Atheists in the church pews

[AnimatedDirt]

I would give my child a history lesson about the horrors of religion and all tje innocent victims of it.
It's not like it's over. Look at Syria... All of the middle east.

While I know where this reply will be taken (as I've been here long enough to know the answer(s) on the contrary), I will say it anyway.  Humans are imperfect and while most of us brain-washed people are also among the imperfect, we believe and hold that God's perfect will WILL make things right in his time.  Our imperfect expression of religion does not necessarily portray God's "religion" if he actually set ONE up.  We may not understand everything, but who's to say our 10% brain use CAN understand all things.  Much like a comment from @Whitney in another thread about the earth hanging on nothing, she mentioned that it may not be wrong to think of the earth as hanging on nothing if you can't see any strings attached and don't understand gravity. 

Another question:  If you give your child a history lesson that plainly shows the horrors of religion and you include proof, video, books, historical evidence, archaeology...and he still decides that religion is more interesting and/or even turns away, if you will, from your guidance, is it possible and 2- is he stupid?

[DeterminedJuliet]

I don't think it's a horrible thing to expose children to different beliefs, but I can't say that I'll really want to take our little Fella to church unless he specifically asks, or shows some curiosity.  

I hated going to church when I was a kid and was dragged there every Sunday against my will. I really don't want to do the same thing to my little guy unless he shows an interest himself. Discuss religion - yes. Attend religious services - avoid if at all possible.

Just wondering...lets say your child, for who knows what reason, decides he has an interest in church/religion.  How much of this are you REALLY willing to support.  Is there a point at which you would cut his interest to keep him from becoming an delusioned, brain-washed idiot?

I think it'd depend on how old he is. If he decides at 11 that he wants to become a priest, I'd probably be less than enthused about the idea and I can't say that I'd be "supportive" about pushing him towards that goal. But, If he's 18 and he decides that he wants to be a priest? Well then, I'm going to suck it up and support him in what makes him happy. As long as he isn't shooting heroin into his eyeballs and can function as a member of society, he can believe whatever he wants to believe once he reaches a certain age.

But, considering that both of his parents are atheist, I think the likelihood of him "finding" a strong religious calling on his own as a child is probably going to be pretty unlikely.  

[The Magic Pudding]

We may not understand everything, but who's to say our 10% brain use CAN understand all things. 

Hasn't that 10% thing been discredited, relegated to B grade Hollywood productions?

[Sandra Craft]

We may not understand everything, but who's to say our 10% brain use CAN understand all things. 

Hasn't that 10% thing been discredited, relegated to B grade Hollywood productions?

I think so.  That was a 50s misconception of how the mind worked.

[Sweetdeath]

Well lucky for me, I plan not to have chidren.

[Davin]

Just wondering...lets say your child, for who knows what reason, decides he has an interest in church/religion.  How much of this are you REALLY willing to support.

I would support none of it, I would only support the things that I currently support.

Is there a point at which you would cut his interest to keep him from becoming an delusioned, brain-washed idiot?

I would interfere if I thought actual brainwashing was going on, however if the child is doing so under his/her own volition, then I would not.

[AnimatedDirt]

I think it'd depend on how old he is. If he decides at 11 that he wants to become a priest, I'd probably be less than enthused about the idea and I can't say that I'd be "supportive" about pushing him towards that goal. But, If he's 18 and he decides that he wants to be a priest? Well then, I'm going to suck it up and support him in what makes him happy. As long as he isn't shooting heroin into his eyeballs and can function as a member of society, he can believe whatever he wants to believe once he reaches a certain age.

I just said he turned away from your guidance...not that he wanted into the priesthood.    I think this answer is a healthy answer for a parent no matter which side of this discussion.

But, considering that both of his parents are atheist, I think the likelihood of him "finding" a strong religious calling on his own as a child is probably going to be pretty unlikely.

Is this due to simple upbringing or because the parent pounded it into their head?  I think a higher percentage of kids follow what their parents DO rather than what their parents SAY.

[Sandra Craft]

But, considering that both of his parents are atheist, I think the likelihood of him "finding" a strong religious calling on his own as a child is probably going to be pretty unlikely.  

I don't know, kids have a way of going off in their own directions.  Goodness knows I wasn't raised by atheists, and yet here I am.  What's-her-name, that caustic woman who started American Atheists, had a son that turned out religious -- in fact, I think he's a preacher now.  I don't think it'd be any more unlikely for an atheist's kid to be religious than a Democrat's kid to be Republican, and vice versa.

[Sweetdeath]

This is sadly true. How many atheists come from religious upbringings?

My parents never made me go to church, but my dad constantly annoys me with his god worship, so I made my own choices as an adult, based on logic.

[DeterminedJuliet]

But, considering that both of his parents are atheist, I think the likelihood of him "finding" a strong religious calling on his own as a child is probably going to be pretty unlikely.

