Non-Christian parents: When you raise a child with reason and love, how do they turn out?

Question

With all due respect, Christians don't need to chime in. I certainly left the Christian alone when she asked that I do so.

Answer 1

I'll answer this question from a different perspective than asked. Forgive me while I digress. I have taught my children respect. Repsect for animals, their elders, people's property, other kids, nature, and the arts.

I took my kids to the art museum last year. My kids and I walked into the room with nudes. All the other kids were running out of that room as fast as they could while their mothers shielded their eyes. I walked in with my kids...one of their hands in each of mine. They were 8 and 5 at the time. We looked at the nudes. Afterall, what is wrong with the human body? My oldest stopped at a painting, examined it for awhile. I glanced at the painting and saw it was of a woman in a towel seated before a dressing mirror. My daughter then asked me "Mommy, is that how she sees herself?" I looked at the painting again. This time I noticed that the woman was a thin lovely woman, but her reflection showed a woman with a tired face, heavier body, even a little pudgy.

My point....without the religious dogma telling my kids that nudity is shameful and something to be hidden, I wouldn't have known that my daughters were capable at such a young age to understand art so well. I am quite glad that they are well versed in a lot of areas, and that they show all things (including art) the proper respect that is deserved.

Answer 2

I don't think that Christianity, or religion at all, have to play a part in good parenting. I am raising my children to have good morals, regardless of what spiritual path they choose to take.
We all know right from wrong, no matter what we choose to believe as far as a deity. Atheists can raise caring, productive citizens. Christians can raise criminal children. It's about teaching our little ones to respect each other and nature-not any religion, Christian or otherwise.

Answer 3

I'm not a parent, but my parents are non-religious, and I like to think that I turned out pretty well.

I get decent grades, I participate actively in my school's show choir, I don't do drugs, drink or smoke, I have no desire to do drugs, drink, or smoke, I don't steal, I haven't had sex and I don't plan to until I meet the right person, I love my parents dearly (as well as the rest of my family), I've never been in trouble for anything other than "lipping off" (I'm a teenager, what can I say?).

I've always tried to be the best person I can be, and I can't thank my parents enough for letting me make my own choices in terms of religion, opinions, politics, etc. But knew the right places to tell me "no". :)

Answer 4

When you raise a child with reason and love, they will hopefully turn out to be reasonable adults with lots of love to give. Sometimes they don't always turn out that way, mom and dad's genetic and health histories being a factor (mental illness and substance abuse in the family, for instance). For the most part, however, children will give to the world what their parents, parent-figures, and influential friends have given to them.

Answer 5

Amazingly, even children of pagan parents turn out to be kind, loving, respectful, moral and dependable citizens. Of course I may be a bit prejudiced but I think my kids have turned out great so far. My son is in 11th grade, has an after-school job and military career plans. My daughter is in 10th grade, an honor roll student, and her goal in life is to become a psychologist.

Answer 6

Pretty good actually.
My son is 21, in University working on a Chemical Engineering degree, and is a good person.
And I never once touched on the subject of god or religion, he learned it was all bunk when he was 7. And he did it on his own.

Answer 7

i recognize what you recommend. that's often at a loss for words me. when I've asked this comparable question, I continually get an answer alongside the strains of "properly, God provides all people the prospect to come again to Christ and grow to be Christians. it rather is their very very own fault in the event that they do no longer opt for to settle for it." yet i do no longer think of that's an extremely good answer. God additionally provides human beings numerous opportunities to grow to be Muslim, or Hindu, or Buddhist, etc. and those human beings needless to say have very sturdy convictions for his or her faiths besides. finally, we've been given no concrete way of understanding what's the single real faith. the actuality that there are good people who commit themselves to the pursuit of doing perfect, attempt to serve God as they suspect they could desire to, and spend their lives attempting to do exactly right by way of others, who commonly opt for or are born into faiths different than Christianity could desire to tutor that it is not a rely of "justice." It would not make experience that a loving God might condemn his infants to an eternity of torment for merely failing to wager the perfect holy e book to subscribe too. There are some faiths that have faith that "hell" isn't a literal place that one is going to after a literal death. particularly, some take a much less literal interpretation and have faith "hell" is the state of torment one lives in while they are not optimum a spiritually balanced existence. i in my view think of that interpretation makes greater experience.

Answer 8

My parents were nominally religious liberals. There was little or no indoctrination in my family.

I turned out to be kind of a smartass, but otherwise ok I think.

Answer 9

my children are amazing
my oldest , she is 15 now
she helps in the fair trade shop in her school , is part of a human rights campaign for asylum seeking children , and wishes to be a social worker when she goes on to have a career
she makes me very proud

Answer 10

odd thought, my parents were religious until i was like 6 and my bro was 4, funny cuz we were religius until a certain point. maybe they did that on purpose bcuz i am really smart going to cherry creek, getting honor roll. man i think you might have a point there

~♥raziela♥