How to tell kids there is no god?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you should tell her that everyone needs to find their own path and respect others’ beliefs. Then expose her to a good book about different belief systems. This is an ongoing conversation and it’s best, IMO, not to foreclose on any options or let her think she has all the answers at age 6.

It's not a matter of "having all the answers" it's about having her own opinion and being able to express it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should tell her that everyone needs to find their own path and respect others’ beliefs. Then expose her to a good book about different belief systems. This is an ongoing conversation and it’s best, IMO, not to foreclose on any options or let her think she has all the answers at age 6.

It's not a matter of "having all the answers" it's about having her own opinion and being able to express it.

Sure. It’s good to have ones own opinion and express it. It’s also good to be tolerant of others’ beliefs and to acknowledge that no single individual has all the answers. To believe otherwise is a kind of fundamentalism.

[Anonymous]

I'd treat it as any other topic of conversation that can become dicey. For instance, we have both Christians and Jews in our family, and some believe in Santa and others don't. We told our DD that some people think Santa is real and others don't and it's a subject that some kids can get hurt feelings about. So she should try not to force her thoughts/our family's thoughts about Santa on others. Live and let live, so to speak.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just your kid there is no god. I see moth wrong with telling the truth.

It’s your truth.

Do you think there’s any value in teaching kids that people hold a variety of beliefs, and that the search for truth and meaning is an ongoing and personal one?

I think your suggestion about people holding a variety of beliefs is fine, but I'd leave off the stuff about searching for truth and meaning in the context of religion, but truth and meaning can be found in many ways, not just through religion. Plus many people participate in religious communities mainly for social reasons.

[Anonymous]

What would you have said if she asked you if there is really a Santa?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should tell her that everyone needs to find their own path and respect others’ beliefs. Then expose her to a good book about different belief systems. This is an ongoing conversation and it’s best, IMO, not to foreclose on any options or let her think she has all the answers at age 6.

It's not a matter of "having all the answers" it's about having her own opinion and being able to express it.

Sure. It’s good to have ones own opinion and express it. It’s also good to be tolerant of others’ beliefs and to acknowledge that no single individual has all the answers. To believe otherwise is a kind of fundamentalism.

I see no indication that OP is suggesting to her daughter that she has "all the answers." It's usually people who believe in aa particular religion (e.g., Christianity) who think they have all the answers and think that others who don't share that belief will suffer eternally for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should tell her that everyone needs to find their own path and respect others’ beliefs. Then expose her to a good book about different belief systems. This is an ongoing conversation and it’s best, IMO, not to foreclose on any options or let her think she has all the answers at age 6.

It's not a matter of "having all the answers" it's about having her own opinion and being able to express it.

Sure. It’s good to have ones own opinion and express it. It’s also good to be tolerant of others’ beliefs and to acknowledge that no single individual has all the answers. To believe otherwise is a kind of fundamentalism.

I see no indication that OP is suggesting to her daughter that she has "all the answers." It's usually people who believe in aa particular religion (e.g., Christianity) who think they have all the answers and think that others who don't share that belief will suffer eternally for it.

I’d argue that people like Sam Harris do plenty of damage too. Watch his discussion with Ezra Klein and tell m otherwise.

Fundamentalism is never good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should tell her that everyone needs to find their own path and respect others’ beliefs. Then expose her to a good book about different belief systems. This is an ongoing conversation and it’s best, IMO, not to foreclose on any options or let her think she has all the answers at age 6.

It's not a matter of "having all the answers" it's about having her own opinion and being able to express it.

Sure. It’s good to have ones own opinion and express it. It’s also good to be tolerant of others’ beliefs and to acknowledge that no single individual has all the answers. To believe otherwise is a kind of fundamentalism.

I see no indication that OP is suggesting to her daughter that she has "all the answers." It's usually people who believe in aa particular religion (e.g., Christianity) who think they have all the answers and think that others who don't share that belief will suffer eternally for it.

