Someone I know once described them self as a ‘protestant non-believer’. I found this confusing for as I understand it, if you are a non-believer then you are by definition NOT a protestant, or catholic, Muslim, etc… In fact, if you are a non-believer, you are an atheist.
I am assuming that what my friend meant was that his parents were protestants or he was otherwise brought up a protestant. But this implies some kind of inheritance, either ethnic or cultural. But how can this be? Religion is a matter of faith is it not? A philosophy, a belief?
But this is quite normal isn’t it?
Just imagine for a second that you have a child and you go to register them at a school, or you take them hospital. Inevitably you will be asked what your child’s religion is. What most humanists say (because most of us are cowards) is that our child is of no fixed religion. What is almost never declared is ‘my child is an atheist’. First and foremost because it is a ridiculous notion and most sane people recognise this.
The irony is that both protestants and catholics, as well as other ‘believers’ recognise this while completely failing to appreciate how equally ridiculous it is to brand a child ‘protestant’ or ‘catholic’! OK parents have their children baptised, christened, confirmed, circumcised, etc… If religion is a matter of ‘faith’ then a child – a baby – can be no more catholic than atheist, than communist… Are children of fascists born fascist? I think not. In exactly the same way that the children of members of the Tory party were not born Conservatives.
Just because someone decides to anoint a non-consensual minor a follower of this or that moevement – before they are even old enough to speak, let alone experienced enough to make an educate choice about political or spiritual philosophy – does not make it so!
As a good parent, we teach kids what we believe it to be important. With each family, it differs a bit. But in most religious homes, the parents are compelled by many factors to get their child involved and active in some kind of a religious upbringing. You are so right in saying that a child may not really know what their personal views should be on any faiths but that doesn’t mean that the parent doesn’t have right to impart what they think is important and valuable to them. I believe that if a parent raises a child to go on the path of honesty, integrity, and success, that child will not depart from that kind of a lifestyle. Granted a child will eventually have to make their own decisions and they will have to choose for themselves what they want to believe and what they want to label themselves. But it is the parents’ responsbility to teach the child was best so that the child doesn’t become a problem to society and become someone’s nightmare when they become an adult.
You sound like you wanted to label your child as an atheist…why? What if he/she chooses they don’t want to be an atheist? Will you love them any less? We do the best that we know how and hope in the end our kids turn out okay.