RE: Atheist Children
March 30, 2010 at 5:36 pm
(This post was last modified: March 30, 2010 at 5:39 pm by Bramblepath.)
It's very hard to not indoctrinate children, even if you specifically try not to. I doubt any parents would stop going to church in order that their child make up their own mind about faith. Dawkins does feel very strongly on the matter, and rightly so, because the vast, vast majority of children with theistic "go-to-church" parents are likely to spawn children of a similar nature.
In the same way, atheistic parents should definitely avoid brainwashing their child, although it is arguably easier seeing as they do not need to actively stop doing something that might affect the child (unless they take part in atheist gatherings, and the like). However it is unequivocal that they would be influenced even by the subtlest statement against God's existence.
The best way that a child can be raised is so that they naturally evaluate all information before making up their mind, rather than being drawn to a preformulated conclusion which they decide upon because of their parents.
In the same way, atheistic parents should definitely avoid brainwashing their child, although it is arguably easier seeing as they do not need to actively stop doing something that might affect the child (unless they take part in atheist gatherings, and the like). However it is unequivocal that they would be influenced even by the subtlest statement against God's existence.
The best way that a child can be raised is so that they naturally evaluate all information before making up their mind, rather than being drawn to a preformulated conclusion which they decide upon because of their parents.