Is this due to simple upbringing or because the parent pounded it into their head?  I think a higher percentage of kids follow what their parents DO rather than what their parents SAY.

Both my husband and myself are pretty non-vocal atheists in RL. I'm sure there are many people who are close to us who aren't even aware of our "beliefs", or lack thereof. If kids follow mostly what their parents do, then wee man will be a critical thinker, but not necessarily a "preachy" sort of any variety. 

[DeterminedJuliet]

But, considering that both of his parents are atheist, I think the likelihood of him "finding" a strong religious calling on his own as a child is probably going to be pretty unlikely.  

I don't know, kids have a way of going off in their own directions.  Goodness knows I wasn't raised by atheists, and yet here I am.  What's-her-name, that caustic woman who started American Atheists, had a son that turned out religious -- in fact, I think he's a preacher now.  I don't think it'd be any more unlikely for an atheist's kid to be religious than a Democrat's kid to be Republican, and vice versa.

Yeah, maybe. I don't know the stats on it, to be honest, but I guess every parent hopes that their kid will have values that are similar to their own.

I'm still trying to get my husband to brace himself for the eventuality that the little guy might not turn out to be a "geek" like him (i.e. a sci-fi enthused gamer). I think my husband would find it more horrific if he turned out to be a jock than if he turned out to be religious  Worst case scenario: a religious jock.

[Will]

I'm terribly afraid I do not understand the idea of atheistic parents taking their children to any kind of house of worship. So confusing is this concept to me, that I find myself seriously troubled by it. Certainly, a parent should share what the world is like with children, to explain and expose from a safe place a child to the reality of the world, but a church or synagogue or mosque exists to brainwash. Thery have surprisingly complex systems in place to exploit people into thinking in ways that are self-destructive and that ultimate create a dangerous, unhealthy dependence on religion. That is not an environment for a responsible parent's child, and I feel like people who are intentionally atheist, that is people who have carefully considered the religious issues and who have decided to remain or become atheist, should know better.

It's troubling.

[Sandra Craft]

Certainly, a parent should share what the world is like with children, to explain and expose from a safe place a child to the reality of the world, but a church or synagogue or mosque exists to brainwash.

Speaking for myself, I think that's a bit extreme and no more true than saying political parties exist to brainwash or that families exist to brainwash.  Some of all those groups can be bad in ways that do include brainwashing -- cults, fascists, abusive homes, etc. -- but considering anything offered by the whole to be bad is excessive and untrue, and considering all believers to be merely brainwashed a little insulting. 

I frankly think you've got the cart before the horse on this one -- organized religion does not create believers, the belief was there before and if organized religion were dismantled the belief would still exist.  I suppose I have a hard time with the alarmist view of religion because nearly all my friends and family are religious to some degree, and most the them very religious, and none of them are what I'd consider dangerous, self-destructive or mentally unhealthy. 

[xSilverPhinx]

I think the dangerous, self-destructive and mentally unhealthy aspect of religions in general that focus around death (such as Christianity) is that once the security blanket is removed, people are left with existential problems. The way it sets itself up too, where you're only worth something if you were created in the image of god is a little disturbing.

I wouldn't consider myself an alarmist, but I do think that religion is better with a more mature mind. I don't really know enough to say with a good level of certainty, but childhood indoctrination is a bit problematic. It would depend on the church and what sort of message they're trying to get across I guess. Some slight measure of comfort lies with the fact that the parents are atheists, so at least they see through some of the...um...teachings...of some sorts of churches and are good enough not to involve their children with them.

[Gawen]

The churches I went to as a kid focused on 'fun'. What better way to snag a tot by singing fun religious ditties and making crafts to take home? What kid wants to on the "out" when all the other kids are having fun? I too was dragged to church before my cognitive faculties were developed, yet somehow, I never did believe. But that is the crux of the matter...cognitive faculties. I think it a mistake for atheists parents to take their children to church or religious functions that are surrounded by other kids being brainwashed. Explain to a 5 year old all you want the religious craziness involved, but they won't understand. All they will see are other kids having fun.

A new church is to open soon here and when driving by the first thing you will see is the McDonalds type playhouse built into the church. Jesus loves the little children enough to have the church build playhouses and have 'plays' that every kid can be involved in and make mommy cute little crafts and all manner of things. Having fun is not "crazy" to a kid. They will not understand the subversive tactics religion uses to thwart critical thinking skills while they slide down the slide into a vat of plastic balls and singing Jesus Loves Me.

I kept my children out of church for the simple fact that I knew I could not combat religious brainwashing and peer pressure. It wasn't until they became teenagers when the serious questions they posed came forth. Then we had a bunch of little talks every now and then. And that's when I told them that they can (for the most part) reason it out for themselves and go to churches, mosques, synagogues, whatever, if they wished.

My daughter, still in high school at the time, had friends that invited her to a few churches. She went and never went back. My son has never expressed a wish to go to a church.

Peer pressure in school was enough, I felt they didn't need the extra baggage in a church.