Difference between revisions of "Atheism and children"

From Conservapedia
Jump to: navigation, search
(Weak atheists and claims about babies being atheists)
(Atheist indoctrination)
Line 49: Line 49:
 
== Atheist indoctrination ==
 
== Atheist indoctrination ==
  
See also: [[Atheist indoctrination]]
+
''See also:'' [[Atheist indoctrination]]
  
 
[[File:Dennis Prager.jpg|right|thumbnail|250px|[[Dennis Prager]] ]]
 
[[File:Dennis Prager.jpg|right|thumbnail|250px|[[Dennis Prager]] ]]
 
[[Judaism|Jewish]] columnist [[Dennis Prager]] has stated that a causal factor of [[atheism]] is the "secular indoctrination of a generation."<ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=43734 How atheism is being sold in America]</ref> Prager stated that "From elementary school through graduate school, only one way of looking at the world – the secular – is presented. The typical individual in the [[Western World|Western world]] receives as secular an indoctrination as the typical European received a religious one in the [[Middle Ages]]."<ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=43734 How atheism is being sold in America]</ref>  See also: [[Atheism and critical thinking]]   
 
[[Judaism|Jewish]] columnist [[Dennis Prager]] has stated that a causal factor of [[atheism]] is the "secular indoctrination of a generation."<ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=43734 How atheism is being sold in America]</ref> Prager stated that "From elementary school through graduate school, only one way of looking at the world – the secular – is presented. The typical individual in the [[Western World|Western world]] receives as secular an indoctrination as the typical European received a religious one in the [[Middle Ages]]."<ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=43734 How atheism is being sold in America]</ref>  See also: [[Atheism and critical thinking]]   
  
Atheists have focused considerable efforts on the public schools in order to indoctrinate young people into atheistic beliefs.<ref>[http://townhall.com/columnists/dineshdsouza/2007/10/22/the_atheist_indoctrination_project/page/full The atheist indoctrination project]</ref><ref>[Atheists to do religious education in schools] by Dr. Don Batten</ref>  
+
Atheists have focused considerable efforts on the public schools in order to indoctrinate young people into atheistic beliefs.<ref>[http://townhall.com/columnists/dineshdsouza/2007/10/22/the_atheist_indoctrination_project/page/full The atheist indoctrination project]</ref><ref>[Atheists to do religious education in schools] by Dr. Don Batten</ref>
  
 
== Weak atheists and claims about babies being atheists ==
 
== Weak atheists and claims about babies being atheists ==

Revision as of 14:30, September 25, 2017

In Japan, researchers found that Japanese children see the world as designed.[1]

Researchers at Oxford University have reported finding children who, when questioned, express their understanding that there is a Creator, without having had any such teaching from parents or teachers about this matter.[2]

According to Dr. Olivera Petrovich who lectures at Oxford University, there is now a “preponderance of scientific evidence” indicating that “children believe in God even when religious teachings are withheld from them”.[3]

In Japan, researchers found that Japanese children see the natural world as designed and purposeful and believe some kind of intelligent being is behind that purpose.[4]

Atheism and its retention rates in individuals

See also: Atheism and its retention rate in individuals

In 2012, a Georgetown University study was published indicating that about 30 percent of those who grow up in an atheist household in the United States remain atheists as adults.[5]

In 2012, a Georgetown University study was published indicating that in the United States only about 30 percent of those who grow up in an atheist household remain atheists as adults.[6] According to Dr. Mark Gray, "of those raised as atheists, 30% are now affiliated with a Protestant denomination, 10% are Catholic, 2% are Jewish, 1% are Mormon, and 1% are Pagan."[7]

Theodore Beale wrote about the Pew Research Forum's examination data involving individuals raised as atheists:

...the example of various former atheists such as C.S. Lewis and Anthony Flew indicates that atheism is nothing more than a transitive state for many individuals...

The retention rate is even worse for the full blown atheist population. 60% of those raised atheist abandon atheism; 0.5% of the population was raised atheist and 0.3% of it left atheism. And while 1.4% of the population became atheist, the fact that nearly all of the nation is not atheist means that the non-atheist population has a retention rate of 98.6%, which is nearly 2.5 times better than the atheist retention rate of 40%. Therefore, the perceived rapid growth of atheism is nothing more than an artifact of the atheist population's statistical insignificance. Even the dying Episcopalian church has a better retention rate than atheism...[8]

See also:

Periods of life people adopt atheism and leave atheism

See also: Atheism and poor relationships with parents

In the United States, the ages 14–17 are very influential in terms of an individual adopting atheism.[9] Of those who do embrace unbelief in the United States, many do so in their high school years.[10]

In 2012, a study by the General Social Survey of the social science research organization NORC at the University of Chicago found that belief in God rises with age, even in atheistic nations [11] (For more information, please see: Atheism and immaturity).

Theodore Beale declared:

...the age at which most people become atheists indicates that it is almost never an intellectual decision, but an emotional one. (This is why most self-identified atheists are angry, bitter, and immature. The anger, bitterness, and immaturity are usually the cause of the atheism, they are not, as many Christians erroneously suppose, the effects.)[12]

The Christian apologist Ken Ammi concurs in his essay The Argument for Atheism from Immaturity and writes:

It is widely known that some atheists rejected God in their childhood, based on child like reasons, have not matured beyond these childish notions and thus, maintain childish-emotional reactions toward the idea of God.[13]

A notable example of a person raised in an atheistic household who later became a Christian is William J. Murray. Mr. Murray is the son of the late atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair who founded the organization American Atheists. In 1982, William J. Murray founded the Religious Freedom Coalition.

Atheist indoctrination

See also: Atheist indoctrination

Jewish columnist Dennis Prager has stated that a causal factor of atheism is the "secular indoctrination of a generation."[14] Prager stated that "From elementary school through graduate school, only one way of looking at the world – the secular – is presented. The typical individual in the Western world receives as secular an indoctrination as the typical European received a religious one in the Middle Ages."[15] See also: Atheism and critical thinking

Atheists have focused considerable efforts on the public schools in order to indoctrinate young people into atheistic beliefs.[16][17]

Weak atheists and claims about babies being atheists

Weak atheism is an individual merely lacking a belief in God/gods. Using this broad definition of definition of atheism, there are atheists who argue that babies are atheists.[18]

Atheism and child pornography

See: Atheism and child pornography

See also

References