# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/21 "2009-08-25T01:04:53Z")
> [@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. What about children whose parents abuse them? Did God want them there too? Probably to teach them a lesson. ---
**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, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/22 "2009-08-25T01:18:48Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > What about children whose parents abuse them? Did God want them there too? Probably to teach them a lesson. Did you know that childhood leukemia is part of god’s plan, too? Some bullshit about how somone else’s child’s indescribable suffering makes us appreciate our own children’s well being. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/23 "2009-08-25T01:28:25Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > get that child into a loving family they need. Which they obviously did. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/24 "2009-08-25T01:53:43Z")
Well, this is a real head-scratcher. As an athiest, I don’t think someone who believes in any gods could be an ideal parent, and though I wouldn’t propose trying to prevent religious people from being parents, I wouldn’t feel quite right about approving an adoption by religious parents if deciding adoptions were my job, either. So, things are pretty turned around for me just now… ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/25 "2009-08-25T01:57:39Z")
> [@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. I thought it meant that even God is an athiest, sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/26 "2009-08-25T02:05:57Z")
God is big enough to overcome thoughtless Christians. ---
**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, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/27 "2009-08-25T02:08:56Z")
> [@wierdaaron](#): > > God is big enough to overcome thoughtless Christians. you sure? those hypocritical sob’s probably punched their tickets to hell many moons ago. ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/28 "2009-08-25T02:15:33Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > you sure? those hypocritical sob’s probably punched their tickets to hell many moons ago. Not if you asked them, and they’re sort of the only ones you can ask about god (atheists aren’t good sources for details about god’s many rules), so I guess you have to take their word for it. ---
**Author:** ![Mojo\_Pin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mojo\_Pin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo_Pin)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/29 "2009-08-25T02:27:45Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > Did you know that childhood leukemia is part of god’s plan, too? > > Some bullshit about how somone else’s child’s indescribable suffering makes us appreciate our own children’s well being. No God just wants them to be in heaven faster. While they’re still pure. You know the more you suffer in this life the more smug you can be in the afterlife–God’s just giving those kids the ultimate suffering trump card. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/30 "2009-08-25T02:30:16Z")
Well, if agnostics count, I can say for certain that they can be parents. If not, it would come as a major surprise to my wife and all of my children if this isn’t so! :eek: -XT ---
**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, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/31 "2009-08-25T02:34:20Z")
> [@Mojo\_Pin](#): > > No God just wants them to be in heaven faster. While they’re still pure. You know the more you suffer in this life the more smug you can be in the afterlife–God’s just giving those kids the ultimate suffering trump card. Oh, right. That self-fulfilling prophecy was a little more contrived than what i’m normally used to with the christchuns, so i didn’t quite catch it off the bat. ---
**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, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/32 "2009-08-25T02:36:23Z")
> [@wierdaaron](#): > > God is big enough to overcome thoughtless Christians. Amen. You’re really growing on me. I apologize for my rudenesses of the past. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/33 "2009-08-25T02:37:59Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] You’re really growing on me. [/QUOTE] That sounds painful… -XT ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/34 "2009-08-25T03:13:42Z")
[Eugene](http://volokh.com/posts/1125342962.shtml) [Volokh](http://volokh.com/posts/1185575518.shtml) [has](http://volokh.com/posts/1231884696.shtml) [written](http://volokh.com/posts/1170792679.shtml) [a](http://volokh.com/posts/1204322863.shtml) [ton](http://volokh.com/posts/1220485166.shtml) [of](http://volokh.com/posts/1187207388.shtml) [stuff](http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_07_29-2007_08_04.shtml#1186087231) [about](http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_07_29-2007_08_04.shtml#1186097243) [this](http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_06_14-2009_06_20.shtml#1245347431) [very](http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_07_05-2009_07_11.shtml#1247177815) [topic](http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_02_04-2007_02_10.shtml#1170741666). It still happens that family courts will issue a custody order discriminating against one parent’s atheism. Every once in a while, you get a decision going in a different direction, restricting custody based on one parent’s homophobia or racism, but that’s less common. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/35 "2009-08-25T05:49:33Z")
> [@Mojo\_Pin](#): > > No God just wants them to be in heaven faster. While they’re still pure. You know the more you suffer in this life the more smug you can be in the afterlife–God’s just giving those kids the ultimate suffering trump card. I thought **Kanicbird** told us it was all about kids making deals with the devil before hand? Or something like that? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/36 "2009-08-25T05:59:11Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > Please tell me you’re joking. You’re new here, right? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/37 "2009-08-25T07:26:28Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I thought **Kanicbird** told us it was all about kids making deals with the devil before hand? Or something like that? I think that only applies to the parents who buy their kids Ouija Boards. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/38 "2009-08-25T07:43:18Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > 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. YES! I hope he/she does lead them in the same way as [this child.](http://brewright.blogspot.com/2009/08/kid-steals-car-to-avoid-going-to-church.html) There’s a video and everything! “Kid steals car to avoid going to church A constant issue in Christian families is when to make kids go to church when they just don’t feel like it. Well, here’s a guideline… if the kids steals the car to get out of church, maybe it’s a good idea for them to just skip church that week.” Indeed, a child shall lead them. 😃 ---
**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, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/39 "2009-08-25T12:04:36Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > What about children whose parents abuse them? Did God want them there too? Probably to teach them a lesson. Abuse is the ability to inflict one’s pain on another, let the other person bear that pain instead, it is the way of the world, not the way of God. This is the generational issues of children bearing the sins of the fathers to the 3 and 4th generation. This is what Jesus came to set us free of. God does use the way of the world so that the children turn to God and cry out to Him. ---
**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, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567/40 "2009-08-25T18:35:27Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > That sounds painful… > > -XT It hurts only when I turn my head and cough. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-atheists-be-parents/507567.md?page=3)