To Atheists or Agnostics with children......

[RJT]

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And thank you for putting a face on the arguments against people like BluffTHIS or RJT who say that its no big deal if excellent minds are spending there time on deciding whether Mary was a virgin rather than studying molecular biology.

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p.s. David, if you keep making these types of remarks let alone your OJ scenarios; I swear I am going to start using the word “disingenuous” every chance I can. I don’t know about you but when I hear that word (basically came into vogue during the OJ trial) it is like nails on a blackboard to me.

E.g. David this is a very disingenuous statement you just made. Or - David, you are being disingenuous here.

[benjdm]

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I absolutely want her to believe in God as my life would likely have been a lot easier, and the dying process certainly less anguishing If I believed in God. In no way, shape or form do I want her to anguish over the thought of death being final ( even if I do). Certainly most of her beliefs will be formed by herself, or after I am gone but nonetheless I dont know how I will answer her questions.

Right now, I pray with her every night, even though I have never prayed Until I had her.

I am just curious what you guys tell your children.

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Well, my daughter is not yet 2, so I haven't told her much yet. My wife is a deist / no specific religion. So we will probably tell her some general things about what different people believe and what Mom and Dad personally believe and why. But I plan to not under-equip her to deal with reality by teaching her things that may be comforting but I don't think to be true.

[addickt]

Thanks for the posts... Maybe I am just weak, but I dont know how anyone can honestly say that they wouldnt feel better about the thought of dying if they believed there to be an afterlife..

I pray with her, not for myself, but because I dont want her to go through life fearing death the way that I have. I want her to have the most enjoyable life possible.

I liken it to Santa Claus I Guess, of course we all know that there is no such thing, but most of us dont tell our children that immedaitely because it adds something to their lives believing in it..

Telling her that there is no God, Or I believe there is not, is much less a lie... I know for a Fact that there is no Santa, but none of us are 100% sure that there is not a God.

Maybe my situation is different, I lost a lot of people very close to me at a young age, that coupled with my non belief ( I have never believed, even when I was very young) has caused me great emotional stress and undue anxiety over death and the finality of it.

I suppose its kind of like ignorance is bliss, but I am fairly sure that believers of some type of afterlife (while maybe less analytical or even rational) are happier and more at peace when someone they love dies and when there own demise approaches.

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I suppose its kind of like ignorance is bliss, but I am fairly sure that believers of some type of afterlife (while maybe less analytical or even rational) are happier and more at peace when someone they love dies and when there own demise approaches.

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Unfortunately, I think you are right. Religion is a drug, really. An "opiate for the people", someone might say. You don't think rationally while doped up on opium... but you aren't in pain anymore, either.

[RJT]

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Thanks for the posts... Maybe I am just weak, but I dont know how anyone can honestly say that they wouldnt feel better about the thought of dying if they believed there to be an afterlife..

I pray with her, not for myself, but because I dont want her to go through life fearing death the way that I have. I want her to have the most enjoyable life possible.

I liken it to Santa Claus I Guess, of course we all know that there is no such thing, but most of us dont tell our children that immedaitely because it adds something to their lives believing in it..

Telling her that there is no God, Or I believe there is not, is much less a lie... I know for a Fact that there is no Santa, but none of us are 100% sure that there is not a God.

Maybe my situation is different, I lost a lot of people very close to me at a young age, that coupled with my non belief ( I have never believed, even when I was very young) has caused me great emotional stress and undue anxiety over death and the finality of it.

I suppose its kind of like ignorance is bliss, but I am fairly sure that believers of some type of afterlife (while maybe less analytical or even rational) are happier and more at peace when someone they love dies and when there own demise approaches.

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Without sounding like I am evangelizing - have you read any Kierkegaard? This particular post of yours reminds me of him. (I am sure it would not come as a surprise to many that he is my favorite “philosopher”). Anyway, in case you haven’t read him or about him - he basically says that it is not until man reaches rock bottom with despair that he is able to take a leap of Faith to/with God.

Now, for the atheists, lets not go on a tangent and suggest that I am saying atheism is a thing that one needs to hit rock bottom then recover from. I merely am suggesting some good reading in, my buddy, Soren.

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That being said, believing that there is nothing after death is not very pleasant..

THe thought of death as the absolute end of my existence is downright petrifying..

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It takes all kinds! Rather than petrifying, I find it a relief. In fact, should life become intolerable from whichever viewpoint (Physical, emotional, psychological, economical) I would not hesitate to choose self determined extinguishment.

Regarding the OP question, from both Santa Claus viewpoint and god, the right time to tell a child is when s/he asks about it (is sc real? is there a god?). I guess the fact that the question occurs warrants an honest answer even if it causes dissapointment. It is not the only dissapointment they will experience in life. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[RJT]

Addickt,

Please know that my thoughts (and with your permission prayers - heck, I am gonna do it without your permission) are with you.

I think if we use David’s methodology of relying on those more intelligent… that you should heed is prediction. David is one smart dude. I would place my money on his thoughts regarding the rapidity of modern medicine relative to the 8 years that you speak of.

I don’t have an opinion for you, especially since you addressed your OP to agnostics/atheists. But, what your asking is akin, although not directly, to something I had thought about posting. Just thought I’d give you a heads-up to my post.

Best regards,

RJT