Do atheists indocrinate their children into their belief system?
- Thread starter S.A.M.
- Start date
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M*W: I converted to Catholicism as an adult with very young children. I raised all four of them as strong Catholics. They're grown now. The two eldest still proclaim christianity even though it's not necessarily Catholicism. My two younger daughters tend to agree with atheism. My two eldest remind me constantly of my journey to hell. My two younger daughters don't believe in hell, especially if that's somewhere I am supposed to go.
Do I regret raising them all in Catholicism... No! They got a great christian education. From their, they were able to make their own decisions about what they chose to believe. My two elder children never go to church, but want to talk about Jesus every chance they get. They know better than to bring that subject up with me, but I have no regrets at all. I think the most educated and aware atheists come out of christianity. However, to teach one's children about atheism from the beginning, might be the best way. Anyhoo, it's never too late to tell them the truth.
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M*W's Friendly Atheist Quote (FAQ) of the Day:
"Most religions have merely canonized a few products of ancient ignorance and derangement and passed them down to us though they were primordial truths. This leaves billions of us believing what no sane person could believe on his own." ~ Sam Harris
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M*W's Anti-Bitterness Comments (ABCs) of the Day:
"Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." ~ Kris Kristofferson, b. 1936 American Actor and Folk Singer
My children are free to believe in any of the millions of gods available. How many would you let your children believe in? Wait, I get the feeling you'd make sure they believe in whatever one it is that you do.
Forgive me, please continue with your anti-atheist tirade.
So do you expose them to theism? How? What is your approach to religion with your children.
Duh!
Theists see atheism as delusional too. It works both ways.
Most certainly. The other day we spoke at great length about Odin and Thor, the week before that it was Tiamat and Marduk, the week before that it was Osiris and Isis and so on.
If there are questions they'll get answers - from all perspectives. I've never met a theist in my life that does such a thing. Here of course schools conduct "daily worship" that is wholly or largely christian and of course go through religious education with them.
Of course, as far as make believe goes, my kids seem much more interested in the Spongebob Squarepants variety.
I would indoctrinate my children into atheism, by simply not telling them that if they do bad things, they will go to hell. I would avoiding scaring them with nightmarish scenerios of Satan and his demons and I would explain that witches aren't real.
If they ask you, is there a God, what will you say?
There are theists worshipping Odin and Thor in your vicinity? Interesting.
Do any of them attend Sunday school? Go to church? Celebrate religious festivals (even ones pertaining to Odin and Thor?
Wouldn't know. What are you telling me, I can only teach them something if it has many believers? Does something having many believers mean it's true? Well alright then.!
Why would they do that? If my girls turned round to me and said they wanted to then fine. They don't. You want me to push it on them Sam?
No I was just surprised that they were into Odinism.
Did they ask you about those religions?
Have they ever been to a church? A prayer meeting? A class on religious education?
I'm just trying to compare as I did all of those things with my Hindu and Christian friends when I was a child.
Sam, you're loading the terms and being dishonest again; atheism is not a belief system.
If I were to have children, before that, I would first get my own philosophy/religion really straight, so that I would be sure of it 100%. I would then raise my children in that philosophy/religion and not expose them to other religions and philosophies. Otherwise, I wouldn't have children at all.
Children are easily impressed, and they cannot think abstractly up until age 12 or so. Teaching them to be "compassionate towards those who think differently" and to be "open-minded" is dangerous nonsense.
Children can mimick such compassion and open-mindedness very well, but as I know from my own experience, they can also become very confused because of that which can cause them a lot of distress. Which makes them do poorly at school and other activities, and other related drawbacks. They learn to doubt the value of life long before they are safely able to shoulder the burden of such doubt, and it crushes them. Teaching them early on to be "compassionate" and "open-mided" is just not worth that crash.
IMO, it's better to go with a rigid, conservative parenting style, teach the children good life skills. Once that is in place and the children grow up into healthy and productive adults, compassion and open-mindedness can be pursued without unnecessarily causing confusion and distress to the young person.
Bandwagon fallacy. The number of believers/worshipers of a myth in no way changes the validity of that myth.
It was an expressed curiosity. My daughter wanted to know the origins of the christmas tree. I could hardly lie and say it had something to do with jesus.. :bugeye:
Nope. They've also never had flying lessons or been to an alien abductees anonymous meeting either. What's your point?
Is she having some sort of breakdown?
SAM, if you will not agree that atheism is the lack of a belief in god(s), then there is really no point in continuing this, or any other religious discussion with you. An absence of dogma isn't a rival form of dogma. The title of this thread is a troll.
I challenge you to show where I have defended what you allege is a belief system. Answer honestly, or resign the debate.