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Do you believe all children are naturally born Atheist?

When we are born, we are born without the knowledge of gods, but are taught these things. Any thoughts on this and why?

lferguson900 4 Apr 8
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57 comments (26 - 50)

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1

I'd have to say agnostic is the default setting. "I don't know" would be the child's most reasonable and honest response.

1

No. Babies are born pretty much as a clean slate. This means that they aren't automatically religious, but it also means they're not automtically atheist, either. They're not any belief or non-belief until they are taught.

marga Level 7 Apr 9, 2018

Seems to me that the lack of belief in a god means they are an atheist. Atheist= no god, correct?

@JonnaBononna No. One is an absence of a belief. The other is a belief.

Exactly what I said. So since a child is born with no belief in any god, that child is an atheist and remains an atheist until taught belief in some god

@JonnaBononna No. Atheism is an active belief in the non-existence of any god. A newborn born does not have any active beliefs, just an absence of beliefs.

Atheism is not the default.

1

Not only are children born Atheist, they are born without hatred. Kids tend to get along until told/indoctrinated not to.

1

Yes, because babies can't understand the concept of a god let alone language. Even then as the child grows up it develops its beliefs based on its surroundings, which is why a religious environment will make people become religious.

1

Yes. Children are born atheists. Why would they come up with that idea on their own? There is nothing in the natural world to make them think there is a God. Of course, technically, a child would not have the brain capacity to even understand it when they are born or babies

1

Yes. I would find this hard to dispute.

0
0

I think Ozzy would call them and house cats lacktheists

0

Much of the behavior around religion and children by those promoting religion two children is borderline child abuse at best

0

Yes, all born atheist.
Taught for Control.
Why else.

0

Fiction has to be taught.

0

We are born a-everything. We have no mental constructs at birth, as far as I know. I've never seen or heard anything that in any way indicates we have complex conceptual understanding of any aspect of human, or divine, existences at birth.

0

Well I suppose i never heard a baby reciting verses of the bible!

0

I believe childeren have a natural tendancy to believe their parents. If their parents are very religious and they are assaulted with that every day then as they grow up it becomes ingrained in their minds. When you call out someones' faith as bullshit and experience their cognative dissonance what you are seeing is them shutting down because they see you basically saying that they've been lied to by the people that mean the most to them. Unfortunately it takes a lot for people to get over this. Obviously this is just a supposition and not always the supreme rule.

0

Of course...!

0

Yes. Parents are the first people to bring religion into a child's life. In the words of Philip Larkin;
They fuck you up, your Mum and Dad
They don't mean to, but they do.

0

Yes and through time, education, and questioning my faith I became atheist. For me it was a long journey but one well worth the time. Parents want their children to be raised in their own image and that includeds their faith. We went to church when I was a child but as I got older we stop attending. I don't think my parents were that religious to start with but they felt it was good for us. My father had attended religious schools through high school and recieved an excellent education and they tried it with my brother and I (it didn't take with us, he stayed and I decided to attended public school). Both my brother and I are atheists. I don't think my parents think they've failed but are glad that we have come into our own.

0

Children, like animals, have no concept of gods. They are indoctrinated into the religion of their parents.

0

Children at first think parents (especially Mom) are an all knowing all nurturing (hopefully) being. They slowly learn this isn’t true. For most of us that gets replaced by god as we’re subjected to religion. If we weren’t maybe the natural human progression would come sooner that we’re autonomous beings and responsible for ourselves.

0

There is a theory that children who have grandparents active in their lives are more likely to believe in god. The logic being that their parents are answerable to a higher authority, so....

0

I think calling a kid agnostic is a bit of a miss, as atheists are evidence based, and agnostics have clearly weighed the evidence and have chosen to stay on the fence. I think that there is some comfort still in adopting a “how could one ever know” approach to our inevitable end.
Babies however are in the natural human state of “what I see is what I believe”. Everything is evidence based. In the first few days babies only know where light and dark are plus a few shapes and the smells of their mother or other person who provides sustenance. Then they develop better senses and continue the evidence based existence. its not until they are taught things like Santa Claus, Toothe Fairy, Jesus, Easter Bunny, etc. that they become creatures of superstition. Humans have evolved to be great story tellers and unfortunately for the majority, fear driven.
Babies are most definitely atheist, as evidence will never exist otherwise.

0

Every cell born is not conditoned yet.It the society that conditoned new beings There is no right or wrong at birth but then as time pass the society condtion what is right and wrong and there on

Rosh Level 7 Apr 9, 2018
0

Yes, I believe that.

0

Children didn't believe anything so yes.

0

All children are born agnostic because the have no knowledge of God(s).

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