A Word About the Defense of Parenting

Anyone who is a parent understands the instant anger and defensive mindset that comes from having an outside force question your parenting. There is no assertion regarding atheists which angers me more than this - atheists are bad parents.

Let's address first the fact that most of what can be said regarding atheist parentage can also be said of religious parentage. The religious says that atheists will brainwash their kids to reject god, damning them to eventually burn in hell. Atheists can say that the religious will brainwash their kids to be closed off to anything outside of their religion, damning them to a lifetime of slavery to an unquestioned and unsubstantiated doctrine. It continues back and forth, you can fill in the rest.

The arguments that may seem only applicable to atheists are equally matched by arguments only applicable to the religious. The point being that this fashion of argument is equatable to a ideological pissing match between groups who are being defensive and exclusionary - as any parent is when their ability is in question.

Take the statement - "atheists are bad parents" and replace the word atheist with any other group of people and see how ugly of a statement that is. No matter what group you apply that comment to, it's a horrible judgment to make on an entire group of people.