Wondering about Atheist Programs for Children

[Father Francis]

The first and third Wednesday of each month my grandson (who my wife and I are raising) enjoys going to Activity Day for Boys, an hour of playing games in our church's cultural hall with a dozen boys roughly his age, facilitated by two adults who do a pretty good job of finding fun things for them to do. Do atheists have programs like this for their young children? I'm aware that the Unitarian Universalist Church often functions as a sort of church equivalent for atheists, so maybe there are programs for kids through them. Is there anything else?

I was a faithful Mormon in 1996. My best friend was an atheist. I was forced into the BSA. He was far more about the outdoorsy than I was at the time and he was denied entry to the BSA by the local bishop because he and his parents were not members of the church and "known atheists". "Hippies" and "Known atheists" are silly phrases to me now, but when you grew up in Mormon Central Utah it wasn't so silly.

[Gunnar]

I was a faithful Mormon in 1996. My best friend was an atheist. I was forced into the BSA. He was far more about the outdoorsy than I was at the time and he was denied entry to the BSA by the local bishop because he and his parents were not members of the church and "known atheists". "Hippies" and "Known atheists" are silly phrases to me now, but when you grew up in Mormon Central Utah it wasn't so silly.

Good response. It raises the question of how many good people are unjustly excluded from certain clubs and sometimes even political organizations because they are "known atheists." How many "known atheists" have successfully run for political office in this country? Or is that too off-topic? It is my impression that it is still very much true that being openly atheistic will significantly diminish a politician's chances of being elected, perhaps even more so than simply being a member of any non-Christian religion. In fact, there are 7 states that still have active laws banning atheists from holding any public office, despite the fact that they are unenforceable because they are blatant violations of the U.S. Constitution.

[KevinSim]

I am a devout Latter-day Saint, and yet I do have doubts about what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches.

I'm aware that the Unitarian Universalist Church often functions as a sort of church equivalent for atheists, so maybe there are programs for kids through them. Is there anything else?

Kevin, are you afraid your doubts might lead you to Atheism? Is that why you are asking about programs?

No; I was just curious what atheists do to find productive activities for their children. From the responses I can see there are plenty out there not associated with a faith organization.

[KevinSim]

Where's my exactly do you live, KS, that you face such limited and restrictive opportunities?

Springville, Utah. But, come to think if it, our library does have a lot of activities for short snorts too, so maybe Springville isn't as limited and restrictive as I may have implied it was.

[KevinSim]

As the early Church got off the ground and rubbed the rest of society the wrong way, culminating in the pioneers moving west, how many families who originally found themselves in stable religious homes with programs for children ended up joining Mormonism, only to leave everything behind and go west, in many cases resulting in their children starving to death or freezing to death?

How many scientifically-informed atheists today are in danger of their children dying of starvation or the cold because a science authority loses it and treks thousands of miles on foot with barely any provisions to start a new life in the middle of nowhere?

Gadianton, you seem to be implying that it was the Latter-day Saint religious authority that lost it and trekked those thousands of miles. Is that what you meant to say? If so, was it those authorities' choice to leave that stability or were they driven out?

[KevinSim]

The childrens services are similar. Tack on school and extracurricular activities the children and teens in our area don’t lack for things to do, social activities, nor opportunities for personal growth. I don’t really understand KS’s premise for the topic.

Doc, I didn't really have a premise. I was just curious what options were available for atheist parents; obviously there are many.

[KevinSim]

The first and third Wednesday of each month my grandson (who my wife and I are raising) enjoys going to Activity Day for Boys, an hour of playing games in our church's cultural hall with a dozen boys roughly his age, facilitated by two adults who do a pretty good job of finding fun things for them to do. Do atheists have programs like this for their young children? I'm aware that the Unitarian Universalist Church often functions as a sort of church equivalent for atheists, so maybe there are programs for kids through them. Is there anything else?

I just wanted to follow up on this. kevinsims, I am having a very difficult time believing you don’t know how offensive this is.

Marcus, why do you consider what I said offensive?

And if, by some some small chance you didn’t mean it to be offensive, then the level of naïveté exhibited here is monumental.

I have been accused of naïvété in the past, and I'm going to stay naïve until someone explains how what I said was offensive, because I certainly can't figure out why it was.

What exactly was your intent in making this post?

Simple curiosity, that has been completely satisfied by the answers other posters have given.

[Marcus]

Kevin, are you afraid your doubts might lead you to Atheism? Is that why you are asking about programs?

No; I was just curious what atheists do to find productive activities for their children.

Well, humans are humans. It’s curious you see such a profound divide in the way people live, simply on the basis of a single attribute.

[Morley]

Do atheists have programs like this for their young children?

Kevin, your pretended naïvety is charming.

Substitute other identities into that sentence and see if you can see why the question might be offensive.

Do Catholics have programs like this for their young children?
Do Muslims have programs like this for their young children?
Do Black folks have programs like this for their young children?
Do Jews have programs like this for their young children?
Do Italians have programs like this for their young children?

[Marcus]

I was a faithful Mormon in 1996. My best friend was an atheist. I was forced into the BSA. He was far more about the outdoorsy than I was at the time and he was denied entry to the BSA by the local bishop because he and his parents were not members of the church and "known atheists". "Hippies" and "Known atheists" are silly phrases to me now, but when you grew up in Mormon Central Utah it wasn't so silly.

Good response. It raises the question of how many good people are unjustly excluded from certain clubs and sometimes even political organizations because they are "known atheists." How many "known atheists" have successfully run for political office in this country? Or is that too off-topic? It is my impression that it is still very much true that being openly atheistic will significantly diminish a politician's chances of being elected, perhaps even more so than simply being a member of any non-Christian religion. In fact, there are 7 states that still have active laws banning atheists from holding any public office, despite the fact that they are unenforceable because they are blatant violations of the U.S. Constitution.

7 states? That’s incredible.