Atheist parents?

[harmoni247]

My phone is about to die, but I wanted to throw out the books Parenting Beyond Belief and Raising Freethinkers as great resources for issues that come up when atheists raise children in religiously saturated environments. They were both a good read

[kaimon]

Originally Posted by harmoni247 My phone is about to die, but I wanted to throw out the books Parenting Beyond Belief and Raising Freethinkers as great resources for issues that come up when atheists raise children in religiously saturated environments. They were both a good read

Ooh! Thanks for the suggestions. Off to look them up right away! I don't identify as athiest but DH does.

[elevee]

I think it's important to equip your kids with the understanding that being nonreligious is not the same as being immoral. That's the common assumption among the religious: that nothing but habit keeps the atheist from rapine and murder. There is a great basis of humanist thought for ethics without god and I think it's important that our kids understand that we have reasons for living the way we do. It's just that we view it as a personal responsibility to make the world a tolerable place to live, not a system of divine punishment and reward. Sam Harris has a great book on the subject called The Moral Landscape that I found to be a big help.

[junebug2311]

My dh is an atheist. I believe in God but have my own ideas about religion, and I don't go to church or anything like that. We both are in agreement that our daughter will choose the religion she would like.

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[junebug2311]

Originally Posted by jenn.mcc We're atheists and just try to handle things with reason and compassion, no matter the situation.

I like this

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[mamma_z]

DH and I are probably atheist (although I do lean towards pantheism when the mood strikes, and I agree with some of the philosophy behind various belief systems). DS is too little for it to be much of an issue for him personally. I hope to teach him about many religions, their histories, and the development of religion/church, and it is my goal to teach him tolerance and compassion through my own actions.

I worry now about my MIL. She had a difficult childhood and adolescence, and she feels that church and God truly saved her. She has made it clear that she wants us to go to church with her (usually requests that for mothers day or birthday present), but our work schedules make it hard to go, so we can passively decline. I'm pretty sure she knows we are not Christian, but now with DS in the mix, there is more tension about it. We will need to have a discussion soon, I'm sure, just to make sure she understands. She means well, but her lack of education about and intolerance of other beliefs (and thoughtlessness towards those who hold them) make me uncomfortable.

[lissa~K]

Originally Posted by Kaci We're atheists. We live in a part of the country with a lot of hippy liberals so I don't worry much about bullying or anything like that. It seems like most atheist families are open to their children exploring religion and that's what I'm not sure about. We do a lot of education about various belief systems but we treat them all purely as myth. DH and I are atheist to the core it would be...difficult...if one/both of the kids became religious.

This exactly. I grew up atheist, DH's family are non-churchgoing Christians so neither one of us has much experience other than occasional with church "culture". I actually find religions very interesting and my children enjoy studying them as well, but we believe and teach that it is mythology. Essentially we are raising them with our core values just as any family, and here that just means they will most likely turn out to be atheist liberals. If their beliefs evolved as adults I would try to be as accepting as possible, but It would be difficult for us as well if they turned out to be conservative Christians.

On a side note, my older kids really enjoyed the book "The Magic Of Reality" by Richard Dawkins. It is an awesome science book for kids written by a prominent Atheist author. Just thought I would mention that in a thread of atheist parents.

[SarahS12]

My husband would probably describe himself as a Secular Humanist and I am Agnostic. We were both raised in religious families but plan on raising our son with an understanding of different religions but not religious. I think religious beliefs are deeply personal and he of course can make the decision about what he believes when he is able. I have heard good things about the book "Parenting Beyond Belief" and we plan on getting it when DS gets a little older.

[Nimyue]

Originally Posted by harmoni247 My phone is about to die, but I wanted to throw out the books Parenting Beyond Belief and Raising Freethinkers as great resources for issues that come up when atheists raise children in religiously saturated environments. They were both a good read

Awesome thanks! I had the same Q as the OP

[Bukawww]

I am agnostic and just prefer my kids decide for themselves what theyd like to believe in. I do not find harm in believing in god or not. I have had so much turmoil in my life due to religion or the lack of and id really just like my kids to realize its ok either way. I tell them that i believe the bible is a story and that mommys not really convinced that god and jesus are real. The examples can be good tools though and so I dont make a big fuss when family discusses religion with the kids.