How to raise a child as an atheist

[Alexmahone]

Having both parents atheists would most likely result in the child remaining atheist as well.

A paradoxical way to ensure that a child becomes an atheist may be to force religion upon him/her. That's what happened to me.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Why are two atheist parents most likely to result in an atheist child?  Virtually every atheist who ever lived had two religious parents.

Boru

[Whateverist]

It hasn't worked like that in my experience. I've been an atheist since I was eleven. My wife has never believed in anything religious and her family never attended church. She and I never much talked about religion to her son and I've been around since he was 6. But my step son is involved with a weird religion out of Brazil involving someone called "John of God". In fact, he is a priest in that religion. The weak link may have been his biological father who is deep into woo. Disappointing.

[vulcanlogician]

The weak link may have been his biological father who is deep into woo.  Disappointing.

Also, people may turn to religion during moments of strife. I may be reading too much into your comments, but this "John" thing sounds a little culty to me. Like a lion who isolates the grazer with a bum leg, many religions target people who are in so much turmoil that their mental defenses are weak against dogma.

[Whateverist]

The weak link may have been his biological father who is deep into woo.  Disappointing.

Also, people may turn to religion during moments of strife. I may be reading too much into your comments, but this "John" thing sounds a little culty to me. Like a lion who isolates the grazer with a bum leg, many religions target people who are in so much turmoil that their mental defenses are weak against dogma.

It very much is.  My stepson works as an engineer and is into climbing and working out in his spare time.  So he is capable of practical thinking but he fully embraces 'helper spirits' and all manner of bizarre and supernatural stuff.


http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Primetime/s...292&page=1

http://web.randi.org/swift/no-healing-mi...estigation

[Fireball]

The weak link may have been his biological father who is deep into woo.  Disappointing.

Also, people may turn to religion during moments of strife. I may be reading too much into your comments, but this "John" thing sounds a little culty to me. Like a lion who isolates the grazer with a bum leg, many religions target people who are in so much turmoil that their mental defenses are weak against dogma.

This happened to my eldest sister. Some jovies met her at an opportune time for them (recently divorced), and she waved off her family for them.

[vulcanlogician]

That sucks, fireball. I might just stop offering them a beer when they come visit my front porch (they just rudely decline anyway).

@Whateverist-- interesting reading. Yup, that's a cult. With a gift shop for tourists too--pretty innovative if you ask me.

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As to the OP, why not just teach critical thinking to kids and see where they end up? No need to "raise them as atheists"-- just protect them from bullshit that people may shovel in their direction by teaching them to question all claims.

[AFTT47]

Having both parents atheists would most likely result in the child remaining atheist as well.

A paradoxical way to ensure that a child becomes an atheist may be to force religion upon him/her. That's what happened to me.

I'm not sure if you meant the thread title to be a joke (raise an atheist by forcing religion on him/her) but in case you didn't, I think it's just as wrong to actively influence a child to be an atheist as it would be to steer him/her to a religion.

I think it is most ethical to tell a child the truth: There are many religions out there and different people believe in different ones. Mom and Dad have their beliefs but it's possible they are wrong. The child should be encouraged to keep his/her mind open and not consider Mom or Dad infallible here because they aren't.

A parent's neutral position on religion will probably result in a non-religious child anyway. Without indoctrination, religion is going to be a hard sell.

[Little lunch]

The weak link may have been his biological father who is deep into woo.  Disappointing.

Also, people may turn to religion during moments of strife. I may be reading too much into your comments, but this "John" thing sounds a little culty to me. Like a lion who isolates the grazer with a bum leg, many religions target people who are in so much turmoil that their mental defenses are weak against dogma.

I believe this to be true.
But then when a theist does something crazy, we tend to blame religion for turning them that way, when in reality they were probably already crazy and religion was not the answer.
Would they have been less crazy without religion?
I think they would have been more isolated, less observed and less likely to get help, so in my opinion, no.
Different story if we had better mental health systems in place.
Sorry for going off track. :-)

[brewer]

Just worry about raising a child, period. Then let them be what they are going to be. It's their life, not yours.