My beliefs

I think that every child has the right to be educated in religion so they can make an informed decision when they are ready. I don't think anyone's particular beliefs should be forced upon a child, but at the same time, I don't think it's right to deprive them either. My ex is an athiest and he wouldn't even allow me to have our daughter baptized. He doesn't know that I did anyway. ;)

I do not disagree with you on the part about forcing any religious beliefs on children. But, at a young age, it is better to teach some values and morals to them, regardless of which stem of religion these values come from. If you observe closely, all religions teach the same thing. Be faithful. Be loyal. Be tolerant. Be filial.... etc etc. Other than customs for performing the above being a little different, they all carry the same message. When the children come of age to choose, and they choose not to be in the religion they grew up in, then that is their choice. As long as they are young, and you practice certain religion, there is nothing wrong in teaching them the values that your religion brings to you. Whether they will follow it for the rest of their lives when they grow older, that is their choice to make.

To me, if you belong to a certain faith, it is your duty to bring your children up in that faith. And if you do not believe, and your neighbor offers to take the child to church, that is not forcing if church going is made to be delightful. Your children will no doubt either follow your view or that of the father and if you are the stronger personality, they will be just as anti religious as you, but if your boyfriend or husband is the stronger personality they will follow him, but even if he is not, they will get a sense of religion from him. Children need a sense of what is right and wrong, and the Ten Commandments are basic in that other cultures can take heart. After all it is wrong to steal, to cheat on your spouse or murder someone. And there are at least two religions who use it as a moral standpoint and who knows whether the other beliefs may have borrowed at least two or three of their rules from it? We have no idea. As for you telling parents to let children stay home from church when they feel like it, children are very crafty and if mommy says "Okay we will stay home," when they say, "We want to stay home and watch cartoons instead of going to the Living Waters Church," they will expect you to say, "you can stay home today, I will call your teacher and tell her you are sick," when they say, "we don't want to go to school."

I am sorry Molly but i must agree with your boyfriend on this one.Just imagine in your mind here for second that your child is in danger,you will do anything in your power to stop the child from danger,you will do whatever it takes to save your child.When parents teach their children about God they are teaching them so that they will be saved from hell,they want to save their children from being lost,and maybe going to the wrong place.Now if you are not a christian then you will not teach them,you will jsu let them form their own opinions, but children will and do ask questions,and if you are not chriatian you will answer them in that manner, you just cannot help it..Also christians read the bible and they go by scripture, and the scripture tells parents to bring up a child in the way you would have them go,and when they are old they will not depart from it.So to me its just a natural thing to teach your children whatever you believe.What if a person was a non christian? What would you tell your child if your child ask if there is a God? would you tell them NO, if you are non christian? or would you tell them to form their own opinions.You see parents are examples and that child is always watching you,they automatically learn by what they see ans hear.If you are raising a child you willin one way or another project into that child your beliefs...I would think it would be impossible to bring up a nutuarl child without any learning whatsoever.How would you manage to do that?

I think as a parent it is our duty to teach our kids religion 'cos when you do that they will grew up w/ good moral & conduct...7 know how & when to respect others especially as parents. :-)

You should tell your children your beliefs, but let them decide from themselves. I don't believe in religion, I believe in faith.

You have gotten many excellent responses to your discussion. I would just like to add a few comments. We don't usually think about this but in Western Society so many laws and references in literature are based on the bible and Christian beliefs. When children grow up totally unexposed to religion they are missing something. I think the best way is to expose young children to religion even if you send them to Sunday School with friends. As they get older you can explain about the different denominations in Christianity, you can talk about the connection between Christianity, Judaism and Islam and other great religions of the world. When they are teenagers they will pretty well make up their minds whether or not to embrace religion. At that point you have to let them go. But the advantage is they are well enough informed to understand and to be somewhat knowledgeable if they come across references in poetry and prose.

