Raising a nonbeliever

Below is a comment I left on another blog. I thought it would be nice in my blog too:)

I was raised without religion. Religious people were a strange minority. Nice, but silly. Mostly older people. The young ones would sing around candle light and oppose the military(draft). Actually, I didn't think too much about religion because my view was the common view. Now I’m in the US and things are the other way around. The religious ones are the majority and they are in favor of death penalty and war! Very confusing. I read and think more and more about religion, and it feels sillier than ever before. Not that I can't understand the mindset and the power of upbringing, brainwashing and the opinion of the masses. Anyway. I started telling my kids (4 and 6) when they started a discussion among themselves (they are going to a Christian after-school care) whether god was dead or not (confusion between god and jesus?): There is no god, people just made up gods through the ages for comfort etc. Meanwhile I did some reading (Parenting beyond belief) and thinking, and I decided if I force them into non-belief, they could be seduced in anything other as well. So I encourage more critical thinking now. Just asking questions. “Do you think Santa is real? How do you think this or that works. What has been your experience so far? Etc.” I will not be upset for them if they join a religion. I will be upset if they don’t think, but just follow blindly. Of course I will be happy if they come to similar conclusions as me, because that’s what make sense to me…