What do Atheist teach their children concerning their beliefs or dis beliefs?

Question

I"m not being sarcastic, just curious?
I'm just wondering, do you teach them say..believe what you want everything is your own choice?
Or do you teach them evolution and tell them to make up their own mind?
Or would you be upset if say, a relative who believed in God told them about God?
Would you allow them to go o a Christan or Jewish or Musslim school if they wanted to?

helio462...hi,
the reason I said I wasn't asking sarcastically is because when I have asked questions before to atheist (some not all) have got upset and said I was being sarcastic when in fact I was not just curious, so if I came arcross wrong ..sorry just asking.
how else do we understand one another?

Answer 1

I am Atheist and have 3 children.. I have raised them to make their own decisions about religious beleifs..

I have explained my beleifs, my husband who is agnostic has explained his beleifs..

My parents are Mormon, My husbands parents are Jehoviah's Witness we talked with them and have asked them not to bring up the subject but if asked they can give there veiw by prefacing it with "I beleive" or "My relgion beleives"... We have only run into one problem with my Mother-in-law (She took it upon herself to attempt to convert our children by giving them childrens bible story books and telling them not to tell us... The first thing the children did was tell us.) We quickly solved the problem by saying "They are our children we will raise them as we see fit. While we appreciate your concern the gifts were not requested and are not welcomed.. Tell the children to keep a secret from us will not be tolerated this is your one and only warning" We returned the story books.. Since then she has only shared her beleifs when the children ask and things have gone very smoothly..

Each one of my 3 children has attended religious meetings upon request they have attended JW meetings as well as Mormon meetings accompanied by their grandparents. The older 2 (17 and 19) have attended Catholic mass, Assembly of God services, Baptist services, as well as Southern Baptist Services (All the churches that have services within 100 miles of our home) I have accompanied them to all meetings and sat respectfully allowing them to make uop their own minds..

My oldest (19) is agnostic she beleives there is a higher power but does not beleive in organized religion... My middle (17) is Atheist he beleives there is not higher power or deity(s).. My youngest (9) still isn't sure she has begun to ask questions about the various religious groups in the area and if she follows the course the other took she will ask to attend meetings of various churches in the next year or so... I will take her... and I will continue to take her to which ever services or services she requests until she either reaches and age she can take herself or loses interest just as I did with the older 2.

As for schools there is only one religious school (an elementary school) in our area, not I would not allow my child( the school only applys to my youngest) to attend not because it is religious but because the test scores are very low compared to my child's current school and the students entering the High School from the religious school are markedly behind their peers entering from the public school..

I have always felt each individual must steer his or her own course when it comes to religion and religious beleifs..

I beleive in showing respect to others and their beleifs even when they differ from mine... I also beleive that I deserve that same respect in return and will settle for nothing less..

Answer 2

Don't have any yet. However, if I had children, I think it is most important to teach them to think. If they have the tools of reason and logic under their belt, they'll be better prepared to deal with the world.

I would be upset at any other relative pushing their religion on my children. However, I don't mind general discussion about religion with relatives, especially if I have taught them well how to use reason and logic and how to weigh evidence in a discussion. But if the relative just keeps falling into a proselytizing rant, that would be rude and I would ask them to stop.

I wouldn't just teach them evolution. I would teach all sciences, and help them excel in school. I think that math and English are also important.

If, when they got older, they wished to go to a religious school, I would counsel against it. However, it is ultimately their decision. It, of course, depends on how old they are and if they are mature enough to make such decisions.

Answer 3

I teach him to be good to people and obey the laws of the land. As far as evolution goes, that is taught in school, and we've always been science lovers and discuss these things all the time. I have no relatives that interfere. Being atheist, he would never want to go to any religious school and it never came up. I can't hypothize about what never happened.
I bet that being a Christian, you would not allow your children to go to a Jewish or Muslim school

Believe it or not, I used to be Christian, so my son got a Bible education. So, he made up his own mind to be atheist before I ever did, so I feel I let him make his own choice.

Answer 4

Atheists are not all the same, it really depends on the person. So I can speak only for myself what I would do if I had children.

