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Would you raise your children religious just to fit in?

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406 comments (326 - 350)

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0

Hell no. I don't plan on having kids, but if I did... I would not raise them religiously. If they came home asking about it, I would tell them about it, but explain why I chose not to take them to church. And if they decided they wanted to go, I would let them. Except, I would make sure they went with someone I trusted, of course.

0

I don't ever plan on having kids. I'm not really a fan of them, to be honest, but if I ever do change my mind(and that is a MASSIVE "IF" ), I would raise them to be critical thinkers. I might let them go to different religious churches and the like to experience them, tell them the beliefs of other people and so on, but I wouldn't enforce anything. I know I can be a real asshole when it comes to religion because of my experiences with being religious, and I wouldn't want them to end up like that.

0

I don't want kids but if I had them I wouldn't teach them to be anything I would let them choose what they want to believe. I would teach them science and facts but I wouldn't teach them any mythology as a fact.

0

My children (5 and 3) go to Sunday school sometimes with their grandmother - who knows I'm a very militant atheist. My wife is "spiritual but not religious" and thinks that I'm too extreme. When they learn stories in church, I just ask them if that sounds like something that could or did really happen.

1

NO! I want them to be themselves and not feel like they have to be religious to "fit in".

I agree with you my mother did not make me religious just to fit in she left it up to me

0

No.
I would tell them other people believe in Yahweh, Zeus and Thor, but I do not think they exist. But we should listen to the evidence and be willing to change our opinion. Same with unicorns and fairies.
LIked Neil deGrasse Tyson's solution to his daughter hearing about the tooth fairy. He told her other people think there is such a thing, while other thought it was a myth, and asked what she thought.
Apparently, she organised her friends to do a test. The next one to loose a tooth put it under their pillow without telling their parents, to see if it disappeared and money was left.

Allan Level 5 Oct 8, 2017
0

I didn't raise them that way

0
0

Not at all.

0

NEVER. I do not want children who deny science and reason, just to support some god.

0

Why would anyone lie to their children about a god? Truth is truth and facts are facts and neither can be found in religion. Honesty is the best policy when it comes to raising children.

0

Oh no. My boys grew up with no religion, it was up to them and neither believe.

0

No. I nurtured an appreciation in them for "how" to think over "what" to think. This comes at a later age, but they can still see it modeled in their parents from a young age. It also involved many conversations with them, some long and protracted based on what was being explored. It also helped to declare my own motives for why I viewed topics in a certain light.

0

I raised my children to be open to experiencing as much as they wanted. I am not anti-religion. I tried many religions when I was young. By the time I was 14 and nominated for Pres. of a statewide group of a Christian youth group, I knew that almost all religions had more in common than in difference.

3

No. They should choose, not me. "To fit in" is a lousy reason, but I do not put much stock in convention, so I could be biased.

Zster Level 8 Oct 7, 2017
0

Hello no. my children are raised as atheist HOWEVER I do tell them that when they become adults I want them to make their own decisions. OR now. Just educate yourself on every major world religion first. If one speaks to you then I will support that decision. However so far my oldest grew up and did that and agreed that religion is bat shit nutso lol

2

Nope. I refused to indoctrinate my 3 children. I left it up to them to decide. My oldest is agnostic, while my two younger ones are atheist. My sisters are the only family that understands. The rest of my family knows, but they don't talk to me much anymore.
To be honest, that's perfectly fine by me. They don't pay my bills, they don't house/feed my children, and they don't have a say so.
I guess I'm a bit outward in my dismissal of their beliefs. An aunt scoffed at me when she thanked God for my uncle's surgery going well... I simply thanked the doctor.

0

no, of course my children are grown up . I have no control over my grandkids or my grandkids. my 2 kids and my grand kids are mostly non believers, and my great grandkids are babies.

0

NOPE!

0

My children were raised in the church only because I was, even though I no longer go and I am agnostic. I want them to reach their own conclusion.

0

I would not, however if my children began to ask I would not hesitate to help them find out about any religion they want and allow them to make their own choices on what they'll believe in.

0

If I was going to raise kids it wouldn't be in the highly religious area I live now.

Derek Level 2 Oct 2, 2017
4

Just to fit in no my ex-wife believes in God they will have to make that decision on her own like I came to that decision I don't force what I believe on to my children because that's just repeating the cycle of religion they have to make that decision on her own they know I don't believe in God and they're already asked me questions I tried to be as vague as possible because they're 7 and 10 they don't have time for that right now they're kids they need to be kids

0

never

0
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