Don't Believe in God? Lie to Your Children
Erica Komisar a renowned psychoanalyst has written an opinion piece in the WSJ with the above title. Citing a 2018 study from the American Journal of Epidemiology, Harvard researchers found that children or teens who attended a religious service at least once a week, scored higher on psychological well-being tests and had a lower risk for mental illness. In addition, it was noted that weekly attendance was associated with higher rates of volunteerism, a sense of mission, forgiveness and lower probabilities of drug use and early sexual initiation. Ms. Komisar is often asked by parents in her clinical practice why depression and anxiety is so common among children and adolescents. Her answer in large part she states, is due to the lack of religious or spiritual beliefs. A 2018 American Family Survey showed that nearly half of adults under 30 do not identify with any religion, a sad fact that one can easily extrapolate from, that the children of these parents will be raised without beliefs.
What happens when a loved one dies and your belief is that they turn to dust and cease to exist, and your child asks you where did grandpa go? How do you tell a child this? Well because of all the above benefits as outlined above you don't, you lie to them. This is the professional advice of Ms. Komisar.
I believe that this a great disservice to her patients. If a parent is pricked in the heart by the thought of telling their young child that once you die it's lights out and that's all there is, are they not admitting that they want better for their children and what they have to offer makes them feel guilty? What a perfect time to tell them they need the God of truth to fill that void, and not a lie.