If OP definitively says “there is no god,” which is the subject line of her post, doesn’t that mean she is pretty sure she knows the truth?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just your kid there is no god. I see moth wrong with telling the truth.

It’s your truth.

Do you think there’s any value in teaching kids that people hold a variety of beliefs, and that the search for truth and meaning is an ongoing and personal one?

I think your suggestion about people holding a variety of beliefs is fine, but I'd leave off the stuff about searching for truth and meaning in the context of religion, but truth and meaning can be found in many ways, not just through religion. Plus many people participate in religious communities mainly for social reasons.

Why do you think it’s bad to acknowledge that people — some of them — search for truth and meaning in religion? It seems pretty intolerant to suggest otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What would you have said if she asked you if there is really a Santa?

Probably in the same way “what do you think? some people do/some don’t, etc”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just your kid there is no god. I see moth wrong with telling the truth.

It’s your truth.

Do you think there’s any value in teaching kids that people hold a variety of beliefs, and that the search for truth and meaning is an ongoing and personal one?

I think your suggestion about people holding a variety of beliefs is fine, but I'd leave off the stuff about searching for truth and meaning in the context of religion, but truth and meaning can be found in many ways, not just through religion. Plus many people participate in religious communities mainly for social reasons.

Why do you think it’s bad to acknowledge that people — some of them — search for truth and meaning in religion? It seems pretty intolerant to suggest otherwise.

Don't think it's bad and did not say that. said "I'd leave it off" and then explained why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should tell her that everyone needs to find their own path and respect others’ beliefs. Then expose her to a good book about different belief systems. This is an ongoing conversation and it’s best, IMO, not to foreclose on any options or let her think she has all the answers at age 6.

It's not a matter of "having all the answers" it's about having her own opinion and being able to express it.

Sure. It’s good to have ones own opinion and express it. It’s also good to be tolerant of others’ beliefs and to acknowledge that no single individual has all the answers. To believe otherwise is a kind of fundamentalism.

I see no indication that OP is suggesting to her daughter that she has "all the answers." It's usually people who believe in aa particular religion (e.g., Christianity) who think they have all the answers and think that others who don't share that belief will suffer eternally for it.

If OP definitively says “there is no god,” which is the subject line of her post, doesn’t that mean she is pretty sure she knows the truth?

It means she knows exactly how she feels about it. She might even think it's "true" but understands that others may see it differently. Some people who don't believe in God strongly feel that there is not God, based on lack of evidence, however, they also know there isn't proof.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should tell her that everyone needs to find their own path and respect others’ beliefs. Then expose her to a good book about different belief systems. This is an ongoing conversation and it’s best, IMO, not to foreclose on any options or let her think she has all the answers at age 6.

It's not a matter of "having all the answers" it's about having her own opinion and being able to express it.

Sure. It’s good to have ones own opinion and express it. It’s also good to be tolerant of others’ beliefs and to acknowledge that no single individual has all the answers. To believe otherwise is a kind of fundamentalism.

I see no indication that OP is suggesting to her daughter that she has "all the answers." It's usually people who believe in aa particular religion (e.g., Christianity) who think they have all the answers and think that others who don't share that belief will suffer eternally for it.

If OP definitively says “there is no god,” which is the subject line of her post, doesn’t that mean she is pretty sure she knows the truth?

It means she knows exactly how she feels about it. She might even think it's "true" but understands that others may see it differently. Some people who don't believe in God strongly feel that there is not God, based on lack of evidence, however, they also know there isn't proof.

Exactly. And my DD even asked it that way “do you believe there is a god?” vs “is there a god?”

-op

[Anonymous]

Maybe OP should have titled the thread "How to tell kids I don't believe in God" then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well my 8 year-old just mentioned the other day at school that he did not believe in god and a kid told him he was going to hell. My kid said, that’s okay, I don’t believe in hell either. Then the kid said he hated my son.

This happened to my kid, too, but a bit younger. By a very lovely young girl, and I adore her very religious family. It's just one of those things that kids tend to get into conflicts over. And you've got to help them through it.