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Question 20

How do you as an atheist teach your children about God and religion in general?

• Well, my son was born 9 days ago, but I have been thinking about this for a while. I will teach him about philosophy, science, history, etc.; I will teach him ABOUT various religions, as well. I think that knowledge is the best antidote against religion... and I plan to give plenty of it to my son. (MindFlayer #696)

• I have two daughters, now 15 and 11. When the 15 year old was about 10, we read Genesis together. She is very logical, and caught on very well when I showed her the contradictions and absurdities. I think Genesis is the atheist's best friend - the primitive roots of Judaism/Christianity/Islam are very apparent there. (Giants in the earth, etc.)

  Some bacground: I was brought up Jewish, my wife is Presbyterian (though not active and of the rational segment of that sect.) Her father, who is 80, is an atheist.

  BTW, many things are much easier about atheism when you have been indoctrinated since childhood that Xtianity is bunk. You have a lot less baggage to dispose of. (Scott Davidson #1045)

• I have two grown children 30 and 28. When they were growing up, I basically ignored god and religion. . Both my son and my daughter were free to attend church with any of their friends or to read any literature in which they were interested. They both became functional, well-adjusted adults who have fulfilling careers, loving spouses and marvelous children. (I may be a trifle doting about the granddaughters.)

  Really, neither one of them asked that many specific questions about god or religion and when they did, I answered in the "some people believe" vein. I answered their questions as honestly as I could and (I tried) without prejudice. Both of them became atheists through their own exploration and decision. The question of religion or lack thereof was never a large factor in my children's education and seemed to be unnecessary in their development as well-rounded human beings. (Liz Huth #658)

• I will treat it as I do other cultural myths. I won't lie to my kids. I don't believe in Lucifer, monsters, ghosts, or God, but I will point out that it is possible I could be wrong on any or all counts. I will teach them about other gods and points of view. (Jim Rugh #643)

• My children are at an age (6 and 4) where they can't avoid hearing about religious topics from other kids. I've heard them discuss God and heaven while taking a bath. My son once talked to me about the concept, and I asked him what he thought. He turned the question back on me, and I explained my atheistic viewpoint. To which he responsed, "I believe the same way you do."

  I've always believed in parenting by example and by listening. I'm sure we'll discuss the topic again many times before he grows up, and I will always discuss it calmly from a atheistic point of view. I'm confident my kids will make the right choice. (Dennis McDermott #1017)

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• Since my daughter is only a year old, I haven't really had to face this yet, but I can speak to what I think I will do.

  During the course of her growing up and schooling, my daughter will encounter various mythologies in literature, history, etc. Xianity and the bible is and will be presented as just another one of those mythologies. It will be dealt with as neither more important nor less then other mythologies.

  The most important thing I will teach her, as I taught myself, is the following questions: Why? How?

  I will try to reinforce her ability to ask tough questions when presented with beliefs and to critically analyze those questions and the answers given. Belief and faith will be relegated to insignificance. When she becomes an adult, I hope to leave her with a fully functioning, mature mind that is not vulnerable to irrationality. At that point, her beliefs will be her choice, subject to her decisions and analysis, not parental indoctrination.

  I will have to admit that xianity will probably come up more often than other mythologies, simply because my parents are both RCC and there are so many other people spouting xian nonsense all over the place that it is unavoidable. (Paul J. Koeck, #360)

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• Well, I think the worst possible thing I could do for my kids is to shield them from any knowledge of religion. That way, the first sharp bible-thumping con man can get them in the bag just like THAT. And it's not just a matter of them coming to believe some theological nonsense; everyone knows that the most energetic child-molesters in this benighted country always lead off their sales pitch with the Scriptures. Leave a young child unchaperoned in the presence of a priest these days, you might as well drop them off for the evening at a crack house. Instead I teach them as much as I can about several religions, and about the history of their practitioners. The study of comparative religion, the knowledge of the multiplicity of contradicting sects, is the best defense against the religious idea taking over their imaginations. No one who is acquainted with a half-dozen religions can believe any one of them unquestioningly.

  Another thing I do is to show no respect whatsoever when I come upon yet another instance of that good old religious flummery. I denounce it in a loud voice and no uncertain terms. I try to be reasonably polite to religionists in public - don't want to give Grandma a heart attack, you know - but I absolutely refuse to be respectful toward their inane voodoo-worshiping practices in front of my kids. Tolerance is a good thing but it does not extend to countenancing outright lies. Even when they watch some disgusting sentimental TV cartoon that involves ghosts and angels, I always make sure to let them know that in my opinion, those are myths, that is to say, LIES, stupid and destructive ones at that.

  You know, it occurs to me that perhaps one of the reason religions come into being is so a parent can tell a soothing lie to his children to take the edge off the dreadful idea of human mortality. (W. Kiernan)