For the Atheists?

Question

I'am a catholic married to a non believer, we have been married for 10 yrs. & have 2 kids and we have done well in compramising on how we bring them up religion wise. They have both been baptised but no first communion. I sugested our son should start to read the bible here at home.My husband thinks that going to church every sunday is enough. Which I disagree with. Should I put my foot down on this one and insist they read the bible...Please serious comments only

To answer "babygurl" My son is 9 and my little is still quite a baby..Shes only 20 months old

Also for those who asked..My son wouldnt mind reading the bible..My husband just thinks its a waste of time

Answer 1

How about a 'critical' reading of the bible AND of what your son hears in church? I mean, let him read it, but let your husband (or someone else) train your son so he doesn't just take everything he reads and hears without discussing it, and he gets to see through what he's told. In a nutshell, give him all the elements, and let him decide on his own, when he grows up.

EDIT: I would strongly advise AGAINST letting your child decide now what to do. He is not old enough to understand what the choices are. And you run the risk of having him decide not between religion and atheism, but between his mum and his dad. That cannot possibly be good for him.

Answer 2

The Bible is the most read book worldwide. Reading The Bible at early age will only give your kids a platform in life. Your kids will be given the option to make educated choices for themselves later. Are the kids interested in reading the Bible? If the request come from the kids perhaps your husband will be more flexible.
Some churches have Bible study groups for young children. Some churches have special program for children religious education.
If nothing else their reading skills will improve. Are you considering their first communion?
God Bless

Answer 3

I'm not a Catholic, I'm Protestant, so my views might vary slightly on this one, but I am still a strong Christian. I think you should definitely put your foot down. Even if your husband does not agree with the Bible, he cannot argue the fact that it has many good lessons and positive morals. You should ask him to consider what alternatives your children might have: reading Harry Potter, Goosebumps, etc. Would he rather have them start out with a strong foundation on positive beliefs and later expose them to opposing views, once they can morally stand on their own, or would he rather them start on questionable values, and later read the Bible and not follow it, because it contradicts their early education?

Not that anything is wrong with reading other books, but if you value your religion, you should at least expose it to your children. Be sure to get a version they understand, though, like the NASB or The Message paraphrase. If you start them reading the King James Version, they most likely won't understand one verse, and will forget it or even be driven away from it.

Remember to always treat your husband with respect when presenting your opinions; you wouldn't want him to think you are a hypocrite, but still hold to your values and do what you feel is right regarding your kids' education. The early years are the most vital in children and will probably shape the rest of their lives.

Another solution may be to focus more on your husband. If you can get him to read the Bible and become a Christian, then the chances he'll let your kids read it will probably go up. Always remember your goal. Why do you want your kids to read the Bible? Because it is a good story book, or because it is morally supportive? Because it talks about a nice man who died on a cross, or because you want to save their souls? What your focus is will transfer to your children, so keep in mind your reason for doing what you do.

Answer 4

I read up on almost all the religions out there before I made up my mind to not go with one of them.

I think it is great if your son wants to read the bible, there are great stories in there, every culture has stories for children. I see nothing wrong with that. Even if your son decides he likes your faith and stays with it, your husband should be supportive of what ever interests the children have. It doesn't sound like you are pushing something on them.

One day the kids will have to make up there own minds about god anyway. Why not teach them as much as possible about religion now, so they can see for themselves what it is really all about. Good Luck

Answer 5

Scripture says if you train a child in the way then they should go, then as an adult they won't depart from it. How many trained up children who as adults won't darken a church door does it take for everyone to get that it's advice, not an iron-clad promise?

I personally have a huge problem with religious indoctrination of children because you are presenting them with material they have no way of looking at critically at a time when they have no logical and rational facility to speak of. By the time they are adults they will either reject it as "stuff mom made me do" or they will insist on its rightness without ever understanding what they've been conditioned to accept. If they see you do it and feel good about you, they may follow your example for no other reason.

