What If Your Child Rejects Your Family Religion?
By fellowlife
@fellowlife (988)
Nigeria
June 16, 2007 12:18am CST
Hello there,
If you're married, you probably share the same religious faith with your spouse; you go to church, mosque, or religious meeting-place together and take your children along. You probably have prayer time once in a while or every day.
Now let's say you've been running your Muslim household, Christian family, or family of believers in whatever you believe for a while. You've been teaching your children in the path you believe they should go.
Then one day one of your children (probably your teenage firstborn) says "I have given my life to Christ" (and you're Muslims), or "I'm not going to church anymore" (and you're Christians) or "I don't believe in God anymore" or something along that line. Something that is contrary to all you've taught your child to believe in religion, faith, spirituality. Your child rejects your family religion!
How would you respond?
4 responses
@lancingboy (1385)
• United States
20 Oct 07
Personally, I'd probably teach my children (when and if I finally have them) about different religions if they are interested. I don't mind what religion they are part of, as long as they don't go around annoying people and trying to convert people lol!
@jacki3 (136)
• United States
16 Jun 07
i would respond the way i usually do ... if you trust in me, you know that i will never do anything or say anything to cause you harm, believe me when i say that going to church is what is best for you right now. when you're old enough to decide on your own, then we can discuss the pros and cons of your decision. my son is 7 by the way.
when he grows up, i will let him choose whatever path he takes, but my love for him will not waver, not a single bit. except maybe when he joins a cult that sacrifices people.
@ssh123 (31073)
• India
16 Jun 07
Generally children will not be able to seriously decide about the religion to be followed till they reach 14 or 15 years and become partially independent w.r.t. earnings. In Hindu religion, the family bondage is so strong, hardly anyone things of rejecting or joining another religion. Everything depends on bringing up children from infant stage.
@FSCAries (881)
• United States
16 Jun 07
I think religion can be a very personal intimate issue. I think I would support whatever my child decided to believe in as long as they were making that decision for plausible reasons. I think it is important for a person to know what they believe in their heart and to make an educated decision about what faith they want to follow. I have never thought it appropriate for a child to just have to follow in their parent's footsteps. If you believe in God, then the innocents are forgiven, so if they hadn't had the chance to know God for themselves yet then they would still be saved. As long as my child could give a well reasoned explaination for the things they believed then I would support them in their decision.
