Thing is, this isn’t theoretical for a lot of atheist parents; many (if not most) kids go through a religious phase and you never know if it’s going to last.
My daughter did - she came out with all sorts of interesting observations and independently came up with the blind watchmaker analogy. I was slightly sad that she might stay that way, because it’s such a fundamentally (heh) different way of looking at the world to my atheist viewpoint, but disowning her was never under consideration.
Of course, she was only 6 then, but for all I know she could go through the same phase again as an adult and have it stick.
I’m also rather shocked at the idea of “disowning” my children for any reason. They’re my children, dammit.
As it happens, Elder Son chose at the age of 15 to be baptized and confirmed in the Evangelical Lutheran Church. I was against it at first only because I thought he was doing what his friends were doing (confirmation is a big thing here in Troll Country). Once he managed to convince me that he was choosing this of his own free will and had in fact been wondering about it for some time, I supported him - as did his father, who is also a godless heathen.
Contrast this with several of his classmates who struggled with the choice between a confirmation in church or a secular coming-of-age ceremony, and were told by grandparents that they’d get a big gift of money if they went with the church option but nothing otherwise, and let’s talk about who is unfairly influencing the kids :rolleyes:
This is true – however, the concept of “Eternal Hell for All Non-Believers” is part of standard Christian dogma, and has been for many centuries. There are a few New Agey Born Againers who dismiss the concept of Hell, but they are the exception, not the rule.
Getting back to the OP – my best friend recently became a Mormon, and I’ve been nothing but supportive of her choice. I’ve expressed my misgivings, of course, but my concerns have less to do with Mormonism’s silly beliefs and more to do with how the church itself operates. I’m hopeful that she’ll come to her senses someday – but even if she doesn’t, what does it matter?
I would never disown a child for their thoughts, beliefs, or silly actions. My kids would have to commit a lot of senseless violence for me to disown them.
On the other hand, if my kids become religious, may Og grant me the restraint not to ridicule them until they disown me.
I know plenty of athiests and non-believers with religious parents and relatives - myself included, and my best friend, and many others - and not a single one of them is hated by their families.
If it’s your claim that atheists are likely to be despised by their families - that is, not POSSIBLE, not anecdotally true, but the majority result - I think it’s up to you to bring us some evidence. After all, you’re the one who claims to be speaking from a position of preferring the hard facts. So dispense with the usual Der Trihs hand-wringing and melodrama, and show us the cites.
The belief that deities do not exists does not mean there is hostility toward those who believe. My goddaughter believes in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. I’m not against her belief, I simply don’t share it.
I’m absolutely confident that he doesn’t associate with any religious people, or else his worldview would come crashing down when he realized that most of them are normal, rational, compassionate people.
That, and also he doesn’t have many relatives either. So I guess he doesn’t understand that relatives, at least the good ones, love you regardless of what you believe. At least that’s the case in my family.
