Religion

cbayer

(146,218 posts) Wed Jun 25, 2014, 07:19 AM Jun 2014

What an Atheist Told His Daughter When She Asked About God

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-lesser/what-an-atheist-told-his-daughter-when-she-asked-about-god_b_5523358.html

David Lesser Become a fan
stay-at-home dad, all-around good guy, owner-operator of amateuridiotprofessionaldad.com

Posted: 06/24/2014 6:45 pm EDT Updated: 06/24/2014 6:59 pm EDT

Design Pics/Christine Mariner via Getty Images

The Big Questions come at the most unexpected times. The other day, driving home from preschool, Penny asked me if God could hear us. This question was followed by, "does he know where we live?" and "does he see everything we do?" My responses to these thought-provoking metaphysical queries varied from "uhh..." to "err..." and finally, a "maybe you should talk to your mother about this one." (I was about as helpful as Penny's little brother, Simon, who sat there, fascinated by the whole exchange.) Penny came to her own conclusion, "I think He does."

Oy.

I am an atheist. There are many reasons why I don't believe in God and why I'm not a big fan of organized religion. But you've probably heard them all before, expressed much more articulately than I could hope to do here. I'm not trying to change anyone's mind, anyway. My wife, Allie, believes in God. Although she does not attend temple services any more than I do, she observes religion in her own way. Encompassed in her belief system seems to be the need to constantly apologize to some dude who looks down on us from the clouds for all the silly, blasphemous things I say. (I'm sure she apologized for me calling him "some dude.&quot

There are certain things that I would not hesitate to force on my kids (or, at least, strongly guide them towards): love of running, experimental eating and an appreciation of good music and terrible movies. (Other than enjoying terrible movies -- though the wrong kind of terrible -- I'm pretty much failing in these efforts.)

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What an Atheist Told His Daughter When She Asked About God (Original Post) cbayer Jun 2014 OP

refreshingly honest DonCoquixote Jun 2014 #1

Agree. I think he is doing a great job of holding on to his own cbayer Jun 2014 #2

"Penny asked me if God could hear us." AtheistCrusader Jun 2014 #3

Indeed... gcomeau Jun 2014 #5

When the whole concept of "letting the kids decide on their own" Lordquinton Jun 2014 #4

DonCoquixote

(13,616 posts)

1. refreshingly honest

Reply to cbayer (Original post)

Wed Jun 25, 2014, 07:32 AM

Jun 2014

This person does not shy from being an athiest, buit also avoid the sins of the religious by avoiding self righteousness.

cbayer

(146,218 posts)

2. Agree. I think he is doing a great job of holding on to his own

Reply to DonCoquixote (Reply #1)

Wed Jun 25, 2014, 08:01 AM

Jun 2014

convictions and allowing his daughter to explore her own.

Not always such an easy line to walk.

AtheistCrusader

(33,982 posts)

3. "Penny asked me if God could hear us."

Reply to cbayer (Original post)

Wed Jun 25, 2014, 10:55 AM

Jun 2014

Kind of shanked it into the weeds there with an 'umm'. One must engage on the begged question of 'god exists to hear you at all', if one wants to have any sort of voice in this discussion. All the other questions that followed were built upon that shaky foundation.

I would be very worried if my child presupposed god exists.

gcomeau

(5,764 posts)

5. Indeed...

Reply to AtheistCrusader (Reply #3)

Wed Jun 25, 2014, 08:11 PM

Jun 2014

"I would be very worried if my child presupposed god exists."

Which of course they will as long as all the religious think it's their duty to force that idea into their heads and atheist dad is afraid of so much as suggesting the alternative might be true to his kid. No doubt much of the approval of this guy's approach from the religious comes from their being so happy to see an atheist ceding all the ground to them on the indoctrination of his children while they're still too young to have developed proper critical thinking skills to inoculate them against silly outlandish magical claims like there existing some superbeing that is that very moment invisibly watching them in their car.

Lordquinton

(7,886 posts)

4. When the whole concept of "letting the kids decide on their own"

Reply to cbayer (Original post)

Wed Jun 25, 2014, 06:56 PM

Jun 2014

isn't applied to atheists almost exclusively, then this kind of article will mean something. Until then I think it's poor judgement to not provide a counter balance to children trying to "form their own opinion" when their entire world is seeped in the presumption that a god exists. (Like in math class, when learning to count money, there's a message about god existing and people don't even realize it, I didn't until just now).

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