I have a daughter 10 and son 11. My ex is Catholic. She doesn't seem to be too indoctrinating, although there are bloodied crucifixes hanging all over her house. I'm not sure why she hasn't taken them to church hardly at all. Anyway, I've discussed with my son that there are options to believing in a god, and he knows I'm not a believer. Haven't delved into life after death. I think the latter is trickier. Any suggestions on what/when to talk about this?
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.I have a 19 year old and an 11 year old. Both boys.
I think with kids, you kinda wait until they seem interested in the topic. I don't avoid talking about much around the kids. One day, they will ask, or something will happen which causes them to want to know.
I never pushed my ideas on the topic, though I let them know what I believe and I do push critical thinking and science allot. But whatever they so happen to believe it's up to them. I just want them to be informed in the topic.
So if death and after life got brought up, I tell them what the different people that they know believe, tell them what I believe, and some example of what difference people believe around the world. If I think they can follow it, I also go into why I think people believe different things.
I also teach them to respect others beliefs. It's ok to all questions, but you shouldn't make fun of others beliefs.
JeffB
Level 6
Mar 5, 2018
0
I think that's the way I've handled it so far, and the way I intend to handle it. The danger is that kids' minds are so impressionable that I'm afraid faith-based thoughts might get in their brains early and make it hard to flush it out. A big goal of religions and politicians is to get into the minds of the kids early so that they capture and will own those minds forever (it is hoped). So, I'm pretty vigilant (passively) on trying to determine if my ex-wife is planting beliefs in my kids' heads, and then trying to get them to understand that there are many belief systems out there, and I try to rely on knowledge and reason rather than belief.
And as far as hoping the kids believe what I have to say rather than someone else (e.g. my Catholic ex-wife), I think I will be much more effective if I let them choose and accept it rather than ramming it down their throats. I think my ex-wife is smart enough to believe that that is also the best approach for her, and thus she is laying off (for now). It's probably not a smart choice on her part, however. Young, stupid minds are much more receptive of gobbledygook than older minds, and thus that's why churches and governments want to get into their heads so early.
@GlyndonD I think the cure for religion getting in their mind early is exposure to lots of other similar ideas.
I had a friends kid that thought he has ghost in his closet. I asked how he knew it was ghost and not aliens or Bigfoot. Actually this is my standard response to anything like that with adults too. There point is to try to see if you can get any critical thinking done. Often you can get to a point of, well I guess I don't know. Which is progress!
I often tell my kids they have to think for themselves and there is things I believe that are wrong I just don't know what it is. You guys will have to figure it out for yourselves.
For me, I didn't convert to atheism or deside to follow reason and logic. Once I sort of got it, I couldn't believe that stuff. I didn't have a choice.
Good one -- I'll try it. (although my kids don't seem to be experiencing ghosts).
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