Answering those who believe

Certainly in the past and definitely in the future, if you are planning on raising atheist children then you, and they, are going to be confronted with dozens (if not hundreds) of people, some of them educated or in positions of authority, who are going to want to question your beliefs with their hocus pocus. Obviously we here at atheistparents.org believe the best defense is a good offense, so we have put together some of the best things to say when confronted by those who hope for an eternity of saying thank you to a celestial North Korean-like dictator.
 
The purpose of this page is to give atheist parents simple arguments as to why there is no possible way that we could imagine raising children with telling them stories and trying to give them guidance using the Bible, Koran or Book of Mormon as a moral compass.

Your comments or critiques are appreciated and there is a section below where you are able to tell us your thoughts. (Hell wishers:  Please use the webpage Hate Mail & Hell Wishing  where we will not delete your comments and leave them up for everyone to see. This page is for us.) 

 

The Ten Commandments

Many Christians believe that without the Bible they would not be able to understand this world or the difference between right and wrong. Yet there are some major problems with the commandments which guide Christian morality. Let’s take a look at what they really say:
1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Essentially this means that unlike the Muslims who believe in only one god, Christians can have as many Gods as they please as long as there is a big main god, like the Greeks’ Zeus, with a pantheon of lesser gods under him. If you actually look at this law, you’ll see that the Christian god actually recognizes the “existence” of other gods.
2. Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth.
Christians actually hate this one, because those pictures of Jesus or of God, or of the holy gates, or Saint Peter, or Hell -- all the wonderful pictures in kids’ Bibles and stories, mean that those who read them will not go to heaven. Remember, this is a commandment!
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
This could mean that just saying “thank god” or “goodbye” (which actually comes from the old English “God be with you”) is sinful. It could also mean that saying “Jesus H. Christ” is fine because it doesn’t refer to the big, main god.
4. Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.
The Sabbath is Saturday; ask any Jew!
5. Honour thy father and thy mother.
Actually a good commandment, but one Jesus really didn’t like very much: "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother...he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26)
6. Thou shalt not kill.
Fair enough, but do you actually think civilization would not have made it this far without this law, even if it hadn’t been literally etched in stone? It doesn’t help that on the very next page Moses orders the slaughter in god’s name of everyone who was worshiping the Bull. So can you kill those who believe in something you see as wrong?
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Including Rape? Judges 21: 10- 24 I guess that is okay?
8. Thou shalt not steal.
Once again, this only holds true unless you steal from those who worship a different god!
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
It doesn’t say thou shalt not lie -- lying seems to be fine, just not in court when under oath. Other than that, god has no problem with it.
10. Thou shalt not Covet...
Google the word Covet: to desire wrongfully; to wish for eagerly. If your neighbor has a new car and you say to your wife, “I wish I had a new car!” You are going to Hell!

The thought that Christians actually think that these commandments actually guide them to understand the difference between right and wrong is amazing. Where is the commandment against rape? It isn’t there! Where is the commandment against genocide? Where is the commandment against child abuse? Abraham would have been happy they didn’t have that one, and if Issaac were alive today he would be in foster care. How about the commandment against selling your daughter as a sex slave? Nope! And Christians want the Ten Commandments posted in every classroom and recited every day?
Imagine, Christians want the thought of a celestial dictatorship, someone who could watch over you, read your thoughts, and punish you for those thoughts, sort of like a celestial Kim Il Sung.

Do you have a comment? We would love to hear them!

Write a comment

Comments: 5

  • #1

    alpha buford (Thursday, 26 April 2012 18:26)

    i have a question? why do human behave so inhumanly and malicously toward one another they are willing to sell there "souls" so to speak or even kill maim rape or torture just to "prove" they are right or because god told them so! Its apparent to me and i could be wrong that humanity will never have peace Real Peace anyway because they and their minds are debased, warped and sceward; you guys place youre trust in people who have not displayed that they can be trusted you naivly think the world belongs to you or you can do with other beings as you wish ignoring or even dismissing the consquences of youre actions atheist like theist are two faced jaded indivinduals and its common throughout human history that when a person is given power most likely he/she will abuse it!!! People should stop trying to control things cause when they do they only get in the way and mostly make things worse, people that say they are trying to help you could be lying straight to your face and yet you believe them cause they can never lie to u right?? in closing i'd like to ask which is better THE REAL REALITY OR PURE EXISTENCE or A LIE, A FANTASY CREATED BY YOUR MIND A DREAM WORLD WHERE YOU ARE PUSHED DOWN INTO THE DURT WHERE YOU FEEL HEAVY ALL THE TIME, DULL, GRAY AS LIFELESS AS A DOLL OR PUPPET U SPEAK BUT ITS WITH SOMEONE ELSES VOICE,THE FEELINGS "SEEM" real but they are not your loved ones gone never existed your life gone it was never real to begin with; just all alone drifting through a void dreaming of awakening but you never wake up no one to love or be loved by lonely and alone hmm!? sorry for the grim picture i painted lol see you later bye!

  • #2

    Sean (Thursday, 12 July 2012 21:38)

    So... there is no spoon?

  • #3

    Jennifer (Wednesday, 10 October 2012 12:22)

    I can remember as a child singing along to a VHS tape called "the original top ten" that my parents bought us. It was a cute cartoon with a song for each commandment. I loved that tape. Looking back now as an atheist adult I feel tricked into thinking the commandments were peaceful and positive with super fun melodies. I know better now.

  • #4

    Future Parent (Sunday, 16 December 2012 22:58)

    We are both atheists but have decided to encourage our future children to just think for themselves, be nice to everyone, stand up for those in need and never let anyone tell them any different if they feel that it is right. I wish more people would be less concerned about a child "religious beliefs" and instead focus on rearing a happy, healthy, good and intelligent human being. So much in the world could be fixed with the next generation. But no, we have much much farther to go.

  • #5

    Maria (Monday, 29 April 2013 18:30)

    Dear alpha buford. I believe that learning grammar and spelling will help you get your point across. Otherwise no one will take you seriously no matter how many caps you use.

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