Yes, I would understand that it's their own choice what they believe and that I would not have a chance to force them to agree with me even if I wanted to. But I would tell them what I believe. I would also tell them about evolution, and if they turned out to become creationists I would consider that my failure as a parent. No, I would not be upset if someone told them about God and think it would be quite inevitable that they hear about God and religion, you know I would not lock them at my home and control what all they hear and see. I would also encourage them to know and learn about what other people think and believe and I would like it if they had friends of different religions. I wouldn't mind either if they believed in God, but I would mind if they started to tell me that I will burn in hell for not believing and started to preach to me. For this reason I would not like them to go to a Christian or Muslim school because I'd fear that this is exactly what they might be told there. But if they insisted to do so at an age of 14 or so at which I believe they would be old enough to make their own decisions, I would not stop them against their will, although I wouldn't like it. If they turned to Judaism I wouldn't have any problem with it as it does not teach that non-Jews will go to hell and must be converted, so I wouldn't see any potential for conflict in this case. Same would be if they turned to Buddhism or some other religion.
All in all, as long as they would accept that I don't believe in God or a religion I would be fine with whatever they would choose to believe, it is only this idea of Christianity and Islam that "non-believers" will go to hell and should be converted that troubles me.

Answer 5

Well, i don't particularly have a religion nor do i attend church. I haven't really talked to my children about god or evolution. They already know about god and evolution through people and school. The only thing I try and teach them are how to be a good person and the skills they need to function within society. If and when they ask or i decide to tell them, I won't tell them to believe in one or the other. Ill let them decide as to which method attends to thier needs as an individual.If a child is to find god let them find god, if they do they I beleive they will be a better christian than a person bathed in the teachings year after year. If they don't then i expect that they will research and find answers to why they do not believe and live a more enriched open minded life. But either of these instances can't be for certain, they make up my own set of beliefs, which every person undoubtedly has. It all comes down to good and evil. Believing in christ and being an evil person doesn't make somebody more likely to go to heaven, than a person who doesn't believe and is a good person. We all want whats best for our kids, and as child growing up i went to church 2 times a week and having fun at church with other kids. I was even saved at one church and baptized in another.I had always believed in god. but I was a curious child and somethign in my mind didn't fit. Today im a non beleiver, i have a christian set of morals yet I am not a closed minded person, nor do i let that be my undoing.I have many friends who beleive in god and go to church, i don't disagree with them, though ive had mnany conversations with numerous friends abotu the topic. I feel that as long as what you believe in is bettering yourself and others than you are in the right....

On the school thing. I don't think I would let my child choose what religion of school he wanted to attend, because most parents use their public schools even if the child wants to go back to his old school if he/ or she had just moved. If he wanted to know more about a certain religion, I myself would be more than willing to obtain books and or information reguarding them and let him read them at his own will, and even ask questions about them to me or help him read and undersrtand it. but i doubt i would follow the exact guidlines if he wanted me to. Because I would tell him that everyone has their own beliefs.

Answer 6

The assistant minister at our church used to be an atheist. She tells us that she grew up in a household that followed "the golden rule." Now - she's a grown woman with grown children (who she raised atheist) and grandchildren. Her mother is still an atheist - but very proud of her daughter and her new found lifestyle and profession.

I think atheists are just like any other group of people. Some are tolerant and accepting of others beliefs. Others are not.

Answer 7

If I were to have children, I would teach them to think for themselves. If they asked a question about religion, then I would answer it. If they wanted to go to Sunday school, then I would let them. I wouldn't even push evolution onto them. If my kid came home one day and said "I just got baptised" Then I would be fine with that. So long as they had made the decision for themself and was not pushed into anything.

I am a believer in choice.

Answer 8

You teach them to be skeptical.
Of science, of politicians, of religions, of infomercials, anything.

Then, when they are old enough and have studied various religions, they can choose whatever religion, if any, they want to follow.

You teach them that it is a choice that ONLY THEY can make. That is what my parents did to me, and I chose atheism. Actually... I didn't find out they were atheists until I was like 10 yrs old, and by then I had already been studying religions (roughly... I went more in depth later on).

As for teaching them evolution... um... not only does atheism have absolutely NOTHING to do with evolution, but you'd be doing them a horrific educational injustice if you did NOT teach them about evolution. I don't want our children turning out like that Levi kid from Jesus Camp.

Answer 9

If I had any children....the first thing I'd teach them is to question EVERYTHING...and believe NOTHING at face value. Look into something before you decide to make it a part of your belief system.

If my child decided, when they are old enough to decide things for themselves, that they want to follow a particular religious belief system...although I may not like the idea. I'd have no choice but to let them exercise their own reasoning for wanting to follow one.

Answer 10

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