Atheist parents are better at raising children

[Heddi]

https://www.indy100.com/article/atheists-make-better-parents-parenting-study-research-7627036

Whether it’s to instil traditional family values or simply to get them into a good school, many parents raise their children to be religious in the belief that it is best for them.

But it turns out there’s just no need, with studies showing that children raised without religion do just fine – and in some areas, outperform their religious counterparts.

In a recent op-ed in the Los Angeles Times, sociologist Phil Zuckerman explains that far from bringing children up in a moral vacuum, atheism can give them better clarity about right and wrong – because beliefs are more likely to be rooted in empathy than fear of punishment in the hereafter.

He found that a secular upbringing provides children with firm moral foundations.

...
He quoted studies that found atheist teenagers were less worried about fitting in, more tolerant of others, less likely to exhibit racism, and more likely to support women’s equality and gay rights.

Zuckerman also pointed out that atheists commit fewer crimes as adults – making up less than 1 per cent of the US prison population, according to Federal Bureau of Prisons statistics.

Meanwhile, a study conducted by the University of Chicago found that children brought up in secular households showed more empathy and kindness than those raised in religious ones.

The report looked at more than 1000 children between the ages of five and 12 in six countries, and found that: “Family religious identification decreases children’s altruistic behaviours.”

...
Decety analysed children from different religious backgrounds playing with stickers, and found that children from Christian and Muslim families were "significantly less likely" to share their stickers.

[Heddi]

1. Does growing up atheist make you a better person?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/90413051/Studies-say-growing-up-atheist-makes-you-a-better-person

OPINION: Growing up atheist makes you a better person.

That's the view of Californian sociologist Phil Zuckerman's research, as detailed in his Los Angeles Times piece.

His argument, based on several studies from the last five years, is that those who grow up without the fear of a god instilled in them are more tolerant, less worried about conforming and being accepted as "cool", and less likely to be racist, sexist, or homophobic.


or this reason I'm on board with Zuckerman's point of view (and, naturally, the numerous studies that back it up). I don't think it's fair to raise kids with religion.

A secular upbringing, Zuckerman believes, gives children a better value of what's right and what's wrong because their moral compass is rooted in understanding, rather than fear of punishment.

"Non-religious family life is replete with its own sustaining moral values and enriching ethical precepts," he wrote.

"Chief among those: rational problem solving, personal autonomy, independence of thought, avoidance of corporal punishment, a spirit of 'questioning everything' and, far above all, empathy."

...Democratic, secular countries such as New Zealand, Zuckerman points out alongside similar nations such as Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, and Japan, have some of the lowest violent crime rates in the world whilst enjoying very high levels of societal wellbeing.

In the US, non-religious people actually commit far fewer crimes than religious people: Federal Bureau of Prisons statistics point out that atheists are less than one percent of the nation's incarcerated population.

Enforcing a God (and subscription to his canon) upon the young and impressionable can harm them, rather than help them. It can take away their autonomy and help them only to become carbon copies of their parents.

[HAB911]

2. So, rational thought is better than irrational supernatural thought?!

Who would have thought?

[Freethinker65]

3. Growing up secular can be hard, especially socially

I felt I had to keep my non-believing views hidden from my family, friends, and classmates when I was growing up in a suburb of Detroit in the 1970s and early 80s. This extended well into my adulthood. My son, also a non-believer (though I encouraged him to experience a variety of religions growing up) has friends of many religions. His Christian cousins literally told him he would "burn in hell" for not believing in God when he was about eight years old. His public school classmates often went on large religious retreats, that although not specifically school sanctioned, those that did/did not attend were easy to verify on social media. Some of his Christian "friends" would comment about his non-beliefs in group chats. He said it did not bother him, but I do not see how it could not. He is now a tolerant, generous, critical thinking young college freshman. He certainly is far from perfect and has made mistakes. He seems less hesitant to express his non-believing views than I was. I always told him to be careful who he told and he thought I was being silly. I was hopeful that this nation was becoming more inclusive until the last election.
I would not say atheists are better at raising children. I do think that we sometimes try harder to find social, community, and life experiences for our children to compensate for those types of activities they might miss by not being a member of a religious organization.