New here..need to rant!

[Kiki]

Hi, I just joined this forum to have a community to rant to. I need to explode and get it out in hopes others have feedback from the same experience. My family are atheists. We don't beleive in God or religion. If others find that it works for them than I respect this but will try and avoid discussion with such a conflict of interests. I stopped by my work with my 6 and 7 year old today and my boss who loves Jesus told my kids they should pray all the time. He knows I am very atheist and has never challenged my values. I said to him we do not pray and he was shocked and asked how I could deny them God. I said I wouldn't teach them values that I do not believe in. He was dumbfounded by this. I have run across this before in my past when my children come up. As if I am automatically teach my kids to be Christian at birth, like its a real thing, like I'm denying them water of clothes. I prefer to teach my children and install our values and hope they follow our path. If they grow up and seek out God there is not much I can do but would hope they don't. We don't like football or nascar or wwf and greatly divert this as well. Ugh...just needed to rant. Thanks!

[Jenny A]

Been there done that. Oh, and welcome aboard!

Seriously, that is a conversation that I've had with a number of Christians, just not an employer, at least not yet. The funny thing is that they are just as bothered if we do pray. You see, we used rather generic prayers at bedtime when the girls were young as a useful ritual in getting them to go to bed, with the the added advantage that in wishing a long list of far flung relatives well, they also remembered the relatives. We still say a formulaic prayer at dinner. It means, now is the time for family and table manners. Christians often find these prayers to no one with no belief behind them blasphemous. So you really can't win.

As an aside, both sets of grandparents are quite religious and have sent everything from Vegi Tales, to children's Bibles over the years. We have let the kids watch and then discussed them causally. What we have are teenage atheists who can hold their own when discussing religion.

[Minimalist]

Welcome aboard.

So, where are you located? Mississippi? Alabama?? Utah???

[Ravenshire]

As an aside, both sets of grandparents are quite religious and have sent everything from Vegi Tales, to children's Bibles over the years. We have let the kids watch and then discussed them causally. What we have are teenage atheists who can hold their own when discussing religion.

This! Oh, so much this!

Exposure to viruses, along with treatment, will give you immunity. Exposure to religion, along with rational discussion, does likewise.

[Minimalist]

We still say a formulaic prayer at dinner.

That's fair, Jen.

[robvalue]

Hello Kiki, welcome

You have found the right place to rant!

It must be very frustrating that it is assumed you will raise your children christian. For some people it seems they can't think in any other way. Of course there's no problem teaching them about christianity, or any other religion. But the idea that you should tell them what to believe is so obnoxious, and judging someone for not doing so is absurd.

If their religion is as self evident as they would like to believe, your children will become christians anyway. The fact that they are disappointed you aren't indoctrinating them betrays their confidence in their horse shit.

[Angrboda]

Welcome!

[Dystopia]

It seems like you're surrounded by assholes like many members here.

[JuliaL]

A hale and hearty welcome to yourself and your rant.

Every so often one needs to vent and that is easier to do when you have an understanding and friendly audience.

Like here.

[Chad32]

I can imagine if I had kids, my grandmother would want me to take them to church. My sister and her husband too, I suppose. Of course I wouldn't send my young children to any churches in town, but I also wouldn't keep them from it when they're older. They don't need any early childhood indoctrination.