Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: March 28, 2024, 3:22 pm

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Last night my 10-year old daughter said that she did not believe in God.
#1
Last night my 10-year old daughter said that she did not believe in God.
It just came out of the Blue; we were sitting around talking. (My wife and I did not raise any of our kiddos to be atheistic.) I played neutral as my daughter and wife discussed the issue. I did tell my daughter, jokingly, that Santa would not bring presents if she did not believe in his existence. At that point my wife mentioned the Easter Bunny, also.
Reply
#2
RE: Last night my 10-year old daughter said that she did not believe in God.
My oldest and youngest are both atheist. All three were allowed to go to church with friends and I answered their questions when they came up...often starting the answers with 'some people believe'. They attended Vacation Bible School because it was something to do and their friends were there.

My youngest pretty much was done by age 10 when he attended what turned out to be a hellfire and brimstone tent revival with a buddy of his. He was actually quite upset about the whole thing for a while.

The middle one goes to church when it suits her, usually to please people around her but I really don't think there's much of a faith there.

I stayed out of their decisions regarding religion after being forced to play the Catholic game and go to Catholic schools myself.
  
“If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.” — Confucius
                                      
Reply
#3
RE: Last night my 10-year old daughter said that she did not believe in God.
Congratulations on having such a bright daughter, I don't think I reached the age of reason until around 12 years old Smile
The meek shall inherit the Earth, the rest of us will fly to the stars.

Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups

Arguing with an engineer is like wrestling with a pig in mud ..... after a while you realise that the pig likes it!

Reply
#4
RE: Last night my 10-year old daughter said that she did not believe in God.
I've noticed that most (not all, there was this one guy adamantly raising his son to be an atheist, don't know how it's turned out) parents of my acquaintance who I know to be atheists prefer their children reach their own conclusions on religous matters and are willing to expose them to information about religion or allow them to go to services if they're curious about it. I see similarities to their typical approach to sex education.
I'm not anti-Christian. I'm anti-stupid.
Reply
#5
RE: Last night my 10-year old daughter said that she did not believe in God.
(December 22, 2021 at 1:39 pm)Mister Agenda Wrote: I've noticed that most (not all, there was this one guy adamantly raising his son to be an atheist, don't know how it's turned out) parents of my acquaintance who I know to be atheists prefer their children reach their own conclusions on religous matters and are willing to expose them to information about religion or allow them to go to services if they're curious about it. I see similarities to their typical approach to sex education.

The question I came to that was the big turning point for me was 'Do I believe this or was I told I believe this?' That's why I let my kids experience different flavors of faith and come to their own conclusions.
  
“If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.” — Confucius
                                      
Reply
#6
RE: Last night my 10-year old daughter said that she did not believe in God.
I don't remember losing my faith. I was an atheist by my teens, but I don't know why. I suspect it had something to do with my mother losing interest in my religious education once my older sisters were confirmed.
[Image: extraordinarywoo-sig.jpg]
Reply
#7
RE: Last night my 10-year old daughter said that she did not believe in God.
(December 22, 2021 at 10:56 am)Jehanne Wrote: It just came out of the Blue; we were sitting around talking.  (My wife and I did not raise any of our kiddos to be atheistic.)  I played neutral as my daughter and wife discussed the issue.  I did tell my daughter, jokingly, that Santa would not bring presents if she did not believe in his existence.  At that point my wife mentioned the Easter Bunny, also.

Nice. I've always thought playing neutral was the best strategy. If your kiddo ends up being an atheist, it's best that she arrived there through her own questions and reasoning. 

How did the conversation with your wife go? Or did you already provide the basic gist?

(December 22, 2021 at 6:55 pm)Angrboda Wrote: I don't remember losing my faith.  I was an atheist by my teens, but I don't know why.  I suspect it had something to do with my mother losing interest in my religious education once my older sisters were confirmed.

I never knew you were raised Catholic. Not sure you mentioned it before.
Reply
#8
RE: Last night my 10-year old daughter said that she did not believe in God.
(December 22, 2021 at 7:00 pm)vulcanlogician Wrote:
(December 22, 2021 at 6:55 pm)Angrboda Wrote: I don't remember losing my faith.  I was an atheist by my teens, but I don't know why.  I suspect it had something to do with my mother losing interest in my religious education once my older sisters were confirmed.

I never knew you were raised Catholic. Not sure you mentioned it before.

I wasn't. My family was Presbytarian.
[Image: extraordinarywoo-sig.jpg]
Reply
#9
RE: Last night my 10-year old daughter said that she did not believe in God.
What did the cat tell you?
I don't have an anger problem, I have an idiot problem.
Reply
#10
RE: Last night my 10-year old daughter said that she did not believe in God.
(December 22, 2021 at 7:11 pm)Angrboda Wrote:
(December 22, 2021 at 7:00 pm)vulcanlogician Wrote: I never knew you were raised Catholic. Not sure you mentioned it before.

I wasn't.  My family was Presbytarian.

Interesting. I thought confirmation was a Catholic-only thing. Just goes to show, a point I've made before. Protestantism was a split from Catholicism-- not the formation of a new church.
Reply



Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  The Last Movie You Watched Foxaèr 5399 439588 March 26, 2024 at 10:36 pm
Last Post: Foxaèr
Star HAPPY NEW YEAR Nay_Sayer 14 778 January 1, 2024 at 7:21 pm
Last Post: BrianSoddingBoru4
  About last night (A Haiku) no one 2 549 March 18, 2023 at 8:58 am
Last Post: no one
  Restaurant to eat free for a year Fake Messiah 6 614 January 17, 2023 at 7:22 pm
Last Post: Gawdzilla Sama
  What Were You Dreaming About Last Night? Disagreeable 17 1588 February 2, 2022 at 11:51 am
Last Post: no one
  Happy New Year!! Jehanne 16 715 January 1, 2022 at 1:41 pm
Last Post: Nay_Sayer
  The last book you read zwanzig 27 1656 October 18, 2021 at 9:45 am
Last Post: brewer
  Save the best for last person brewer 23 1808 September 16, 2021 at 2:56 pm
Last Post: Fireball
  Did God create time? ignoramus 1 250 July 11, 2021 at 7:51 pm
Last Post: BrianSoddingBoru4
  The last person to post wins ! Leo34 13901 946794 May 13, 2021 at 3:39 pm
Last Post: arewethereyet



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)