how do atheists justify having children?

[jobhunter7]

Sorry if the question sounds banal... but it seems easier to rationalise having children if you think your children do the right thing mostly in life they'll end up beyond the pearly gates...

I've got into religion, but life isn't just for the afterlife. There's a lot of pleasure to be had while alive, too.

See my post upthread at 21.11 ,

Is every human up there since time began? Like would we be hanging around with neanderthals?
If your spouse dies early and you remarry who do you meet?
Do you stay the same age? Do babies age? Do old people get older?
Do you stay ill or disabled?
What the fuck do you do all day everyday?

Although I have began thinking how awful it is to bring someone into the world knowing they are probably going to have a horrid painful death.

Actually the religious people I know have lots of children because they believe big families are preferable. Every child is a gift from god and all that. Close knit bustling family is more important than having the latest tech or expensive holidays or going to restaurants though many religious people i know do spend a lot of money on their children esp on private school (not the fancy kind, the religious kind), coming of age ceremonies and weddings etc.

I am a worrier and I try to plan for the costs/logistics of having a child and that is very alien to many religious people i know. Not that it necessarily works out badly for some religious people (as they can be well educated and eventually earn a good income that enables them to support a growing family), but there is also the other end of the spectrum where the family is reliant on charity (but this isn't stigmatized within the community).

I had children because of my religion……which requires child sacrifice. My place in the afterlife is assured after I’ve offered up these little chubby buggers I can tell you.

(joking)

Because life is amazing! Even a shit life. Nature. Food. Music. Cats. Sex. Baths. Laughter. It's 70 years of LIFE. Frankly, eternal life sounds fucking awful. Whether it's in heaven or hell- forever is so so long. It would be boring depressing and disappointing. Meanwhile we get just 70-80 years. The good and the bad. It's fab.

But how does a religious person know their kids will follow their religion? Surely about as likely to result in condemning the fruits of their loin to an eternity of hellfire :D all of my siblings and I were religiously indoctrinated and none of us believe it now.

@DeanStockwelll - that's very thoughtful of your cat. He's very progressive isn't he? Fortunately (or unfortunately for them) my two have been 'seen to' but I'll admit one still gives the glad eye to the ladies. It may be time for a refresher of The Talk.

WTF?

Everything dies, OP.

Every creature, every human, every plant, every civilisation, every planet. None of it is set to last forever but that is no excuse not to live whilst we can nor is it anything to be afraid of. It's the most natural thing in the world. If it's been good enough for every other living creature that's come before them, I'm sure whatever death holds will be good enough for our children.

Just posting to see if MN has fixed the deletion message issue yet.

Since there is no god, how do you justify lying to your children and making them believe in myths through fear? It's barbaric,

Im atheist and I have children, don’t give a fuck about any religion. I’m raising them to be good people for the sake of it. and to give it to them, they bloody well are irrespective of religious beliefs. Surely when someone refrains from doing something bad ‘just because they will go to hell’ or whatever religious equivalent.. that is not the right reason.

Maybe they believe that death is the same as before you’re born, and they want to give their children 80ish years respite from that?

Have you read The Selfish Gene? Read it. It’ll explain everything.

One of these things is not like the other!

Oh I get it now.

So, atheists having children is inherently unjustifiable because we're simply producing spawn to be condemned to damnation for all eternity.

Well sod that insufferable intolerance.

Because everyone dies regardless of personal or religious beliefs.

It's the natural circle of life.

And judging by the former toothless wonders that graced Jezza kyles stage it doesn't require brain cells to get pregnant.

Much better to live a rich, full life safe in the knowledge it's the only one you get rather than waste hours worshipping a fictional god.

@RhubarbFairy Thanks mate!

What a ridiculous OP. Glad to see pretty much everyone agrees! Shame there's no vote.

You really do pist some odd stuff.

but I'll indulge you, you never know who is just asking daft questions & whi us 'struggling'.

I'm an atheist. What would happen to my children when they died wasn't exactly a question I struggled with before having them.

there are no gates, so it was never a consideration.

FWIW I CHOOSE to believe there is 'something' after this. But I have more questions than answers. But I CHOOSE to belueve I'll see my loved ones again.

This thread is comedy gold. Keep 'em coming.

Erm because they want to have a child and give that child the experience of life?!

I am religious. But will DC end up as cosmic stardust, ghosts, reincarnated as a frogs, inhabitants of heaven or just decomposing beside me…. Who knows..

I trust life is worthwhile enough.

Do you really need help working this out?

In order to enjoy the massively rewarding and purposeful experience of raising a family.
Because of the biological imperative to reproduce.
Because they believe in the intrinsic value of life itself and don't hanker for an afterlife. The wealth of experience of here and now is its own reward.