What do I do if my kid says he/she is an atheist?
It can be heartbreaking to hear your child say that they do not believe in God, especially if you've been trying to raise them up in a healthy, Christian home. What you need to know, however, is that your child's disbelief might not be your fault. Take Adam and Eve for example. They were in the Garden with God, but despite His physical presence, Satan still convinced them to distrust their father. Your kids are growing up in a world where they are are hearing constant lies about God. What this means is they need to constantly be hearing the truth about him. Here are some questions you might want to ask yourself about your child to ensure they are getting truth poured into their lives:
1. Is my child actively reading the Bible? If not, maybe encourage them to read every night before they go to bed.
2. Is my child actively involved in a Bible-believing youth group? If not, we'd love them to check out TNL where he/she will get plugged into a small group of students their age to learn together. Here, they can ask questions about their faith and learn how to read the Bible.
3. Is my child free to ask me whatever questions they have regarding Christianity? We at JH78 devote ourselves to studying God's Word and love to answer any questions students may have regarding their faith. That's why we have small groups. But your students are with you more than with us and interact with you more than they do with us. We would like to challenge you as parents to continually be growing in your faith so your child feels comfortable coming to you with questions they have regarding Christianity. With this said, we are more than available to answer any questions you aren't sure about or don't know how to answer.
4. Is my child hanging out with friends that are building up his/her faith? Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Your child's friends are so important to their spiritual formation. If they are constantly surrounded by non-Christians, their thinking will affect your child's thinking.
With all of this said, following the advice given above will not guarantee your child falls in love with their Creator. All you can do is put him/her in a healthy environment, constantly pray for him/her, and allow God to soften their heart. We are praying for your kids and have a desire to see all our students worship Jesus Christ.
What resources do you have regarding Evolution and other world religions?
CARM (Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry)
Many of the staff at North Coast refer to CARM when finding answers about evolution and world religions and we encourage parents and students to check it out. This what CARM is all about:
“CARM is a non-profit, Christian ministry dedicated to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and the promotion and defense of the Christian Gospel, doctrine, and theology. To do this, CARM analyzes religious and non-religious movements and compares them to the Bible. We examine abortion, atheism, evolution, Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormonism, relativism, Roman Catholicism, Wicca, universalism, (and more), along with Christian preachers and teachers. In all our analyses we use the Bible as the final standard of truth in order to defend and promote Christianity.”