On this week’s Parenting segment, an atheist mother’s seven-year-old daughter has become interested in Catholicism.
“I'm wondering if all she is hearing at school and the enthusiasm for First Communion is giving her a false sense that that Catholicism is all positive,” she told Moncrieff.
“As firm atheists, my husband and I tried to steer her in that direction, but she continually is asking to go to Mass and Confession.
“I have said no, but that makes her very upset.
“She loves to say a prayer before bed. Neither of us feel comfortable allowing her to indulge.”
'Is she aware you're atheist?'
Child psychotherapist Joanna Fortune pointed out that her daughter’s school might simply have non-Catholics sit at the back of the class during religious classes, meaning her daughter is still taking in the stories.
“Especially at that age, religion is taught through parables and stories and some of that could be really engaging and interesting to her,” she said.
After discussing how non-Catholic students are treated in school, Joanna said “openness should be a guiding principle”.
“You’re a family that identifies as atheists - is she aware that your family is atheist?” she said.
“You'd want to make sure she's aware she's not participating in [Communion] and tell her that your family don't hold religious beliefs.
“She can make her own decisions when she's older – present it to her in that way.
“Help her understand a little bit about [how you] believe in behaving well and being kind and all of the things that she is hearing about [in religion classes.”
Beliefs around the world
Joanna also recommended the parents expose the daughter to other religions to help her understand the diversity of belief around the world, including being atheist.
“Talk to her about there being more than one religion and including atheism,” she said.
“[Tell her] ‘Our belief system is about being kind of a community about coming together and we don't do that in relation to God or church or anything’.”
According to the most recent Census results, 14% of people are not religious, an increase of 63% since the 2016 census.
