RE: Should you wait to talk to a child about atheism?
November 26, 2014 at 3:22 pm
(This post was last modified: November 26, 2014 at 3:24 pm by Losty.)
Hmm...I'll tell you the approach I take with my kids.
First of all, I make up elaborate answers to my kids' questions all the time. It started just because I thought it was funny and now I think it's good for them.
An example would be if my daughter asks me if god made her (which she has). I tell her that she started out as a simple ragdoll in a factory. A lot of ladies changed the doll adding and taking away things. Then finally a magic fairy tapped her on the head and she came to life. Then she tells me that that's crazy talk and I ask her what she thinks. Sometimes she'll say what she really thinks and sometimes she'll make something crazy up too. Then I'll say we should look it up and see what the professionals think (doctors, scientists, architects, etc. depending on the subject).
I like it because it makes learning fun and reminds my kids to doubt things that sound like crazy talk even if an adult tells them.
Second, the existence of god. I'm against giving the answer to this question and I don't think you should bring it up until they ask.
My daughter has asked me. I told her that god is the same as Santa Clause in that it's up to her to decide for herself if she believes and whatever she chooses is her decision only. She can't tell other people what to choose or that she thinks they're wrong because that's not nice.
First of all, I make up elaborate answers to my kids' questions all the time. It started just because I thought it was funny and now I think it's good for them.
An example would be if my daughter asks me if god made her (which she has). I tell her that she started out as a simple ragdoll in a factory. A lot of ladies changed the doll adding and taking away things. Then finally a magic fairy tapped her on the head and she came to life. Then she tells me that that's crazy talk and I ask her what she thinks. Sometimes she'll say what she really thinks and sometimes she'll make something crazy up too. Then I'll say we should look it up and see what the professionals think (doctors, scientists, architects, etc. depending on the subject).
I like it because it makes learning fun and reminds my kids to doubt things that sound like crazy talk even if an adult tells them.
Second, the existence of god. I'm against giving the answer to this question and I don't think you should bring it up until they ask.
My daughter has asked me. I told her that god is the same as Santa Clause in that it's up to her to decide for herself if she believes and whatever she chooses is her decision only. She can't tell other people what to choose or that she thinks they're wrong because that's not nice.
