Parents that are Christian & Parents that are Atheist - please answer...../?

Question

How much do you teach your children at home about:

1. the Bible, God, and Jesus

2. science, the big bang and evolution

3. other non-Christian religions and their beliefs.

(simple answers are fine, please answer all three, thank you)

Answer 1

I guided my children with 2 basic thoughts.
1. Treat other people the way you want to be treated.
2. Take responsibility for your actions.

Your 3 questions were something I told them they would have to decide for themselves.

Answer 2

I teach my children that the Bible is largely fiction and full of atrocities, that gods are imaginary, and that Jesus may or may not have existed, but if such a person did exist who inspired Christianity he was just a mortal man like everyone else.

I teach them that science in the form of reason and evidence is the only valid way to understand the world... that the big bang is likely to be a correct theory as it fits several different independent kinds of evidence, although science is always being revised in the light of new discoveries... and that all living organisms are indeed related by common descent, as is undeniably the case.

I tell them that people largely follow whatever religion they were raised with because religion is a shared belief system with no basis in reality.

Other people in schools and elsewhere get to put their points of view across too, so ultimately it's up to my children to decide as they grow up which position has the most merit on any particular issue.

Answer 3

I'm not a parent but if I were:
1-Given the cultural importance of these I would give at least basic information on them.

2-For the most part I'd let schools teach science. But if I were asked a question I'd answer it to the fullest of my knowledge.

3-A basic understanding of the major world religions is important. I would teach the absolut basics of each faith. We'd probably also explore several less know one's as well.

But I think that the child's interest should be a deciding factor in how much time is spent on each subject.

Answer 4

My daughter goes to a christian preschool, so pretty much everything that is said in our house regarding religion has to do with Jesus. Science is talked about, but not the big bang or evolution. I probably will not say anything about that until she learns about it in school. She is still too young to talk about other religions. She will probably start questioning other religions when she sees someone on tv talk about kabbalah or something on terrorism & why they feel the need to do it (because they believe in it). But for right now 100% christianity.

Answer 5

I am an atheist. If I have children, I will teach them what I belive and science, but will also teach them all of the interesting religions that populate the earth.

I think that atheist parents give their parents give a more rounded, complete picture. I know that my agnostic father gave me a much more complete view than the narrow view my christian mother gave me. And I certainly got a MUCH more rounded view than any of my religously raised friends.

Answer 6

I love how you split the world into two parts .. christians and atheists. Believe it or not there are other religions than christianity. Some people, like myself, are deeply spiritual but are horrified by religions and the hell they bring to earth. Some people, like myself, find "truth" to be the most spiritual of all things.

That's what I teach my children. To seek the truth in all things, never live life by "faith", question everything that is believed constantly, and never be afraid to think for yourself.

Answer 7

I teach my children that they are God. The spirit of Jesus is inside them and that there is nothing they can do to seperate themselves from that.

Their father has taught them some more religious/biblical things I am sure. But religion has skewed Jesus' teachings that we are all one and all righteous and combined it with the old Jewish law that Jesus taught. (But he taught it because He was under the law - and then He fulfilled it so we wouldn't have to)

You certainly don't need Jesus to teach kids spirituality. I think the greatest thing to let them know is that they are the creators. Their thoughts produce. That is the power of their spirit.

Answer 8

I'm well versed in all three, and what I communicate to my daughter reflects my knowledge of all three. She asks questions, and I answer them.

She was fascinated with dinosaurs when she was little, after watching Jurassic Park and the Lost World - wanting to know the names of all the various species, and how capable each would have been of eating people. I would laugh and remind her that people were not around back then, which is fortunate for us!

Answer 9

I don't teach anything. I prefer to leave that for my children to use thier real free will without external influence.
Free will means free from influence. But i do make sure my children get more than one source before they can make decision. I don't want them to be ignorant and make decision based on first thing they hear. They have to make intelegent choice.

Therefore Free will is not a free will if you push them one way or another.

Answer 10

I teach my children all of the above, to help them to decide what's best for them. A belief system is personal, and I don't think it should be enforced on anyone. I want them to be able to make informed decisions. They are free to pick what is best for them.