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raising my 7 year old daughter as an atheist (in the bible belt south, mind you)

interested in feedback/morale support in my being honest with my daughter about (the fact that) there is no god. i live in south carolina, where even not going to church causes one to be labeled a 'heathen' , and parents are giving a good deal of flack about it also. now to really introduce a wrench: i am also going through a divorce, where my lack of religious views were exploited and used to demean me. perhaps i thought the group may have some advice to a n00b such as myself.

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Permalink Reply by James M. Martin on January 20, 2013 at 6:52pm

If anyone makes this a problem, contact the ACLU, the Southern Poverty Law Center, or Americans United for Separation of Church and State and they may be able to help. I wish you well. You are not alone. Religion will be flaunted and flouted where believers find advantage; after all, there are many more God people than us heathen. Some parents might claim you were putting your child through torture if she is ostracized by Christians or other believers in her midst, and it is the vampiric proselytizing groups that do most damage. I do not envy you. I am just glad that the mother of my sons did not brainwash them in the Big Lie. What you are doing may be akin to a labor of Hercules. Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on January 20, 2013 at 7:21pm

Ouch! Sorry, I have no advice, and yet I can recognize how much you love your daughter, and important it is to stand firm in your honesty with her. Others may be successful in brainwashing her and I hope that is not the case. Expressing your love her, frequently, sincerely, hearing her when she talks with you, affirming her as a valuable person, may plant seeds that develop as she develops. If you turn your back on her, it is highly probably she will interpret that as your rejection of her. Even if you only are able to send letters, that is something she can touch. Good luck! I will be thinking of you xhuman! One more thought, use affirmative language; xhuman puts you down. Can you think of a positive term for yourself and think using empowering words?

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Permalink Reply by Earther on January 21, 2013 at 11:08pm

I don't have children but you are not alone. There are many hurdles for all of us as an atheist in America. No one person has the solution that works for everyone because everyone has there own issues. I believe it is best to seek support for your views in social areas like this one or other. The more you read about the things that are relavant to these things the more answers you may get. I am reading Sex and God by Darrel Ray presently. I think it really helps to find others dealing with the struggles we encounter. Be safe.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Perlman on January 22, 2013 at 9:44pm

BTW, a good point of entry for secular/rational evaluation of the Bible is the Noah story: scientifically impossible, morally repulsive, and ghastly to contemplate (all those bloated, dorwned bodies, including children).

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Permalink Reply by Shane Morris on March 6, 2013 at 9:35am

Hi! My only advice is to continue what you are doing and to stay strong. I also raised my daughter to be Atheist, and it was quite easy. Honestly, I think she would have chosen to be Atheist even without my influence. She is now in high school and also won't say the "under god" part of the pledge. She is very anti-religion as well, which suits me just fine. Good for you for raising your daughter to have a brain!