Discussing Religion with Kids

[Goaters]

So my 5 year old at school is starting to be taught religion and specifically Christianity. So with this it obviously raises questions for me - an atheist - the sort of response I should provide. He is asking to pray before bed and wants to visit church etc, which obviously I can't object to but equally am fairly uncomfortable with.

An emphasis on critical thinking though is also important. If you raise your children to be skeptical as a general rule, it shouldn't be necessary to go out of your way to have them treat religious claims skeptically. They should end up doing that on their own anyway. Skepticism and critical thinking are attitudes which should be cultivated across a broad range of topics, but again age comes in to this.

So, for parents who are not religious how do you broach the subject? Do you say you don't believe or just go along with it until your child comes to a certain age where he can more form his own opinions?

 

[mexico1970]

So my 5 year old at school is starting to be taught religion and specifically Christianity. So with this it obviously raises questions for me - an atheist - the sort of response I should provide. He is asking to pray before bed and wants to visit church etc, which obviously I can't object to but equally am fairly uncomfortable with.

An emphasis on critical thinking though is also important. If you raise your children to be skeptical as a general rule, it shouldn't be necessary to go out of your way to have them treat religious claims skeptically. They should end up doing that on their own anyway. Skepticism and critical thinking are attitudes which should be cultivated across a broad range of topics, but again age comes in to this.

So, for parents who are not religious how do you broach the subject? Do you say you don't believe or just go along with it until your child comes to a certain age where he can more form his own opinions?

If the school hadn't told him there was a thing called churches he would never have known, same goes for Mosques, Synagogues etc.

IMHO religion should be kept out of ALL schools.

 

[andyhinch]

Easy one this, tell your children they believe in a different god and should kill the teacher for blasphemy.

 

[dronefromsector7G]

If the school hadn't told him there was a thing called churches he would never have known, same goes for Mosques, Synagogues etc.

IMHO religion should be kept out of ALL schools.

This. Unless they just refer to it all as mythology/load of bollocks.

My daughter isn’t religious but last night was asking why so many people are religious and why so many people become religious after being an atheist. Hopefully I talked her out of considering becoming a convert.

 

[mexico1970]

This. Unless they just refer to it all as mythology/load of bollocks.

My daughter isn’t religious but last night was asking why so many people are religious and why so many people become religious after being an atheist. Hopefully I talked her out of considering becoming a convert.

I would have been more than impressed if one of my children had made a thunderbolt out of tin foil and went to school proclaiming Odin to be the King of all gods ;)

 

[mat]

 

[mayo31]

I was raised as a Catholic but gave up on that years ago

My 2 kids were raised without any religious pressure but they knew my mum still went to church.

They fancied going so they did. About twice and then boredom set in.

Never been since and it's not a topic we bother with much.

Occasionally we take the piss out of stuff we hear or show disgust at some of the things done in the name of religion.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

You can't object to?

Of course you can. You are his dad, he's five years old.

Millions of kids indoctrinated into religion, it should work both ways.

Tell him the truth and ask him one day to prove you wrong.

 

[Cityfan]

I am not religious but not am I anti religion..
As far as I'm concerned my children could make up their own mind.
My daughter asked me if I believed in God and I said no, she said that was good because she didn't either.
Living in the West of Scotland the question is occasionally fraught.
My son asked if we were Protestant or Catholic and I said neither.
He has subsequently gone on to live in Belfast and the answer stands him in good stead.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Easy.

Just tell them its all complete bollocks that only causes misery in the world.