Discussing Religion with Kids

[mancity2012_eamo]

In church? Why not just do it down the pub?

I’d have done it wherever my friends and family wanted me to.
It wasn’t about me.

 

[stonerblue]

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?

I told my grandson from day one that there was no such thing as god. He's 9 now, has learned about different religions, and thinks they're all daft.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

I told my grandson from day one that there was no such thing as god. He's 9 now, has learned about different religions, and thinks they're all daft.

What did you tell him about Santa?
Or St. Nicholas, should I say.

 

[mexico1970]

What did you tell him about Santa?
Or St. Nicholas, should I say.

Children know that the presents come from mum and dad when they are older it's not the same.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

Children know that the presents come from mum and dad when they are older it's not the same.

Most teenagers know there’s no almighty being sitting on a cloud watching their every move too.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

Yes, no one is claiming the Babylonions invented daytime and nightime.

They did invent splitting each into 12 segments though, which you now live your life around. That's why you start work at 9am and not sunrise. We change days at midnight and not dawn.

The only reason it's 12 and not 10 is 6000 years ago people used to count using the 12 segments of your fingers.

The point is, just because something is 2500 years old doesn't mean it's irrelevent or wrong.

View attachment 58156

That’s been embellished since though, has the Bible? No.

Eight-hour day - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

Most teenagers know there’s no almighty being sitting on a cloud watching their every move too.

The bearded old man who watches you touch yourself is not a god...

 

[domalino]

That’s been embellished since though, has the Bible? No.

Yes of course! The bible was written and added to constantly. Old Testament dates from 500-100 BC and New Testament was settled on in 419 AD.

That's just in terms of adding more stuff to it, in terms of revising its meaning and adding new interpretations? It happened throughout the years up to 1940s.

 

[stonerblue]

What did you tell him about Santa?
Or St. Nicholas, should I say.

I told him i'm santa.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

I told him i'm santa.

In which shopping centre?