this post was submitted on 21 Jun 2026

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-47

How do Atheists raise their kids (programming.dev)

submitted 1 day ago by cactus_head@programming.dev to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

42 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Coming from a world where the word itself is not even widely know, the idea of being raised as child without any explanations about the world or comforts to be held, scares me. I always heard on the internet of people leaving their religion as teenagers when they were raised by their parents religiously. Lots of people fall into existentialism, which makes sense to me

But what of a child. I am a very anxious person(as i have come to accept). Being told that there is nothing after death or that no one really knows, would have send me spiraling. That said, logically, people have done it(even if i can't picture it) so i am also wondering how people/parents grappled with this and struggles they faced, what solutions they come up with

Also, on the opposite of the spectrum, what happens when your child converts(?) to a religion. Yes its there choice and all, but i cant imagine there being no resentment or conflicted feeling

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[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago

When you say "without any explanations of the world", I think you misunderstand.

There are plenty of explanations that don't involve God.

For example... years ago I worked in a bookstore, this was around when Twister was out, dad came in with his son who was desperately afraid of tornadoes, specifically, if an F5 could destroy a town, he was convinced the big red spot on Jupiter was like an F1,000,000 and was coming to get him.

Dad was looking for books to talk him down.

Now, someone steeped in religion would have gone down the road of God this, God that, chosen people, etc. etc. etc.

So I sat the kid down...

"OK, so at a basic level, what is a tornado?"

"Wind?"

"Right! Really fast wind, wind in a hurry. And what is wind made out of?"

"...?"

"Well, it's made of air, right? Look, you're breathing some right now! It's just not going fast."

"OK..."

"Well, there's no air in space, right? So there's no way for the spot on Jupiter to get off Jupiter."

‼️

"But what if it could?"

"Well, you know gravity, right? Makes things fall down? Gravity is stronger on Jupiter. Hang on, I think we have it in a book...

Yeah, here you go, 2.5 times stronger than Earth. Let's say you weigh 100 pounds, you would weigh 250 pounds on Jupiter!

So, no air in space, and everything on Jupiter is heavier, way harder to leave."

Dad was thrilled that his kid wasn't having a perpetual anxiety attack.

Yeah, yeah, I know, the spot is technically hydrogen and helium and not air, but explain like I'm five, right?