Both of my boys have the same religious instruction. From infancy to about 7 years old my oldest son was immersed in religious instruction. We did Sunday School (most of the time, I even taught the class), we did VBS, we did fellowship dinners, and we did reinforcement at home with Bible stories and coloring books and "teachable moments". The same went for my younger son, only we stopped when he was around 4 years old.

My oldest child is an agnostic. My middle child is a believer.

Tonight Xavier was at Cub Scouts and one of his Christian friends decided to quiz him and a couple other children on Bible trivia. Xavier did poorly and when the children accosted him he told them he did not believe in God.

His "friend" wasted no time in telling him he was going to hell. He was then lectured on hell, which his Christian friends had determined to be his destination in the afterlife. He told his "friend" that he did not believe in Hell. His friend then began praying loudly for Xavier to know God and the Devil.

Xavier was a little put off by this, but I told him I was proud of him for standing up for his beliefs (or lackthereof) and for not being hateful about it. He was a little bothered by the prayer but I reminded him that it does not hurt him for people to pray for him so he shouldn't worry about it.

This is not the first time he has experienced persecution from his Christian chums.

Last year he stepped on a cockroach on the playground and another child told him he "killed God". Xavier told the child that he did not believe in God, and the child condemned him to hell on the spot. Further he told on Xavier and Xavier was chastized by the teacher on duty on the playground.

There have been other instances of this as well. It makes me wonder what Christian families are teaching their children. This is certainly not the appropriate way for a child to express care for a friend or an appropriate way for him to conduct outreach.

Ridiculing, condemning, and damning to eternal Hell a playmate who has not "found God" is hopefully not the type of thing Christian children are being taught in their homes and their churches.

Orian piped up, during our discussion of what went on during Cub Scouts, that he prays all the time and what he prays for comes true.

I think that's really sweet and I would never crush his belief.
I refuse to force Xavier to take on the yoke of something that he feels no connection with, though. I don't think his lack of belief makes him any less of a good kid, a good student, a good friend, or a good Scout. So long as he respects the beliefs of others, his thoughts on God or eternity or any other spiritual matter should be of no concern to anyone else.

It is taboo for a child not to believe in God, but in America, it is his right.