Atheist kids these days...

[thistlepong]

So, um, were any a y'all raised atheist or are you raising atheist children? If so, what are you willing to share regarding your experiences of same?

[TheLoneliestMonk]

My parents raised me catholic. They wanted me to go to catechism classes, so I went. They knew I wasn't a believer, though.

Anyways, when my grandmother died, I found out that my dad is an atheist, and my mom describes herself as "spiritual". Hmmm.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

I was raised generic "Christian". I'm Orthodox Christian today, that said I was raised to always question.

[Seli]

My parents raised me without religion, being lapsed catholics themselves. The schools I went to were nominally catholic, and I did attend church through my primary school on high holidays, but they never put much effort in converting me as far as I remember.

[Liffguard]

I wasn't raised as an atheist as such but I was raised in a secular household where religion as a topic just never came up. We had religious assemblies and hymns at school but even then I remember just assuming that the religious stories we got were just that, stories. Stories of Jesus were fundamentally no different to my child-self than stories of Zeus, the Famous Five or the the Power Rangers. I don't think I even really understood what religion was until I was about nine years old or so and it hit me that this is what some people really believed.

[Stubby]

I went to Sunday school, but we were not church-goers generally. I never thought much of the stuff they taught us at Sunday school because it all sounded wrong, but I came to the realisation that I am an atheist much later than that. In retrospect I was never a believer. None of us really were.

[Isalie]

Both I guess, raised and raising, what is it that you want to know about it? That said, seeing how atheism is the norm in Sweden, my experiences may not be relevant if you are from the US or some other religious place.

Eta: I've spent quite a lot of time in church though, my family was part of a family choir that sang in churches and such, but we were never part of it because of the religion, my parents liked singing was all.

[Turinqui-Calima]

So, um, were any a y'all raised atheist or are you raising atheist children? If so, what are you willing to share regarding your experiences of same?

It depends on what you mean by being raised atheist. I certainly wasn't raised to NOT believe in God, but I wasn't raised to believe anything in particular either. My mom is atheist and my dad protestant christian, but they never talked about it and never went to church (except for baptisms and funerals). My brother is 9 years older than me and he was probably the only one who ever really talked about religion, but all he did was teach me to always question. I think he calls himself agnostic.

It's a bit odd really because my aunt (my mom's sister) is a priest, but even she never really talked to me about religion other than as a historic or cultural phenomena. I'm very close to my aunt and we sometime travel together which means we have to see at least one or two churches. She will tell me all about the meaning of the art and the history of the church but never push her faith at all.

In school they talked a lot about religion but never very sincerely (more in a bearded man in the sky way) and only till I was about 10 years old or so.

I called myself agnostic for many years but have called myself an atheist for the last few years.

ETA: Like Mikael I was raised in Sweden, so I'm not sure if my experience is relevant either.

[Sci-2]

It would be a fascinating social experiment to raise a kid to believe there is no right and wrong save that which can be proven scientifically.

Preferably Truman Show style.

[Theda Baratheon]

I was simply raised without religion, not atheist as such, but religion was never really mentioned, it's never been a part of my life. I always really liked religious studies in school and found it interesting, but im not religious. My parents do have a strict moral code tho and always brought me up to be polite and respect all people unless they're shit then i should call them out on it, lol. Anyway my childhood was ace, probably one of the happiest, most hyper and creative children ever.

I don't think my school was a religious school but we still had to sing hymns and songs about religion, i always felt a bit uncomfortable with that except 'lord of the dance' because that song is ace. I distinctly remember when i was about ten some kid asking me if i believed in god once and i said no to which point he ran away saying "ummmmm im telling on you"

I was also OBSESSED with dinosaurs and i remember some kid telling me dinosaurs aren't real and god just put the plastic bones under the ground because he was bored, lol

[scotcat]

I wasn't raised Atheist exactly, but religion never really came up in our household. I had religious assemblies at primary school and we had to go to church for Easter/Christmas on the last day of school term and we had to recite the Lords prayer every morning, but that was it. My Grandmother tried to force me to go Sunday school, at one point she tried bribing me, but my mum told her to back off - if I wanted to have religion in my life it would be my own choice not hers.

When I asked my parents what they believed they both described themselves as 'spiritual'. My mother was raised in a religious household - my late grandmother was Catholic - and my stepfather was raised in a protestant home. Both believe in some form of higher power, but I've never pressed them on it.

As for me I am definitely Atheist. Any children I may have would be raised the same way I was - with religion being a choice, not something that is forced on them.

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

I wasn't raised atheist, but like many have said here, was raised mostly* without religion. My first husband was a Mormon and my second a Catholic, but we agree on raising our kids without religion, but not necessary atheist.

