This week we sat down with a mother who has gone out of her way to make sure her children feel included. Cathy Ackerson, a true hero, bravely admits that, as an atheist, she cannot provide the religious trauma that so many of us will have to carry our whole lives. Out of the goodness of her heart, Cathy has been working overtime to expose her children to as much secular trauma as possible to combat this tragic deficiency.
“I grew up in the church, and while I am no longer religious, I do regret that my children will be missing out on some of those experiences I had growing up. My husband and I decided a long time ago that this was unacceptable, so I’m doing whatever I can for my little angels.” Cathy admits she will sometimes wait for her daughters to come home to pick deep, personal fights with her husband in the hopes that it’s enough to create long term effects. “If I can cause a fear of abandonment strong enough to affect their relationships even deep into adulthood, I will consider that a job well done.”
Wow! Truly a commitment that is rare to find today. With all of today’s distractions, it can be easy to let certain experiences slip by. Being an active parent really makes all the difference, and Cathy’s dedication to her children has not gone unnoticed.
“She really does everything for us!” said Cathy’s eldest daughter Virginia. “She knows all my friends are constantly told that their morality lies within their virginity, and though she can’t provide that exact lifelong trauma, she makes sure to mention every single day that I’ll never find a man to love me if I don’t do something about my weight. And she scares my youngest brother away from pornography by telling him if he watches it the house will burn down with him trapped inside.”
Child psychologist Alan Sterling lends us his point of view, noting the rise in non-religious households.
“More and more families are raising their children without religion, and this is leaving them with a huge absence of religious emotional damage,” said Sterling. “The act of trying to make up for that absence with whatever resources you have really shows your child how much you care. And research show kids need this sort of trauma in order to build character, a society full of well-adjusted adults could never work.”
If only there were more parents with such a passion! We hope this story may inspire non-religious families everywhere to really step up and go the extra mile for the people you love most. Take Cathy’s advice, call your beautiful child a slut today!