Hypothetical scenario for an Atheist.

[Fat Cat Killer]

Your partner is a Catholic and your 7 year old child attends Catholic school your child asks you "why do people die".

Do you toe the line and spin the child the whole heaven and god crap or do you tell th child the truth?

[F9]

tell the child the truth!You aint helping anyone with lying over a thing like that, and worst you dont help your child with making him accept something that forces you rejecting critical thought.
The only problem i can see is him/her facing school problems, but s/he is 7 years old, move him/her school now that its early.

[Fat Cat Killer]

tell the child the truth!You aint helping anyone with lying over a thing like that, and worst you dont help your child with making him accept something that forces you rejecting critical thought.
The only problem i can see is him/her facing school problems, but s/he is 7 years old, move him/her school now that its early.

Would it not be better waiting until the child is old enough to make up his/her own mind, I cant help feeling its like telling them theirs no such thing as Santa.

[WeAreReborn]

First I would deconvert my wife and get him into a real school. But I would just break it to the child hard, better then to leave in ignorance. But give them the facts, don't just say there isn't a heaven definitively. Anyways, they don't need them to believe in a bearded man who gives out presents to feel loved. You should tell them that since you love them and if you are able to give presents around Christmas time do so. It is much more meaningful knowing that you love them instead of some made up man giving out free presents. That is at least what I think...

[Property Is Robbery]

I would tell them that no one knows for sure and anyone who tells them otherwise, definitively, is ignorant. Also I would tell her that Catholics are full of poop.

[Tablo]

Just tell the child. I think that is what is best. Little kids don't get hung up on things like that for long. I think your main concern is how your partner would react.

[crazyirish93]

id lie or not answer leave the kid make up his or hers own mind rather then force your ideas on them worked fine for me and i went to catholic school and both my parents are catholic

[Fat Cat Killer]

id lie or not answer leave the kid make up his or hers own mind rather then force your ideas on them worked fine for me and i went to catholic school and both my parents are catholic

I think your right, its a cruel fucking world and maybe letting him/her believe in god until he/she is at least 14-15 is not a bad thing.
Really theres no difference in Santa or God and no right thinking person would tell a 7 year old child theres no Santa.

[F9]

Would it not be better waiting until the child is old enough to make up his/her own mind, I cant help feeling its like telling them theirs no such thing as Santa.

It would be better not telling the kid that there was santa or jesus the first time really...

[Fat Cat Killer]

It would be better not telling the kid that there was santa or jesus the first time really...

In a perfect world yes, but your completely ignoring the complexities of relationships and the right to worship.

[F9]

In a perfect world yes, but your completely ignoring the complexities of relationships and the right to worship.

I am not ignoring those things, you put this kind of argumentation front first, and counter argued you with that.
And its not a prefect world, or out of imagination, it happens!

[Fat Cat Killer]

I am not ignoring those things, you put this kind of argumentation front first, and counter argued you with that.
And its not a prefect world, or out of imagination, it happens!

Maybe the op was to simplistic, thats my fault I should have put more thought into it but I think question has been sensibly answered in the context it was posed.


But hey that dose not mean we cant talk about the morality in the pros and cons of Santa?

[F9]

Maybe the op was to simplistic, thats my fault I should have put more thought into it but I think question has been sensibly answered in the context it was posed.


But hey that dose not mean we cant talk about the morality in the pros and cons of Santa?

You can lead this thread to whatever direction you wish, its your thread your questions. Rest of us cant do it cause it will be derailling, but you can lead us to any direction of conversation you wish.
And if moral of Santa is what you wish, just start the discussion and people will follow(interest discussion really)

[Sosa]

There's nothing moral about Jesus or Santa Clause

[Fawkes]

"why do people die".


"Because it's part of life. It is something that happens to all of us, which is why you should make the most out of the time you are here. Go out and have fun and do the things you want to do. There's nothing to be scared of with dying, it's a peaceful thing, and it's no use to be scared of it, because it will happen to all of us, to you, to me, to everyone, but that shouldn't stop us from enjoying our lives and living them to the fullest. Actually, it should be encouragement."

Perhaps that was slightly more suited for someone a little bit older than 7, but you get the point.

[Future Manifesto]

tell the child the truth!

As if any of us have the slightest clue what happens after we die.

[NecroCommie]

As if any of us have the slightest clue what happens after we die.
And that would be the truth. Although with the scientific method the burden of proof lies with the positive factual claim, meaning that we must assume nothing happens after we die.

[F9]

As if any of us have the slightest clue what happens after we die.

As this isnt the truth?Saying that you will go to heaven where an old guy with a beard who in reality he is 3 people but still one, who loves you but will punish you if you do wrong its not a clue of what happens after we die, and its a lie telling so.
Saying that you dont know its the truth, but also not getting into the whole religion shit to define the inexplainable is the truth.

[mikelepore]

Somehow this topic changed from "why do people die" (the first post) to "what happens after we die" (the last post). Which of these did the 7 year old actually ask?

Added when editing:

"Why do people die?" is easy to answer for a child. Something in the body is broken that that the body needs to keep going. Take a car for example - suppose I'm riding in the car and the mirror breaks off. No problem, the car keeps going, and the mirror can be fixed later. But if the engine falls apart, the car would stop. It's the same with the human body. If I scrape my knee, no problem, I'm still alive, and the knee will heal later. But if my heart or lungs stop working, I would die.

[Devrim]

I went to catholic school. At the age of about five, after coming home to ask my mother what all of the God business was about, I was told that it was "stupid stories for stupid people". Aparently the next day at school I asked one of the nuns if she really believed in Jesus and God. When she told me of course she did and asked me why, I replied "well my mummy says it is stupid..."
Devrim

[F9]

Somehow this topic changed from "why do people die" (the first post) to "what happens after we die" (the last post). Which of these did the 7 year old actually ask?

Added when editing:

"Why do people die?" is easy to answer for a child. Something in the body is broken that that the body needs to keep going. Take a car for example - suppose I'm riding in the car and the mirror breaks off. No problem, the car keeps going, and the mirror can be fixed later. But if the engine falls apart, the car would stop. It's the same with the human body. If I scrape my knee, no problem, I'm still alive, and the knee will heal later. But if my heart or lungs stop working, I would die.

the question wasnt "why do people die", the question was "lie to the kid or tell him/her the truth".

[ZeroNowhere]

the question wasnt "why do people die", the question was "lie to the kid or tell him/her the truth".
Mike's point was that we seemed to have been asked whether to lie or tell the truth if the child asked why we die, but some posters had been posting about whether to lie or tell the truth if the child asked what happens after we die, which was not the question.

[mikelepore]

The original post confuses me. If a child were to ask you a question about biology, would you respond by lying about religion or by telling the truth about religion? Neither - I wouldn't change the subject and start talking about religion in any sense. I would just answer the biology question.

[Summerspeaker]

This situation would never happen to me for a variety of reasons. If by some strange twist of fate it then I'd say that aging sucks but we're working on a solution.