How to tell kids there is no god?
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Anonymous
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Last night my 6 year old asked if I thought there is a god. I tried to deflect and ask what she thought, etc. She persisted and eventually I said that I don’t think so. She said “phew, me too!” She said she’s been thinking about this a lot and came to that conclusion. She sounded relieved that I agreed with her.
I don’t want to push my beliefs on her but I didn’t want to lie either. I’m also pretty impressed that she came to that conclusion at 6 - took me several years longer. Now I’m afraid she will get bullied at school by kids at school who have different beliefs. I did already explain to her that everyone has different beliefs and “god” can be a touchy subject for some people. But she’s 6 and I’d be surprised if she doesn’t bring it up. She has no filter. Anything else I should tell her? |
Anonymous
| Do you live in a particularly religious area? My now-8 year old has been vocal in his disbelief about God (to me, mostly when complaining that he has to go to religious school) and it has never been a problem anywhere (including at the disliked religious school). |
Anonymous
| Is she going to bully others with different beliefs. Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, kids aren't necessarily going to bully her for being atheist any more than she will bully them. |
Anonymous
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Well, you could start to read book about different religions. We liked “One World, Many Religions” by Mary Pope Osborne.
https://www.amazon.com/One-World-Many-Religions-Worship/dp/0679839305 This is a little beyond your question, but I really liked dale McGowan’s book beyond belief (the practical guide) and the second book with parent perspectives. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0814410960/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523705622&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=beyond+belief+raising&dpPl=1&dpID=51f9taEef-L&ref=plSrch https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0814437419/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1523705622&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=beyond+belief+raising&dpPl=1&dpID=41NcNkeq7qL&ref=plSrch |
Anonymous
Growing up Muslim (and now Atheist) in the 80s, it was definitely much more of a stigma to be atheist than Muslim. And if you're from any religious community, people will still likely prefer you convert to another religion than have no belief in religion, because of the "god" factor. OP, I don't know if there is any reason to explicitly tell your kids that there are no gods. It'll come up in questions from time to time. Just tell them that different people come to different conclusions about this thing called life. In the olden days, people would make up stories to explain the explainable (lack of rain and an angry god, offerings to ancestors, etc), and that some people still believe a lot of old stories to try and explain the world and life. And in your family, you don't believe in any gods. You believe in the enormous potential of human beings to do good (or sometimes bad), and that you alone are in control of how you affect the world. Science, medicine, etc. |
Anonymous
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I would not sweat it. Keep it simple and age appropriate.
When DD was younger, we told her god is another word for good. It just has one more "o" in it. Some kids believe in God or Santa and some don't believe. It is okay. Everyone has a right to their own beliefs but you are too young to talk about it. If a friend asks about god or santa, just say "I'm just a kid. You have to ask my parents". |
Anonymous
| 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. |
Anonymous
| 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. |
Anonymous
This is my fear for my kid. Having experienced this myself. -OP |
Anonymous
I do wish your 8 yr old had come back with “that’s cool because I don’t have dumb friends.” |
Anonymous
| Parents should teach tolerance of others’ beliefs regardless of their own, shouldn’t they? |
Anonymous
| Why ask this question on the Religion forum? I think it's better suited for other forums, like Parenting forum, where "issue" of God would be treated like any other ordinary issue. |
Anonymous
| Just your kid there is no god. I see moth wrong with telling the truth. |
Anonymous
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? |
Anonymous
| I think you handled it well. The only thing you can do now is deal with each situation as it arises. I hope she doesn’t get bullied but kids will find something to be jerks about that if they want to be jerks. |