It Is Okay To Tell Your Kids There Is No God?

Was watching a TV show last night and this question came up.

Now, since Christians usually raise their children as Christians, teaching their children that God exists, taking them to church, etc - is it okay for atheists to raise atheist children, and tell them that God does not exist?

Two people on the panel agreed that it was okay to tell your kids there is no God, but one of the panel members disagreed. The nationwide poll that is conducted on every question the show poses said that a small majority believed it was wrong to tell your children that God didn't exist.

I'm looking for your opinions.

 

There was a thread similar to this. Expect the question was, "is it okay to tell your kid that homosexuality is a sin." Or something similar to that.

While you should teach your kids to tolerate other people's belief, there's nothing wrong with it.

 

Tell your kid whatever you want. No God, there is an Easter Bunny and Santa Clause...Do what you want with your kids while you can. Soon the government will be snatching your kids because of weight or some other liberal talking point.

 

Yes, it is okay to tell your kids facts and not lies.

 

I voted no. I don't believe it is right to tell them either or. I believe it should be up to them to decide what is and real what isn't and they should be allowed to think for themselves even if that means believing in something that others may not think exists or simply lacking any beliefs at all in religious doctrine.

If my child were to ask me if God/Yahweh/Zeus/Odin whoever is real or not I would instruct them to study about it and discover the truth for themselves.

 

If it is alright to teach them a fear based doctrine, a doctrine whose fairy tales have no basis on reality, a doctrine that reenforces hate and bigotry, then I would certainly like to think that teaching them science, reason, love, compassion, and tolerance would be acceptable as well.

Probably more so.

 

Parents have the right to raise their children in their own religion (or lack of religion).

To say that parents don't have this right is to say the state has a right to interfere with a parents' teaching authority over their children.

But in the United States, we have a First Amendment, thank God.

Freedom of religion includes the right to send your children to religious schools, and for Amish it includes the right to pull children out of school after 8th grade.

 

We are obligated to give our children our best thoughts on any area of importance. Even if our thoughts are wrong, we have more experience than our children.
Of course, the children may realize at an early age that mommy and daddy don't really seem to have much of a clue about certain things, compared to other available teachers.

 

Interesing responses. I am actually surprised at the number of 'yes' votes.

 

wow. Less and less christians here anymore. I guess they all ran away from the atheists threats....

Mak, children grow up seeing things, believing things based on how their parents act and who they relate too. A brain is like a sponge at the age of 2-6. Anything that goes on during that period will stay with the child forever, and he will believe it. Example, if a mother told a child it was normal to be gay, he would grow up thinking its ok to be gay. Or if a father shot a person and the child see's that, he will then believe thats ok. Children are products of the parents, the society and brainwashing.

 

I don't get get this rabid bigotry against religion. How is The golden Rule and the 10 commandments, the 23rd psalm and the lord's prayer, which is the extent of most ppls religious teaching a bad thing? these 4 items are essentially the basis of all morality of Western Civilization.

Pure, cold, rational humanism is not enough for many ppl. I also believe there is more to moral living and thought than simply non violence against others.

Frankly I think Humanism leaves alot to be desired when it comes to morality. I think you have just as much bigotry and ignorance as the religious ppl you disdain so nastily.

negative stereotyping of someone elses core beliefs is as evil and bigoted as racism.

 

Why would you tell them something that you couldn't possibly know? If I ever have children, I'm just going to let them decide for themselves. I'd hope they choose Catholicism or Buddhism.

 

If it's OK to tell them there is a god, then I don't see why there would be a problem with telling them there isn't a god.

 

I guess that pretence that leftists/atheists engage in about letting their kids make their own choices is off the table, right?



You can raise you children as you please. If God wants them, he'll have them. in spite of what you do.

 

How about the best approach: tell your kids 'the truth'.

No need to render a lie to your own flesh and blood. Answer as many questions about every phenomena or question that arrises and when you dont have the answer, render that the benefit of an education is to learn 'the subjects'

then no reason to choose a side.

That is the fair method of raising a child; be honest to them.

 

but parents dont have the right to lie to them.

That is against the 'child's rights'

what gives you the authority to lie to anyone? Which command in the bible suggests you can mislead or false witness to anyone?

ie.... the right to choose but in your case, you are not giving the child that right.

but the 'freedom' is not that you have a right to brainwash a mind.... even your child.

