I've been an atheist for about three years now. I'm 31 and I grew up in a very religious Christian cult. Where fear of hell was very prominent. Since I've discovered my identity and brains and became atheist I'm now dealing with the same situation with my 8 year old daughter.

I'm the only atheist in my family. Two parents who are divorced and 5 brother and sisters. I have allowed in the past to let my daughter to go to church with them because she loves being with them and seeing her cousins, who also.attend the church. I allowed this, because I wanted my daughter to make her own mind up. I did however, explain to her that Jesus and what the bible says is only something her family believes in and is not the truth. And I teach her science and evolution (Richard Dawkin' s book The Magic of Reality was a big help) and tell her this is what we know to be true.

One afternoon she came home from church and asked to talk to me. She had said her Sunday school teach had told her she must believe in Jesus or go to hell and burn. This angered me to know end and I told it was not true and they used that to scare people into believing what they did. It was a big topic for her because her mother died a few years back of an accidental drug overdose. And I've been delicately dancing around the topic, for I don't believe in heaven or hell and she knows that.

I guess what I'm getting at is if anyone may have any help they can offer in a such a tender situation I'd appreciate it. I want what's best for my daughter and don't want her living in constant fear as I did growing up.