*went to Sunday school for a couple of years when 5-6 yrs old (Baptist maybe?) and again from 16-17 when my mom joined the Mormon church. I never really felt part of it though. Went once or twice after I was married but as a woman in the army, I really didn't fit in with the other women. (with my mother in law when she was visiting and didn't want to miss church)

What I hope I have taught my kids: Think for yourself, look at the science, make your own choice.

[IheartTesla]

I was raised in a Hindu household, which as everyone knows has many rituals associated with it including regular prayers to your idol of choice. In 7th grade r so, I thought "this is stupid" and told my parents I didn't want to do it anymore. They agreed and after crossing the Rubicon, I've never looked back. It was a bit challenging being in such a religious country and making a point not to participate in any ceremonies (you'd be surprised how many there are), but it happened.

Now I regularly drive my stepchildren to church. We don't have too many conversations about religion and that's fine with me. Everyone has to make their own choices, and if they want to ask me questions I'll be happy to answer.

Similar to politics, people with differing opinions on faith and lack thereof have to live together, sometimes in the same house. A little bit of flexibility goes a long way.

[Galactus]

Again, wasn't raised atheist per se, but not churchy either. We went on christmas eve and such to hear the kids sing, got a "My First Bible" when I was a kid and loved the stories of God smiting stuff. Never actually *believed* AFAIK, nor made a point of not going to ceremonies.

[Errant Bard]

Not sure it's really interesting to you, since my country is in extremely secular, but I was not raised to believe in one thing or another, in fact the very concept of belief or religion never ever, as far as I recall, entered a discussion at home or at school, I knew that people believed or did not believe in things called gods from books (and I tell you, Greek mythology rocks, especially as a kid,) but to tell the truth I was never really interested in having people telling me what to believe so I did not really far. It's only lately (well, relatively,) with internet and exposure to US culture that I got a bit more acquainted with Jesus & whatever goes on in the bible, at the same time I looked a bit at Norse mythology, Islam, Hinduism, Shintoism, Buddhism and I found a lot of that to be really interesting Fantasy stories laced with great moral messages, considering the context of the time they were written in.

Not sure what experience there is to tell, nobody cares about religion around here, and it's somewhat of a faux pas to talk about it: it's intimate. Except for Jehovah's witnesses, nobody ever tried to chat me up about it. I've met a lot of great guys, and a lot of jerks, I'm sure some were religious, cannot tell who. Thinking about it, the loud ones who force you to acknowledge them tend to be the extremist assholes, mostly catholic and islamic, around here.

[Lady Winter Rose]

It would be a fascinating social experiment to raise a kid to believe there is no right and wrong save that which can be proven scientifically.

Preferably Truman Show style.

Atheist are not amoral being who bow only to science. They simply refuse to believe you hurt someone by having consensual sex while you're single and your date is single. And other, similar things, like masturbation, doing work on sunday, arranged marriages, praying, belief in God, belief in Hell... etc.

They are capable of love. They are capable to show mercy. They are able to to good things. They do good things.

[Lady Winter Rose]

I was raised Catholic. I once believed in God. But I converted to atheism. Nobody influence my decision. No kids at the moment, but I plan to raised them atheist.

[Francis Buck]

I was raised Catholic, barely. We went to church on Christmas and Easter. My mom is more "religious" than my dad, but she's also into a bunch of metaphysical shit and new age stuff and so on, so calling her a straight up a Catholic isn't really accurate. My dad seems largely uninterested in religion. I think he's basically agnostic, although I'm not sure he even knows agnosticism is.

So, I "believed in God" when I was young, but I never believed in specific doctrine or anything, and it wasn't a big deal. When I told my parents I was atheist (not sure when, probably 13 or 14), my dad didn't seem to give a fuck, and my mom went into a faux-outrage for like a half hour. Since then it hasn't been an issue.

I am curious though, for the people who were raised in a household where religion was just totally non-existent, what did you believe while growing up in regards to like, what happens after you die? Surely most kids must ask their parents that question when they're little at least once?

[Sci-2]

Atheist are not amoral being who bow only to science. They simply refuse to believe you hurt someone by having consensual sex while you're single and your date is single. And other, similar things, like masturbation, doing work on sunday, arranged marriages, praying, belief in God, belief in Hell... etc.

They are capable of love. They are capable to show mercy. They are able to to good things. They do good things.

Actually I'm guessing I can find atheists who think women shouldn't sleep around, and believers who are far more progressive about sex.

I'm just doubtful that science can ground progressive thought, but that's probably a discussion for another thread.

[sologdin]

my father is apatheist and my mother, ignostic, with a hint of religion-is-aliens. was exposed to irregular churchgoing and religious ideas via more distant ascendents & collaterals.

am now anti-theist or atheist intellectually, but with henotheist nostalgia.

will provide daughter with geneva, KJV, NRSV, and NIV translations of greek & hebrew scripture, as well as several qurans and other items. she can read it all for herself, and then do with that as she wants--but i won't take her within any religious architecture, nor participate in any religious observance with her, nor encourage it in any way other than through library.