This week's featured post: Am I raising atheist children?

In my continued effort to blog weekly on a story that caught my eye over at our sister site http://www.atheistspot.com/, this week I'd like to discuss a story posted by "budah" titled "Am I raising atheist children?"

The article is written by Nica Lalli, an atheist and a parent. She writes about how her own beliefs may be indirectly influencing her children to end up atheists, and how she strives give her kids the chance to decide for themselves. What strikes me most about this story is how it is a microcosm for the difference between atheism and religion. What is a religious parent's worst fear? That their child will grow up atheist. What is an atheist parent's worst fear? That they will unconsciously limit their child's chance to think for themselves.

I may be raising my kids outside organized religion, but I am not raising them to be ignorant of religion any more than I am raising them to be atheists. I am not telling them that they have to follow my way of thinking, because as a parent, it's my job to encourage them to think for themselves. I know that many religious parents do the same for their kids, and I know that good parenting has no religious affiliation. But how can a parent foster an open and questioning mind in a child who is also told to follow a god — without question?

Religion purports that faith is something to be admired, that belief without evidence is to be respected, and that doubt is to be repressed. The less evidence for something, the more faith you need, the better. Atheism on the other hand encourages doubt, skepticism, and holding things up to the light of reason. Don't rely on a stone age book's version of reality. Figure things out for yourself, ask questions, encourage your natural thinking abilities.

We struggle together to understand what it all means. I teach them about all the major religions, and when I am not sure, I call friends who are part of the religions in question for better answers. We look at the art made to honor deities, we read stories written to explain belief systems, and we talk about similarities and differences among religions, both extinct and still in existence today. I try to keep all the possibilities open to them, and I answer all their questions honestly. I admit that I do not believe in the many gods that are out there, but I respect people who choose to follow them.

There's no question that every parent will be disappointed if their children grow up to believe in way of life different from their own, no matter if they are atheist, christian, or muslim. The difference is that non-religious parents will teach their children to think through their decisions, consider the available options, and come to a well thought out decision. Atheist parents are often times still very supportive of their children even if they end up in a faith that they don't personally agree with. Contrast this with a religious parent that would have to believe that their children will suffer eternal damnation for eternity. How can they ever be OK with that? Or even worse in Islam, converting to any other religion is punishable by death.

I'll end with a final quote from a god-less parent who in previous centuries would be considered unfit to ever having children:

Part of being a good parent is allowing our children to become whatever and whoever they become. Watching my children explore the ideas that are out there and grapple with the many, often conflicting, religious views in the world is exciting. They bring new understanding to things — not only for themselves, but for me as well. If my daughter came to me and told me she was joining a church, I would ask her how she reached her decision. But that would be my approach with any of the big decisions in my children's lives. Questioning puts us all on a path to greater understanding.