If you ask a priest they will tell you no one is more radically committed than an adult convert to Catholicism because they came at it as an adult and chose it for themselves. But if a kid gets it in their head that it was just mom's attempt to brainwash them, a message they will get, even if just in body language, from your unbelieving partner, then as an adult they will reject it as an attempt to control them as a kid an never examine the faith honestly and openly and make an informed decision.

Answer their questions. Indulge their curiosity. If they want to go to church it's most likely they want to be with you or please you, but let them. Be honest about your beliefs and your partner's unbelief. But if you insist they read the Bible, it's homework, not spiritual exploration, and I doubt it will have much effect except make them resent reading the Bible, which is really too bad. Believer or not, it's worth the read, but they'll want to think it's their idea, not your demand.

My mom was sneaky she got me a top of the line leather Bible with my name on it and just left it out for me. I saw her reading all the time and found if I wanted to have a long conversation with mom, talking Bible would do it. No one even suggested I read it, but I did every day. No guarantee they won't end up atheist. In fact I would say the more closely they study the more incredulous they'll become. But I suppose you're willing to chance it?

Answer 6

First being an Atheists and a "non Believer" are two different things.

If you feel that strongly about your son reading the bible at home, then yes you should put your foot down.

Does your son want to read the bible at home.?

Answer 7

You should let them decide on which path they choose. You don't want to force feed your kids, they might turn on you, besides they see your husband, they might see it easier not to be religious because its easier.

Even though you're catholic, you're going to be judge strictly when your time comes cause you married a non believer. You might still be going to hell. I heard it from someone that read the bible front to back for the past 6 years. It has to do with the marriage vals or something about spreading the gosspel or being with different people.

Answer 8

Start by reading books such as:

"What you don't have to believe to be a Christian"
by George M. Ricker
and
"Get Unstuck from Fundamentalism"
by Robert Parsons Crosby

Then the two of you discuss beliefs together and see if there are things that you can agree upon. Then tell the kids that God is a difficult concept that even adults don't all agree upon. Tell them what things you believe and why. Teach them to think for themselves and teach them how to evaluate information and the sources of information. Then guide them through, or let them read on their own, the bible or any other religious book you choose and discuss with them what they think about what they are reading. Is it literal? Is it metaphorical? Let them explore for themselves!

Answer 9

Why do you think you need a single book to teach your children the things they need to lead a happy, contented, fulfilled life? Perhaps YOU needed the Bible for those things, but why not let them decide on their own? If they read it because YOU decided they should, it was not taken up freely, it was done as a chore. If they were given free will, the LEAST you can do is allow them to excersise it.

Answer 10

Let your child choose if they want to read the bible or not. Don't impose on them something just because you believe in it. This to me sounds like the typical setup where the wife believes and the husband is like "whatever" and she keeps pushing it and pushing it until he finally will crack and go directly to the kids and tell them that they can no longer go to church if they want to. This always backfired women and creates chaos. Save yourself from that chaos and let the kids choose if they want to read it. Going to church must be tedious enough.

Consider yourself getting into this problem if you're not reading it with them:
1. They will read the flood and possibly think the world will flood again whenever its raining.
2. They will read abraham and think daddy will kill them for god.
3. They will read about adultery and you'll have to explain how sex works.
4. They will read about the people who get stoned to death and fear stoning.
5. They will read about the devil and think he's lurking there at night. Isn't the boogie man enough.
6. They will learn about animal sacrifices in the bible.
7. They will read about some beast with the number 666 and the end of the world by fire.
8. They will learn that their god was crucified by jews (anti-semitism).
9. God will let him get some desease to prove something to satan (job story).
10. You'll have to explain gay people and how they'll go to hell even though they aren't doing anything that affects anyone elses lives.


If all that trash is okay for you to let them read, you might as well start buying him playboys and let him play the latest blood game or rated R movie (you probably will if it was the passion I bet).

If you make him choose what to read, don't make it a mom v. dad issue. Just tell him if he'd like to read it to talk to you, but it isn't required of him and have dad agree with this. But by the love of god read it with him and explain it.