Sorry for the meta, but why is everyone downvoting what appears to be a sincere question coming from someone in a culture where religion predominates?

I agree with most of the replies here, but don’t understand the downvotes to asking the question.

As somebody who grew up without religion: I never really cared about all the metaphysical stuff. I was always interested in learning new things and wanted to understand how the world works. Yet that stuff never even brushed my mind to my knowledge. Maybe I asked my parents when I was smaller which I can’t remember anymore, but I definitely didn’t get anxiety over it. I accepted what I saw with my own eyes, that was enough for me. I don’t need something else besides this world.

And regarding their child converting: a cousins child is raised atheist and in elementary school got interested in Christianity since most of their class mates went to church. So the child asked the parents, they said: innour opinion there is nothing, but if you are interested, feel free to go to church to learn about their explanation. So that’s what they did and last I met the child, they weren’t a bible thumbed but still went to their religion class, so the result is not yet in.

With logic and rational thinking instead of fear and magical thinking.

I was raised atheist and I still am as an adult. Accepting the concept of death is just part of growing up, I guess. It’s not as big of a deal as it sounds like it would be. I think it keeps me more grounded, actually, but it really doesn’t gave a profound effect on my daily life and it never did. Believers who fuss over the idea or the difference seem kinda immature to me.

I think that if my son were to join a religion some day, my reaction would depend a lot on which religion. I think they’re all factually incorrect, but only some sects are morally wrong. If he joined the Unitarians, he could probably drag me to church occasionally, but if he joined a sect that made him condemn me for my beliefs, it would become difficult to stay close to him. That would hurt a lot.

…the idea of being raised as child without any explanations about the world or comforts to be held, scares me.

Your understanding of atheism is uhh, questionable.

To answer this question, the world was explained through science. Carl Sagan was the shit back then. Comforts are more tangible things like family or food rather than an imaginary “after”.

without any explanations about the world or comforts to be held

Neither of these require religion.

Maybe you grew up with so much anxiety due to religion itself? I’m the opposite, I live in an area which has almost no religious people and I feel everybody is very calm and friendly. Maybe the idea of eternal hell or heaven might be triggering that unconsciously in you

are you saying “god” is a good explanation for the world?

why not tell them the truth? we dont know everything. when we die, unexplainable. thats literally just fact. you might have spiralled but it sounds like youre religious. so that isnt surprising.

But telling them about a god and eternal hellfire if you sin? thats the worst lie you could say

(Raised Catholic)

Interesting, raised with the idea of eternal existence was a terror to me. Obviously eternal hell was an awful idea, but even an eternity in heaven too. Thinking of never-ending subservience to a god that rained down horrors and demanded his followers do terrible things, it didn’t make me feel any better when I was told my imperfect human brain couldn’t comprehend the actions of a “perfect” deity. So getting to heaven meant my mind would have to so fundamentally change to be happy with this god that I would no longer be Me. That was the existential horror to me and it was a great relief to deconstruct in my teens years.

What would I tell a kid they must adore a guy who would burn entire cities and shit? I’d rather teach the kid tolerance.

I have found that children don’t need lies to comfort them. By nature, children are curious and crave understanding. It’s important for parents to respect that and equip them both with what we already know, and the skills to keep exploring. Engage with them, help them understand the questions, feed their innate sense of wonder. Eventually they’ll teach you a thing or two.

I find no comfort in implausible lies, and I feel a need to help my kids avoid that discomfort. I also want them to have agency in life, so they need to understand how such lies are used by society to try and control them.

There is actually no need to talk to children about gods. Those questions you imply only religion could answers usually don’t pop up in a childrens world except when brought in from external sources.

Sounds like you have difficulties of your own that you may want work on before concerning yourself with others.

You can’t help another sailboat if your own boat isn’t stable.

I highly recommend some Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - recognizing your own anxiety shows you at least have that awareness. Learning to reframe it will go a long way.

Going through life “as an anxious person” as if that’s unchangeable, is no way to live.

“the idea of being raised as child without any explanations about the world or comforts to be held, scares me.”

What a strange thing to say. What makes you think atheists do this? I tell my children what we know about the world, and what we don’t yet know. No need to make up anything short of Santa and the Tooth Fairy, but they grow out of this fast.

“Also, on the opposite of the spectrum, what happens when your child converts(?)”

I can only speak for myself, not atheists, but my kids are encouraged to make up their own minds. I take every opportunity to discuss religion and my kids even go to a catholic school. I consider it essential to understand history art and culture.

That said, they are very comfortable with atheism and they don’t find any of religion comforting, quite the opposite. It’s disturbing to them.

Coming from a world where the word itself is not even widely know, the idea of being raised as child without any explanations about the world or comforts to be held, scares me.

I would rather teach a child the truth about the world than try and feed them some bullshit about a magic man in the sky that wants them to worship him.

I always heard on the internet of people leaving their religion as teenagers when they were raised by their parents religiously.

Raising your kids religiously is effectively child abuse

But what of a child. I am a very anxious person(as i have come to accept). Being told that there is nothing after death or that no one really knows, would have send me spiraling.

I mean, it sounds like you needed psychiatric help, not religion.

That said, logically, people have done it(even if i can’t picture it) so i am also wondering how people/parents grappled with this and struggles they faced, what solutions they come up with

My parents didnt raise me religious, they said it was way easier than trying to be religious.

When I asked questions, they either found actual data, or they told me they didnt know the answer.

When I babysit for my cousins, I give them real answers when I can, or I tell them that I don’t know the answer. Sometimes they ask really stupid questions, and that’s fine, the key is to take the question seriously. Its also ok to briefly cover things that are too complex for them, when they ask why do people need to breath, I tell them that we need oxygen, I dont try to explain how cellular respiration works.

Also, on the opposite of the spectrum, what happens when your child converts(?) to a religion.

Statistically unlikely, but hypothetically possible. Generally, I don’t really care what somebody believes privately, id be disappointed that they went for psuedoscience and hatred, but that’s their decision.