Atheist: If your children believe in God, does it not effect you?

Obviously, I cannot speak for the rest of the non believers but I became one after questioning my religious belief - Christianity. Most atheist that I am aware of have had the same experience where exposure to some kind of religion during the early stages of their lives were the norm and by the use of logic, they were able to conclude that religion was no longer for them.

To say that atheist do not understand the other side of the argument is not quite accurate. As a matter of fact, it has been shown that generally speaking, atheist are more familiar with the text in the bible than the average believer. In addition, there are more converted religious folks to atheism than the other way around.

The fact that the OP still uses "pascal's wager" as a point of argument tells (when the internet has tons of articles covering this) me that he/she has had limited to a few discussions with atheists. Something that is too common for believers - nobody has openly questioned their beliefs and hence, they still preach the same thing and have no idea what the argument is.

 

If I was an atheist and my child believed in an exclusive members only group afterlife, I'd let them. I might point out that there are Christians who believe that the question of an afterlife isn't for us to decide but God, and that even the prayer that Jesus told his followers to use, he was more concerned with letting it "be done on earth as it is heaven", so that the real goal is to try and make earth as heavenly a place as possible even more so than worrying about what happens after we are dead.

Hopefully that discussion would ease the child's mind, but if not, they would be free to think however they felt was right, and follow their own conscience.

 

Hell is reading poor grammar and crude philosophy. I promise you, I die a little every day.

My kids go to a religious private school. They tell me about God all of the time. It is cool having God conversations with them because they always have their own unique flair that fits within their larger personalities. I do not steer them one way or another and they have no idea what I believe (they are still young enough to mostly be self-centered and if/when they do ask a direct question I respond by asking them a question to make them think about what they believe.

I do tell them that Santa Claus exists, though. I think that big reality beat down of childhood is an essential life lesson.

 

Thank you for demonstrating the attitude I was alluding to -- a belief among atheists that Christians don't understand their religion as well as atheists do. It may even be true (though I don't think it will be after controlling for education), but this is where the dialogue starts -- with neither the atheist nor the Christian giving the counterparty much credit.

 

I have little value to add here, other than to note (1) I am an atheist... well agnostic atheist... which is a distinction of note, and (2) the one thing that truly tests ones belief is the inclusion in the equation of kids.

Don't get me wrong, I love my wife implicitly, but its a different kind of love you have for a kid. Because as that thing is growing in the womb, and then alive, and you're caring for it and nurturing it and wishing and willing to do really anything to ensure it lives as happy, responsible and meaningful a life as possible, questions of religion do enter your mind. This is the most apparent when there are things that are just out of your control...

... there was a parent a friend of a friend knew on FB who had a large branch fall on their kid at daycare, massive brain swelling, completely life-changing, etc, etc. And man, do I WISH, so so so so much, that I could believe in something to pray to, that would protect my family from that type of stuff.

And truly... THOSE are the type of kids and religion issues that are thought provoking. Impacts to them in the here and now. If my kids believes in something and therefore lives eternally or whatever, and I don't because I don't believe... that's not a big deal at all, not to me, and I'd hope not to my kid. But in the here and now, in our life on Earth, that's what matters to me as an atheist... and if not being an atheist, if believing, changed that for the better for my family, man it'd make me question my beliefs.

 

No doubt there are people who believe this. Not enough to constitute a side, though. It is a useful way to frame a debate to make both "sides" equivalent.

Christians themselves argue that various denominations don't understand their religion as well as a particular denominations does, so the existence of atheists who demonstrate that attitude doesn't constitute a side representing the atheist position enough to make broad claims about an atheist attitude. Polls have illustrated Americans claim Christianity but don't read the bible. This is actually a concern amongst many ministers and fundamentalists. Atheists hold no controlling interest in that claim.

Whether it be arguing the logic of oneness doctrine, original sin, or the necessity of full body baptism, every effort to argue the details of a religion can be interpreted as a suggestion that some "side" doesn't understand their religion as well as they claim to. It is merely that atheist themselves do get involved in the reading and interpretation of the bible. Which is a fair place to begin a conversation about a religion.

People can argue what is in the bible or what people think about their religion. Sometimes people are arguing last each other with one argument rooted in the cultural understanding of the religion while the other argument tries to root itself in the text. The biblical argument is easy to have. The cultural/imaginative one is not.

And it is a very fair point to note that controlling for education may change the nature of the claim about thinking deeply. And the correlation of education with atheism or non-religiousity may make a better explanation for the broad claims earlier articulated.

 

I don't intend to scream, or wail, or cry. If it turns out God exists, and he asks me why I didn't believe...I will spit in his face. Because unlike atheists, I don't care if God exists. Even if I knew for a certainty that He did, I still wouldn't worship him.

 

One of the most simple-minded, ignorant and insulting comments I have read in a long time.

 

Such a stupid question. What God are you talking about? What Religious theory on the afterlife are you talking about? There are about 200 Religions out there. So how do you know that your Religions theory on the afterlife is the correct theory?

 

If there is a God and he rejects me because I didn't believe, even though I had good reason not to beleive without the ability to see I'm a good, selfless, caring person then your God can get ****ed. He is an egotistical **** if that is the case.

The God you talk about would say, 'I understand why you don't believe in me, but you lived a good life etc so you are welcome into heaven'

 

Christians confuse the life and words of Jesus with the entire bible. If you read the Bible you would end up treating your wife worse, not better. The Bible basically says your wife is your property and must obey the husband.

 

My wife and I are atheists who came from Christian backgrounds. That influence leaks from grandparents to the grandchildren. My son has received Christian themed literature from relatives and I do not really care because he is 2 and does not contemplate much beyond whether to eat or not eat his dinner.

When the time comes, I will tell my son that the Christianity in my life persecuted me into a sense of fear mostly stemming from the concept of Hell.

Self preservation is a powerful base instinct. Christian indoctrination introduces Hell at a young age and constantly reinforces it. Heaven is rarely discussed. There is no need for reward, the threat of a big scary place where creatures torment you forever is frightening enough to make any comely youth cling to superstitious folklore.

 

What if believers are right, and aliens do come and visit us. What would the skeptics say about why they didn't believe? Will they cry that there wasn't enough physical evidence to warrant a belief in it? Will they deny that they didn't have equal opportunities in life to find the truth about extra-terrestrial life? What will they say scientists/astronomers could've done to have prevented their enslavement at the hands of malevolent alien conquerors?

 

Recently found out my heritage is Catholic from England and Ireland; it's no wonder the guilt eats me up sometimes! It's hard-wired in my DNA!

 

ToyCen is the OP right?

 

If there is a god, I'm pretty sure the god would not exclude anyone from "heaven" who lives their life in a manner that this god deems appropriate.

My guess is that what we believe (or not) would be a pretty low priority compared to how we treat each other on a daily basis.

 

That's overly general. I was brought up Christian and I don't recall hearing any mention of Hell.

 

And you would be wrong!

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/becoming_a_christian/is_christ_the_only_way/dont_all_good_people_go_to_heaven.aspx

Obviously Evangelical Christianity is the one true faith and, since it is, you are wrong.

 

I find the whole "Pascal's Wager" premise to be based on inherently morally pure reasoning.

Does it really work to believe in "God" for ultimately your own self preservation???

Is "God" really fooled by such thought???

The thing is the concept of "heaven" and believing is ultimately based on the selfish human instinct of "self preservation." A concept that is taught almost universally in Christian schools, churches, universities and evangelistic settings.


Just my two cents.

I have grown up in the Christian faith but an education and world experience has opened my eyes wide to what really is truth and fiction in this world.

 

*immoral*