tale.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 21:29

#12

mysticrose

I will not push my child to

I will not push my child to any belief. I believe in god but I will not push her to do the same. I will let er explore her mind and carry her own wisdom. But, I will not also allow other people and religion to influence her thinking in such a way that can manipulate her young mind. Now she will be under homeschooling program so no one can manipulate her thoughts.

Tue, 05/21/2013 - 19:41

#13

SammyShazaam

If my kids asked me, I'd of

If my kids asked me, I'd of course answer them honestly, as I feel a parent should. Why is honesty out of place?

I never really thought to ask my parents, it was a non-issue for us.

I do remember coming home rather disturbed from preschool one day during the winter, as all of my classmates were looking forward to letting a strange old man into their house late at night offering them presents in exchange for "good behavior", and my teacher seemed to endorse this creepiness! I watched Sesame Street religiously (lol) and was well aware of "stranger danger" and knew that I had to speak up. My parents had a difficult time explaining to me that the other children believed differently, and that they were actually not in danger of being abducted and abused, or having their houses robbed.

I also remember puking on one of the nuns in 1st grade when she insisted that I partake in the cannabilistic ceremony of the Eucharist. May parents did explain to me when I was sent home that it was simply a piece of bread and some wine, just as I had previously thought.

Once I was about 11, I was able to speak openly about religion with my parents, though my Father is reluctant to do so as he thinks the whole subject is ridiculously irrelevant to anything that matters in his life.

Mon, 03/19/2018 - 05:16

#14

Cognostic

Actually, when kids bring up

Actually, when kids bring up God, I tell them that I do not talk to invisible magic people. I do not talk to Santa, Peter Pan, The Easter Bunny, or anyone else with invisible magical powers. Magic is not real.

Mon, 03/19/2018 - 05:19

#15

Sapporo

You should only tell the

You should only tell the truth.

Mon, 03/19/2018 - 07:20

#16

mickron88

they'll know it eventually,

they'll know it eventually, they'll have my traits so why bother telling them i'm an atheist?

oh one thing though..
let them learn and encourage them to ask anything that they don't understand...

Tue, 03/27/2018 - 23:56

#17

Astaroth

If/When I have children, I

If/When I have children, I would not encourage nor discourage any form of ideology, instead, I would inform them (neutrally) of my beliefs and other belief systems and philosophies, so that they can logically come to their own conclusions. To deprive them of logical thinking would be the worst thing.

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