Spin off "would you allow your children to...." post
Would you allow your children to play with a child from an atheist family? One mother in the other post said she would not allow it because "they would be teaching their children different values." Well we are atheists and I can tell you that we most likely have all the same morals that you do, except we do not believe in God. We teach our children not to steal, to be kind to others, to respect their elders, etc. Honestly, I don't tell people that I am an atheist unless they ask ever since the neighbor girls stopped playing with my daughter because she said that we don't believe in God. I fear others will do the same. I have no desire to "convert" you, and I am 100% fine with your beliefs and will not discuss my lack of beliefs with your child. As a matter of fact, we teach our children about all different religions and being respectful to everyone else's beliefs; once our child is an adult we want her to come to her own decision about religion.
I don't understand why it would be an issue. How often do small children even discuss religion? Why is it so difficult to teach diversity for some people? I let my kids play with anyone that is good to them. They are aware that not everyone has the same beliefs. If you teach your children that they can't associate with someone that is different, make them think that they are better than someone else, you are setting them up for a very hard life.
i agree with you 100% and am an atheist as well. I don't discuss God and won't take my children to church BUT will never stand in their way of exploring that if they ask. My son has asked about Christmas and I explained it to him very matter of factly. His close friend is Jewish so I also explained their beliefs and why they don't celebrate Christmas. If he asks to attend Synagogue or Church someday they are welcome to that experience. My job is not to produce little clone robots of me, my job is to raise my kids with love, tolerance and an open mind and allow them to come to their own conclusions about things NOT just believe what I believe because I'm their Mom. Most of my friends are a religion of some sort. I don't know any other atheists. I don't wear it on my sleeve because it's just my own thoughts and, like you said, am not looking to convert anyone. When people find out they like me all the same. I'm still a good person, I just do it in the name of what's right, not in the name of a higher power.
My criteria for a friend or my kids' friends is nice, respectful, thoughtful and fun. Just as I would not be friends with a judgemental atheist asshole, I would not be friends with a judgemental Christian/Muslim/gay/straight/man/woman/black/white/tall/short/thin/fat asshole. An asshole is an asshole.
Yes. I am a devoted Catholic and some of my good friends are atheist.
I do not understand putting my child in a bubble so that he's totally unprepared to engage the world. And that's what this so easily becomes.
Btw, I love Jesus, and we're raising my son for that to be a part of his life too. But I am not trying to convert your child any more than you're trying to convert mine. That's not why my kid is at your house or vice versa. They're preschoolers! They're just learning how to live with other people. Let's just treat one another with kindness, you know? That's the most important thing we can model for our kids, IMO.
OP, I think our kids would be just fine together. :-)
I would let them because their daddy is an Atheist. I do pray and believe, but he doesn't. They will be open to choose whatever they want. My oldest goes to church every Sunday. We both have different views on everything, but we work great together as parents. I am getting excited just seeing the finished result of how well we tried to raise our children in the end.
Yes, I would allow it. Like you said, you teach the same morals of respect, etc. We also want our children to come to their own conclusions and we teach them about all faiths and viewpoints.
As long as the family isn't batshit crazy, hard core criminals or drunk/high in front of my child, I'm pretty open to who he's friends with.
Weekend Mornings
- MommyCora
on Feb. 6, 2013 at 10:37 PM