Im with you on this one, i dont think any child should have religious belief thrust upon them Particularly, I would say where parents have been seduced by the god myth. Leave the kids alone, if the story is strong enough they will pick it up anyway, if it isnt, why propagate it? blessed be

I agree completely and not because I am an atheist. I believe that when it comes to religion children should allowed to form their own thoughts and beliefs, be free thinkers. When my kids ask me I answer as honestly as I can and I also bought my daughter a book on all religions so that she is well informed on all fronts

When I was a young adult I felt as though I was wrong for the religion I was brought up with. I had been in so much trouble and I felt estranged from my family and all the things I had grown up with. I felt alone and I had no idea which way to turn. My religious education had in no way prepared me for life. So my children received no religious education whatsoever, except for when they went to stay with my folks during school holidays. My idea was that they could choose for themselves when the time was right for them. I wasn't going to force something onto them that had only brought me unhappiness. What I didn't realise is that my children had nothing to work with. But then again, religion complicated my life and confused and distressed me....at least my kids didn't have those hassles.

I'm definitely going to teach my child about my religion... and every other religion we get a chance to study. :P I don't believe in presenting religious beliefs as "fact" or teaching your kids only one set of beliefs. Then if your child grows up and is unhappy with those beliefs, they're going to have to deal with a huge struggle to change them. Since my husband and I are already different religions (Pagan and Christian, obviously my son is going to celebrate both of our religious holidays. However, we also go to a Unitarian Universalist fellowship where he'll have a chance to learn about every religion out there. The other kids there are all really well-rounded and think for themselves, which I love. :)

I don't think its bad to teach them as long as you also teach them to keep an open mind and explore things for themselves. Exclusion and closed thinking is limited thinking. I don't believe in limiting a child's mind. As a parent you should watch out for them yes, but it's your job to give them the skills to discern good from bad, and then only a good parents can let their children discover things for themselves. And if all goes well this becomes a positive and wonderful thing. To say "You MUST believe so and so"...in my opinion, is just wrong.

I think it is important for parents to give their children some guidance when it comes to religion. And then as the child grows older, he or she will likely make their own decision on religion. I'm grateful that my parents gave me a religious foundation.

that's a tough question. I do attend church regularly and my daughter attends with me. I do teach her my beliefs and she believes them as well. I have been away from church for a very long time, so there was quite some time that faith and religion were not taught in our home, so she has had both atmospheres. Her dad's grandparents are also from a different religious background and I am sure she will learn a little about theirs as well when she is visiting them. I don't mind her learning and making her own mind up.

Your BF was not just argueing, he had a strong point-it is the responsibility of the parent to teach their children the way of their ancestors-a child should not just enjoy that much undesireable freedom to choose a tradition outside the family setting! The greatest disobedience a child can lay on the table for his/her parents is to choose his own Church!!! If the child becomes an adult and decides to cross to some kind of religion, that is Ok, but when he/she is still a child, there is a point in giving him/her the family rligious tradition.

It's not what you teach but how you teach it all the best urban

I believe that children should be exposed to religion but as they grow they should be allowed to explore the different styles of each religions and ultimately make up their own minds.

As a Zen practitioner, one of my disciplines is not to interfere with the beliefs of others. I would certainly show children religion, but not preach it to them, so they could make up their own minds. Zen is a way, not so much a religion and it's discipline is to accept all (similar to the Christian forgiveness you could say). It aspires to recognise "at-one-ness" that is we are all one with each other in the spiritual sense, therefore this is a discipline of peace if one would not attack oneself. :-)

I agree with you completely. Then again I am an Atheist. My parents were Anglicans and I did go to Sunday school until I was 5 and didn't want to go anymore and they allowed me that decision and freedom. I found my own way in my beliefs and I am thankful that my parents had the foresight to allow me to search out my own truth.

I think as young children they don't have the knowledge to make a decission about what religion they want in their lives or if they want any at all. So yes the parents need to guide them till they are at an age that they can make up their own minds what they want. I raised my children in my religion and when they were around 14 years old they then had a choice of what they wanted to do with this learnings. My daughter continued and is still going to the church of the religion she was raised with. She lives in a different city so she just goes to a different church but with the same religion beliefs. My son chose not to continue going to church and still doesn't go. But I know I did my job and raised them with a belief. I am still a christian and I still go to church.