Raising Kids Atheist, Questions About Death

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2003-06-07 11:36am

Robert Treder wrote: "Where is God's penis?"

Florida?

Kitsune · Post by **Kitsune** » 2003-06-07 04:32pm

Related Question:
The leader of the American Athiest, Inc was killed a few years ago. The related item is that one of the leaders sons became a born again Christian. He was originally used as the 'poster child' for getting prayer taken from school. The organization has a huge amount of evidence that shows the bible to be false and he had to be exposed to it, how come he took an extreme right turn?

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2003-06-07 06:49pm

Kitsune wrote:Related Question:
The leader of the American Athiest, Inc was killed a few years ago. The related item is that one of the leaders sons became a born again Christian. He was originally used as the 'poster child' for getting prayer taken from school. The organization has a huge amount of evidence that shows the bible to be false and he had to be exposed to it, how come he took an extreme right turn?

He rebelled?
I think kids tend to do that: I know my mother was extremely worried that at universioty I would 'catch religion' (her words). Must have been because I was dangerously open minded growing up.

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2003-06-07 08:28pm

Sir Sirious wrote:I wonder why telling your kids that if they live as "good christians" they will go to heaven and that if they don't they will suffer eternal torment in hell is considered to be "easier" for the kids to accept then the simple truth, when you die you cease to exists. While neither is easy to accept, the truth doesn't result in endless guilt trips about being sinfull or generate nightmares of die and going to hell because you are jealous of you friends brand new X-Cube (10th commandment).

The former gives you control. If you kid acts up, all you have to do is turn to him/her and say "Keep it up and you're going to Hell." I've seen that happen a couple of times and it got the kids to behave. I wonder how f'ed up they'll be.

Ravencrow · Post by **Ravencrow** » 2003-06-07 08:37pm

When you die, you live on in people's memories. That's true too. I'm sure most people want to be remembered well.

Soontir C'boath · Post by **Soontir C'boath** » 2003-06-07 08:50pm

I think that not only do you have to let your kid decide about it but listen and talk to him of how he feels about the subject at certain moments of his life.

I remember growing up an atheist I felt envious of those that held religion for no apparent reason of that I was a B student while the religous kids had A's. While it was actually just me slacking off...

As for Death, tell it like it is. We are not as dumb as adults seem to think we are/used to be no matter how young we are. Though as others wrote before take it in an easy approach for those kids who you may know can't take it.

Cyaround,
Jason