All you atheist parents wondering how to broach the religion topic to your kids listen up!

[Rhubarb]

I'm a catholic and I teach my kids about all religions. I explain that some people believe different things and some people don't believe at all. I tell them what the Bible says about creation and what science says.

I tell them what my personal beliefs are but I encourage them to make their own minds up. I answer questions with "well this is what I believe but you might think something different".

I take them to Church and they know about the religion we follow, but I do encourage questions as far as I can bearing in mind their young ages.

So what I say to you is this. Don't put a barrier between yourselves and religion when it comes to your kids. Arm them with information and let them make their own minds up. If you push them a certain way, chances are that they'll reject it later on in life. Whereas if you add your support to whatever they decide to believe or not, it will give them the confidence to choose their own paths.

You may be disappointed in their choices but don't try to influence them too strongly one way or the other.

So says me.

Aarrr, you see because I don't know what I belive I'm not really thaking anyone particularly.
The weekly event is simply a prompt to do it

How many people can really say they thank (whatever/ are thankful) enough without a prompt to do this
When was the last ime you did this (and the last? and the last? and the last??????)

I'm not saying you can;t be thankful without a service each week I'm just saying it's a good prompt to be so

if my dc were religious, id be v disappinted in my parenting. if they want fantasy and fiction, they can read a vastarray of literature on offer...
if we lived in abject poverty or terror, i could understand them getting religion. but we are v lucky reasonable enlightened comfortable people. if they had faith in some bizarre cock and bull set of stories ( i mean seriously??) id be very wierded out.
frankly.

I think you're right, we probably do need a prompt. And to be more grateful for what we have. No way you'd ever catch me going to church to do it, though.

hear hear UQD

Not a big deal. I was thankful for what I have - and used those very words - today with my DH. I can't remember exactly when the last time was but so what? I may not have used the words but had the thoughts in my own head or been glad in one way or another. OK, you can say it was last Sunday and the Sunday before and the one before. And???? I still don't see why you need religion for this, a personal organiser would do the job just as well

ugd - so what will be your prompt then?

Not being argumentative just curious

I promise you that I have more questions about religion than a lot of people who attend church

I really don't know what I belive (I'll give you an example - how can giving your son to die be such a huge thing if you know he will live again and come home forever????)
I don't want that answered btw, it's just to highlight what I think about at church andf to let you know that I am an undecided!

rhubarb...great post.

i remember friends of mine when i was little... VERY atheist family...they were absolutely SHIT scared of a church..

imo very very sad.

I have my own way with god. i rejected the buddhist/catholic household i grew up in, but the background grounding in religious thinking stood me massively in good stead and i'm with aldous huxley in reckoning that there is a fundamental, crucial truth to be taken from all the major world religions. the perennial philosophy.

so i am taking ds to (anglican, liberal, inclusive) church. and hope that it gives him a ground on which to build.

whether your dialogue with god is one of love or of spitting in his face, to my mind there is nothing sadder than no dialogue at all.

that should read his/her/it's face. to be clear.

and i'm not sure i've spelt aldous right.

i have no relationship with god. i simply do not believe in the concept.
think its a load of baloney.
am not remotely sad about it.

i do advocate fairy stories and allegories as ways of telling moral stories and when it comes to tall tales and untruths i will of course include the catholic doctrines that i was raised on- as illustration of fairy stories and untruths

i of course prefer pragmatic tried and tested scientific fact..not religious wooly stories

and yet i love you tranquila;...and want to know who you are!!!

xxx

Yep, please no sadness on my behalf.

erm... sorry but i do think that FEAR is a sad thing.

per se.

and only knowledge and experience of can counter that.

But that's only your own prejudice, Sophable. Why do you think others live in fear? Fear of what exactly?

i am nappies, silly!

what do you mean fear? i am not afraid of my lack of belief in what to my mind, is utter nonsense. im not evenafraid of not having all the answers. i dont feel a burng desire to make stuff up when i dont have the answers... and that, to me, is what religion is.

and xxx right back at ya.
i am feeling sad and lonely tonight.
still dont have even vaguest notions of calling on any god like concepts tho!! lol

Rhubarb - what is your point if as u say you are happy thats nice but why so preachey or post to other parents..what outcome do u hope for

just to add i was indeed in the push them a certain way, chances are that they'll reject it later on in life^....Yes rejected catholicism

Where does this idea that atheists are somehow fearful come from? It's impossible to fear something you don't believe in. Do Christians fear the Flat Earth Society, or Zeus?

I don't spit in God's face. God doesn't have a face. There is no God.

I don't have a dialogue with God any more than I have a dialogue with tealeaves, crystal balls or the Great Spaghetti Monster.

You know, being glad about what you have (your health, your kids alive and well, enough money, enough to eat, etc) doesn't necsessitate thanking your imaginary friends for it. Ok, so it doesn't necessarily do any harm to thank your imaginary friends for the fact that you didn't get killed by an aggressive woodlouse today or whatever.. but if you're well and happy and doing OK, why not spread a little of your random good fortune around by helping other people or donating time, money or items to worthwhile causes? You don't need to be prompted by imaginary friends to do that.
There's nothing necessarily wrong with having imaginary friends. It's just that sometimes people's imaginary friends start whispering "KILL KILL KILL" in there ears.

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Pruners - I'd be equally disappointed if my children came to me and said "look, I've thought about it and on balance I think I rather agree with right-wing policies". I wouldn't disown them but I would be disappointed in them and in myself. That's what I say now. I imagine though that it wouldn't be an overnight thing and that I'd get time to see them developing that way so it wouldn't come as a shock.

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