# Can Atheists Be Parents? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 24, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567 "2009-08-24T23:13:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoneburg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Stoneburg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoneburg)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/1 "2009-08-24T23:13:42Z")
> [@](#): > > In an extraordinary decision, Judge Camarata denied the Burkes’ right to the child because of their lack of belief in a Supreme Being. Despite the Burkes’ “high moral and ethical standards,” he said, the New Jersey state constitution declares that “no person shall be deprived of the inestimable privilege of worshiping Almighty God in a manner agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience.” Despite Eleanor Katherine’s tender years, he continued, “the child should have the freedom to worship as she sees fit, and not be influenced by prospective parents who do not believe in a Supreme Being.” [This](http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,877155,00.html) almost made my head assplode on so many levels. Do even religious nutjobs agree with this? And how does a man advance so far in a field that is (supposedly) based on rationality and justice and being able of such amazing double-think? And is there any chance this will stand up to appeal? As a religious person I know said “This makes me want to become an athiest”. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/2 "2009-08-24T23:19:33Z")
Did you look at the time stamp on that story? It’s from 1970. I am an atheist and a father of three, so yes, an atheist can be a parent, and a damn good one too. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/3 "2009-08-24T23:19:45Z")
If the article is accurate, that’s the dumbest and most unjust decision I’ve heard in a long, long time. Edit: from 1970! Arrrg. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/4 "2009-08-24T23:28:04Z")
If you’re curious, by the way, the decision was [reversed by the New Jersey Supreme Court](http://www.americanadoptions.com/adoption/article_view?article_id=2435&state=NJ&court_case=1) in July of 1971, and the adoption was upheld. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/5 "2009-08-24T23:31:37Z")
Didn’t we already have a thread where somebody linked to that article thinking it was a recent event? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/6 "2009-08-24T23:33:25Z")
Damn you, Leon Czolgosz! ---
**Author:** ![Stoneburg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Stoneburg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoneburg)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/7 "2009-08-25T00:15:31Z")
There was no internet in 1970! What a sham… ---
**Author:** ![Henrichek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5daacb/32.png) [@Henrichek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henrichek)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/8 "2009-08-25T00:16:30Z")
Even being from the 1970’s it raises some major :eek:😕:eek: reactions for me. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/9 "2009-08-25T00:19:06Z")
God is big enough even to overcome atheists parents. God knew exactly where that child would be placed. Our nation is under the authority of God by our country’s own admission ‘one nation under God’. Children need loving parents, I would advise that judge to take a lesson from the statement on the currency he gets paid in ‘in God we trust’ and get that child into a loving family they need. ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/10 "2009-08-25T00:31:07Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > God is big enough even to overcome atheists parents. God knew exactly where that child would be placed. Our nation is under the authority of God by our country’s own admission ‘one nation under God’. Children need loving parents, I would advise that judge to take a lesson from the statement on the currency he gets paid in ‘in God we trust’ and get that child into a loving family they need. Please tell me you’re joking. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/11 "2009-08-25T00:33:24Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > Please tell me you’re joking. **kanicbird** talks like that all the time; I doubt it’s a joke. Actually, I can’t recall **kanicbird** _ **ever** _ making a joke of any kind. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/12 "2009-08-25T00:33:39Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Children need loving parents, I would advise that judge to take a lesson from the statement on the currency he gets paid in ‘in God we trust’ and get that child into a loving family they need. Do you believe atheists do not love their children? ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/13 "2009-08-25T00:34:48Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > Please tell me you’re joking. If I parsed that correctly, he’s saying that the judge should have let the kid in the athiest family, and the kid would have found God eventually. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/14 "2009-08-25T00:35:23Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Do you believe atheists do not love their children? I think **kanicbird** said the opposite, that the Atheists would love the child, and that the judge was wrong because God is powerful enough to overcome their Atheist… ness and reach the child. ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/15 "2009-08-25T00:36:33Z")
> [@pedescribe](#): > > If I parsed that correctly, he’s saying that the judge should have let the kid in the athiest family, and the kid would have found God eventually. “God is big enough even to overcome atheists parents.” W.T.F. that is all. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/16 "2009-08-25T00:37:03Z")
Well, the kid’s at least 39 years old, assuming she’s still alive. Does anyone know how she turned out? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/17 "2009-08-25T00:43:52Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > I think **kanicbird** said the opposite, that the Atheists would love the child, and that the judge was wrong because God is powerful enough to overcome their Atheist… ness and reach the child. That is what I was saying, along with God reaching the parents, very possibly though that very child - Is 11:6b "and a little child will lead them. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/18 "2009-08-25T00:53:36Z")
For the record, that’s from Isaiah 11:6 **The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.** ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/19 "2009-08-25T00:55:12Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, the kid’s at least 39 years old, assuming she’s still alive. Does anyone know how she turned out? I assume she became [The Baroness](http://www.the-isb.com/images/Baroness24.jpg) from G.I. Joe. But what do you expect with no morals? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/20 "2009-08-25T00:58:40Z")
Ahem, shall I simply say… arrrooooooo! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567.md?page=2)