my thirteen year old son says he doesn't believe in god?

Question

he has "faith in doing right and all that but, god, jesus and how we all came to be doesnt fly to him...he is a very moral boy very caring and resectful... he believes in the "big Bang" theory.. is there any information on both sides I could show him and we could discuss so he can make an informed choice to what he believes?

I am not telling him what to believe I just want him to be informed.....he can believe what he wants

Answer 1

He can believe in the big bang theory and also believe in God. I am a Christian and I believe in both. Give him time to mature and don't try to force your beliefs on him If you do, he will stop telling you what he believes.

Answer 2

He is young and he may well change his viewpoint many times in the course of his life. You are obviously disturbed by his opinion, despite the fact that you seem to have raised a good kid. You might try doing some reading yourself and examine your own position. Few people have written philosophies that promote co-existence of the religious and atheistic viewpoints. Most atheists consider softer positions relative to religion to be intellectually dishonest. Theists generally cannot justify their position in terms that stand up to scrutiny. William James the American Pragmatist philosopher would be a good place to start.
You might ask him how he justifies those things that historically have been said to be promoted by religion; ethics, social consciousness and distinction between good and evil, etc.
It sounds as if he has already given this some thought and has adopted the atheistic position. Likely it will be difficult to convince him the validity of the alternative given that no one has any proof and the more he delves into the subject, the less likely it is he will change his mind. Perhaps a good tack to take would be to point out that there is no proof of the existence or non existence of God and that maintaining an open mind would be a good position to adopt (maybe you should consider this position yourself).
Agnosticism is a philosophy that is often criticised by both sides, but at least it does not dismiss either argument.

Answer 3

If he believes in The Big Bang he believes that all existence is a state that exists relative to absolute nonexistence! But does not exist relative to temporal existence. Absolute nonexistence is defined as the absence of existence, the absence of nothingness, and the absence of absence. It is what is not being referred to under any circumstances. It is the non-state to which everything including nothingness is attracted. Therefore he then believes nothing really exist? I remember reading an article called Reason & Revelation by Ph.D Bert Thompson, Brad Harrub, Branyon May. The three take the big bang theory and compare a biblical critique. Take a look, perhaps it will help! Good luck!
On a more personal note, I can imagine how anyone, including children could see all the wonderful aspects of our world and not know that it is far too complex, too marvelous, and wonderful not to be orchestrated by our Heavenly Father, his son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, but it is a perplexing choice to make to believe.

Answer 4

God is like electricity! Although it is very powerful, you can't see it, and you can only see its results. Just because we can't see God it doesn't mean he does not exist.

And if he asks why some people are sick and some are healthy, you could tell him that when you cook a meal, for example, some peas split, some remain tough, and some become overcooked. So the meal is more important than the individual pieces.

Similarly, humans were the goal of creation, and perfection of all pieces was not the goal. If every byte of a meal tastes exactly the same, the taste finally fades away, just like a canned food. Humans wouldn't want to be canned, would they?

Answer 5

He is thirteen and trying to find his way in life. You should encourage him to explore his beliefs (or lack thereof). Don't force him to accept one view or the other, but if you can encourage him to read and study more about these ideas and let him come to his own conclusions. There are many many books available on all the theories and theologies. Get him a library card and let him explore. don't force him to do anything. Perhaps some open-ended questions when you have quiet time. Ask him why he is moral and caring. What sparks compassion in humans when all other animals cannot feel empathy? What makes humans differnt from other life forms? Have you shared your beliefs with your son?

Answer 6

First of all, I am so sorry for what you're going through right now in your son's stage of life. Was he always born into the church? If so, then he might feel like he hears the same sermon over and over so he might be getting to the point where alot of christians get tired of the same thing, but then again alot get through it. Also, he probably just learned about the "Big Bang" theory in school. What NONSENSE! But anywho, you could always talk to his youth minister if he prefers to talk to him. But then again he could just be going through a phase of trying to figure out what he truely believes in and not what his peers tell him to believe in, because eventually in the end, it won't matter that you believe in God and he doesn't. He needs to make his own decision. I really hope I helped. Good luck and God Bless.

Answer 7

I believe in God and even I think that he made an intelligent decision.

Introduce him to Voltaire. Many think that God is tied with organized religion and that there is only one way to reach Him but a person can have full faith in God and not be tied to any religion. Persons like him are the Deists. Thomas Jefferson and many founding fathers were Deists. If you wanna give him a balanced dose then this would be a nice place to start.

Answer 8

There is information everywhere and he will surely find it as long as you don't restrict access to it. As you describe him, he looks like a good kid with no troubles. There is no need to force him to conclusions on that subject when he is still13, he van find religion if he needs it and as long as he has faith in right and wrong there is no hurry. It is not so important if he believes in the big bang or the bible about how the world came to be as long as he can act right.

Answer 9

All the information on the atheism side is going to appeal a lot to someone who is literal-minded and has been taught the value of science. Science works, anyone can see it. It doesn't have to be in opposition to religion. At 13, he will probably have a very hard time appreciating the meanings of religious stories... it's very subtle and not literal or concrete at all.

If you want to try to open his mind up to religion you need to explain to him that God is within us, not something Out There like a Big Daddy in the Sky, and that the meaning of your religious beliefs is not literal - it's not *directly* about the material world that science deals with directly. Belief in God does not have to conflict with scientific reality and reason. You do not have to believe in Biblical creation and the Flood and all that, to believe solidly in God and various other important tenets of religion.

Just don't ask him to believe the narrative stories of religion - explain that someday he will come to understand them for himself. Choose not to fight that battle, or he will most likely take it as disrespect.

Answer 10

Meh, I don't believe in the big bang anymore then I believe in creationism. I have lived through more conversion attempts by my family and their friends then I can count. They are losing me because they can't accept my choice. Please remember that.

I would ask your son to tell you what led to his choice. Follow his lead and see what he knows and doesn't know. Then offer to take him to the library and pick out some interesting books. Make sure to pick books that challenge and support both of your beliefs. Agree that you both will read them and pick a time once a week to talk about what you read. Through that you can both be informed.

If you allow him the space to share his beliefs with you then you can survive your differences. Maybe you will change what you believe or maybe he will but don't go into it with that hope.