 

I think it's perfectly fine for atheists to raise their kids as atheists, just like it's fine for Catholics to raise their kids as Catholics, Muslims to raise their kids as Muslims, etc. Parents have the right to raise their children in the religious beliefs (unbeliefs) that they choose.

 

Love the religious strawman you set up. I teach my kids science, reason, love, compassion, and tolerance--it's part of Catholic teachings.

 

You don't need to teach the child the whole truth at all times. A 3 yr old cannot process the whole truth (of almost anything). You teach how you see fit.

 

A child doesn't have rights apart from their parent's responsibility for them.

The thing is, if you're an atheist, you believe that there is no God, hence that isn't a lie. If you're religious, you believe in God, hence it isn't a lie to tell your child that there is a God.

Of course you have the right to brainwash your child. That is the essence of parenting. To brainwash your child into becoming a good human being. Kids don't learn tolerance, love, etc. naturally. It has to be taught by their parents. Children are basically selfish little creatures that care about nothing but themselves. They have to be taught to become human beings. I brainwash my kids all the time. That is why they are polite, respectful, caring and responsible young men--brainwashing. Kids that aren't brainwashed are ignorant savages.

 

there is the error of 'false witness'.

ie.... just because a parent cannot teach exactly how 'life' operates to the letter (math) does not give them the right to claim...'well god did it' unless 'god' can be defined as then a whole can of crap falls into the mess.

hence.............. a dude "on a thrown, with lightning bolts in his hand"

 

Wow, way to dodge your responsibility as a parent. Your kid comes to you with a question and you don't give him an answer?

 

It is OK to tell your kids that you BELIEVE there is no God, or that you BELIEVE there is a God. Or that you THINK there is or isn't. It is not OK to teach them certainty when there is no certainty. It is not OK to teach them that EVERYONE else must believe as they do. It is essential for the future of the world that they learn respect for others' beliefs.

 

and responsibility A1 is giving them the chance, 'we did not have'; a chance at 'the truth' before being imposed to with lies (misleading information)

Do you realize, that the majority of all atheist are from being raised as theist and the child (mind) wakes up to the hypocracy?

WRONG.

You know you have never witnessed a 'god' or a period 'without' a god within the culture of today's world.

The god that is, is from what is taught, not what it thought. No one wakes up (born) with a god on the mind.

pure poppy cop (crap)

and that is the ill regard of an ignorance bred into today's society.

NO........... YOU DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT to mislead your child, no matter which religion.

There is no command, belief, religion, law or legal right to lie to anyone, period.

The responsibility of parenting is not to mislead a mind. ie.... look what it has done to you, in which you actually believe it is a right.

...

yes they do. Mankind is compassionate naturally. empathy is a trait of conscious experience; the ability to comprehend the experience of another.

ALL children are born 'good' and it is what they learn, that creates a monster of deception.

language is taught and basic common sense is learned.

empathy, compassion, love and life is natural

learning that lying, decieving or even the stupidity that a 'devol made you do it' is what 'religions' teach......... and often the parents convey that ignorance to their children

that is a stupid claim...........

i dont know a child ever that was born selfish. A child could not survive without parents giving them even their first meal.

Everything a newborn learns is from the environment and if the environment is of dog eat dog mentality, jealousy and stupidity, then i guess the child will learn to be selfish

and often like the example of the atheist, the child rebells against the idiocracies of a religiously governed household; they learn that lies are not consistant with reality.

a sick revelation

quite the opposite

i trust the human being and you dont

i know each can comprehend love and selfless living naturally and you dont

i know ALL children are capable and you dont

the reason the monsters of selfishness exist, is because of bad parenting, to start with.

Any contest that last statement?

ie.... are children born 'good' or 'bad'?

 

So your going to give them a non answer too?

Guys, y'all realize by not answering your kids questions, your basically telling them to go seek some strangers answer to the question. A stranger you don't even know. Your asking for trouble down the road. Answer your kids questions fellas. If you don't and they wind up taking a stance you don't like, you have nobody to blame but yourself for that particular outcome. And if you say you don't care either way, then your just a spineless parent.

Maybe y'all don't have kids and are simply guessing at what you would do, but I am here to tell ya, that child is counting on you to teach him about life in general by your everyday actions and words, if your prerogative is to be neutral in their life, and not engage them, I hope your not pulling your hair out when they are 15.