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Is it right for parents to push atheism on their children?

Started by jduster, October 25, 2010, 06:32:46 PM

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Stev13jay

Quote from: Will on October 25, 2010, 07:13:53 PM
The only way to push atheism on someone is if they're already religious. No one is born religious, so a parent would only be maintaining their child's atheism.

One of the most important jobs as a parent is teaching your child how to tell fantasy from reality, teaching deductive reasoning, logic, science, and healthy skepticism. If the child learns these things, it's highly unlikely he or she will become religious.

Being a parent I've been asking myself this question of how to bring up atheisms without being like the religious preachers I so dislike and I do agree not bringing up religion and showing them fact from fiction will be the best way.

Tank

Quote from: Stev13jay on November 02, 2011, 09:11:23 AM
Quote from: Will on October 25, 2010, 07:13:53 PM
The only way to push atheism on someone is if they're already religious. No one is born religious, so a parent would only be maintaining their child's atheism.

One of the most important jobs as a parent is teaching your child how to tell fantasy from reality, teaching deductive reasoning, logic, science, and healthy skepticism. If the child learns these things, it's highly unlikely he or she will become religious.

Being a parent I've been asking myself this question of how to bring up atheisms without being like the religious preachers I so dislike and I do agree not bringing up religion and showing them fact from fiction will be the best way.
You don't need to bring up atheism or theism with your child. Just teach him to question and require evidence to support assertions. But most important of all don't be afraid to admit you don't know everything. Kid expect their parents to know everything, but it is perfectly acceptable, and in my opinion desirable, that you demonstrate you do not. For example kid asks 'What's the Sun Daddy?', you give your basic explanation. But later you dig out a book and discuss the Sun and how it works with him. This demonstrates that there is knowledge beyond the scope of his parents. Also  if your kid asks you about something you don't know or are unsure of you have the perfect answer now 'I don't know, lets find out together!'. This opens a brilliant opportunity for you to go on a voyage of discovery with your kid.

Does that help?
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

DeterminedJuliet

Quote from: Tank on November 02, 2011, 10:07:49 AM
Quote from: Stev13jay on November 02, 2011, 09:11:23 AM
Quote from: Will on October 25, 2010, 07:13:53 PM
The only way to push atheism on someone is if they're already religious. No one is born religious, so a parent would only be maintaining their child's atheism.

One of the most important jobs as a parent is teaching your child how to tell fantasy from reality, teaching deductive reasoning, logic, science, and healthy skepticism. If the child learns these things, it's highly unlikely he or she will become religious.

Being a parent I've been asking myself this question of how to bring up atheisms without being like the religious preachers I so dislike and I do agree not bringing up religion and showing them fact from fiction will be the best way.
You don't need to bring up atheism or theism with your child. Just teach him to question and require evidence to support assertions. But most important of all don't be afraid to admit you don't know everything. Kid expect their parents to know everything, but it is perfectly acceptable, and in my opinion desirable, that you demonstrate you do not. For example kid asks 'What's the Sun Daddy?', you give your basic explanation. But later you dig out a book and discuss the Sun and how it works with him. This demonstrates that there is knowledge beyond the scope of his parents. Also  if your kid asks you about something you don't know or are unsure of you have the perfect answer now 'I don't know, lets find out together!'. This opens a brilliant opportunity for you to go on a voyage of discovery with your kid.

Does that help?


This is such a good suggestion!
"We've thought of life by analogy with a journey, with pilgrimage which had a serious purpose at the end, and the THING was to get to that end; success, or whatever it is, or maybe heaven after you're dead. But, we missed the point the whole way along; It was a musical thing and you were supposed to sing, or dance, while the music was being played.

Stev13jay

Quote from: Tank on November 02, 2011, 10:07:49 AM
Quote from: Stev13jay on November 02, 2011, 09:11:23 AM
Quote from: Will on October 25, 2010, 07:13:53 PM
The only way to push atheism on someone is if they're already religious. No one is born religious, so a parent would only be maintaining their child's atheism.

One of the most important jobs as a parent is teaching your child how to tell fantasy from reality, teaching deductive reasoning, logic, science, and healthy skepticism. If the child learns these things, it's highly unlikely he or she will become religious.

Being a parent I've been asking myself this question of how to bring up atheisms without being like the religious preachers I so dislike and I do agree not bringing up religion and showing them fact from fiction will be the best way.
You don't need to bring up atheism or theism with your child. Just teach him to question and require evidence to support assertions. But most important of all don't be afraid to admit you don't know everything. Kid expect their parents to know everything, but it is perfectly acceptable, and in my opinion desirable, that you demonstrate you do not. For example kid asks 'What's the Sun Daddy?', you give your basic explanation. But later you dig out a book and discuss the Sun and how it works with him. This demonstrates that there is knowledge beyond the scope of his parents. Also  if your kid asks you about something you don't know or are unsure of you have the perfect answer now 'I don't know, lets find out together!'. This opens a brilliant opportunity for you to go on a voyage of discovery with your kid.

Does that help?


This does help thank you

pytheas

many have mentioned the correct approach of building critical thought honestly in the kids
also not excluding them from unavoidable society/ school norms

with death of relative, united with the air and trees worked for me, later on to be refined in to the truth of ever-recycling molecules in the troposphere. I contain trees, and great grandmothers and rotten leaves...

certainty , reassurance and self confidence in dealing with the unknown is what children need to see in the parent, so admitting the unknown is an essential step.

i am unfortunate enough to raise 9, 8 year olds in school where they had until recently compulsory religious orthodox doctrine, with a picture of jesus in classrooms
in the question what is this god, where is he? my child posed at me at the age of 7, naturally i gave her my oppinion. she agreed instantly and now she socialises carefree during those classes.

I am happy she pays attention in maths

but if you really want to push atheism in your kids, the protocol requires some exposure to blockhead churchgoers. Like a vaccine it benefits from a challenge with the bullshit bug

"Not what we have But what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance."
"Freedom is the greatest fruit of self-sufficiency"
"Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little."
by EPICURUS 4th century BCE

Willow

Yes.
It has been quite tricky to keep Santa a myth, particularly when everyone wants to preserve my children's precious belief in him.  We like Santa, we like presents, we like Christmas, but we know it's just a story.  And if other parents object to my three year old telling their three year olds that Santa is a story, then maybe they need to explain that different people believe different things, no bad thing.

I think it is important to give children good offers of comfort, community and conectivity so that they don't go seeking it at church.  Is a self awareness of wanting to inform one's children out of being suceptable to religious seduction pushing atheism?  Or I am just trying to parent them as best I can?

x
Willow.