What would you do with a husband like this?

Perhaps you could tell her that Mummy believes ..... and Daddy believes .... then she will understand that it is okay to have differing opinions

I think she should be told both sides of the story and let her make up her own mind. If you force her to follow god your almost as bad as your husband that your choosing for her. Even if she decides that she does not believe in Jesus because you might find she might not. Then your not going to disown her for not believeing are you?? It is the same for your husband, you knew before you married him what he thought of Jesus, so you cannot force him to lie to your daughter about his feelings. At least if she hears both sides then it's her choice to make.

Well, I think you should both tell her the truth and not a religious answer either. You should tell her that there was a historical person named Jesus and according to the bible he could perform miracles. Explain to her that the Bible was written by various authors and that many religions base their beliefs around things that are written in the Bible. If she is interested in the Bible, read some to her. She needs to make her own decision when it comes to religion and what she believes.

Oh boy! Another confrontation in the name of the Lord…I think that if Jesus were alive today, he would have just smiled and tenderly taken your child into his arms and said that both you and your husband are correct. Being an atheist, your husband is correct as the Bible is a book and Jesus is its central character. As a believer you are correct too coz whether or not He is God’s son, Jesus definitely is one of the most charismatic and intriguing leader in the history of mankind. And as a leader of millions around the world, it is but inevitable that he has a mythical halo around him. Regarding you daughter, you can start off with what your husband says (as that is historically correct) while explaining to her the various incidents of the Bible and how everybody came to believe and follow Jesus and how he was crucified. See how she takes to these….whether she believes them as historical stories or starts believing in religion. After all the day she starts using her own judgement for evaluating things, you will have to give her that freedom. I come from a family of polytheist Hindus, there are rows of gods and goddesses in my home which both my MIL and mom worship regularly. I have been brought up to believe in Polytheism but now I am a firm believer in Monotheism and spirituality. Nothing, not even my parents discontent, can make me alter my own belief. BTW, is your avatar your daughter? If so, she is such a lovely angel…I am sure everything will work out fine for you all.

Every one has different views on religion. You have a point as does your husband. Even if neither of you agree with each other. This would have been an important issue to resolve[/b]before[b]you got married. Or at least before having a child. Hope you are able to come to a compromise.

please do not think me flip but don't you think you should have had this discussion before you married this man? it is just too important an issue to leave to chance. but since that is water under the bridge so to speak i would leave too if he insists on challenging you on this issue.

I'd leave too!!!!!!!! I think your religious differences should be explained to your daughter. I think it should be explained that there are many many diferent religions, some people are strong in their religion, and some people don't believe in religion at all. Mommy believes in Jesus, and Daddy doesn't. Christians believe (etc.) and Atheists believe (etc.) If your daugher asks which one she is, tell her she'll find out as she grows, and some day she will know in her heart whether she is a Christian, and Atheist, or something different. Who knows? She may decide to become a Mormon, or a Jew, or something else. We never know what our children are going to become. One thing I'd love to know honestly. How did someone whose religion is so important to them wind up with someone who thinks it's a lie? My husband is Mormon, I'm Presbyterian. We had some major disagreements, but nothing we coudln't work out in the end, even if it was simply to agree to disagree. Mind you we don' have children, but he does, from a previous relationship. He has Mormon children, Baptist children, Muslim children (one of the daughters married a Muslim)... He has a lot of children, and they all moved on and went down THEIR OWN PATH. Tell your husband that it's true that it's not right for you to be religiously extreme, but it's not right for him to be extreme in his Atheist beliefs either. Your daughter needs to have the freedom to choose, and that means not being TAINED by God, or a lack thereof. When I say "tainted" I mean tainted by extremeism. Does that make sense? Don't push your on her, tell him not to push his on her, and don't push yours and his on eachoter. Let her grow into her own beliefs naturally, but feel free to share what YOU beliee in a way that will allow her to remain totally neutral UNTIL she comes to her own conclusions. Hopefully your mutual love for your daughter, and I hope eachother, will allow you both to support her no matter what patch she chooses. My mother is a Presbyterian married to a Mennonite who later joined the Prebyterians by hiw oan request. My sister is a Pagan married to an Atheist. They have a wonderful marriage!! My father is a Presbyterian married to a Catholic (her children are Catholic too) I am a Presbyterian married to a Mormon We do very well in our family.

I think I would tell her who Jesus is before she asks and if Daddy says anything then just tell her "well he doesn't believe". Hopefully by then she will have developed a relationship herself with Him. As you said she will decide on her own eventually .

Both you and your husband will be very busy teaching your daughter so many things, there likely isn't going to be a cram session where you get to debate your opinions and your daughter decides who's side she's on. The only thing you both need to worry about is that you understand to not step on each others toes when you are teaching your daughter. My husband is an atheist, and I have no formal religion though I am a fan of Jesus' work. We teach our children whatever we possibly can because we both believe that knowledge is the most important thing. I don't go to church, nor do I believe in doing so, but my children have an open invitation with the neighbors should they ever want to check it out, and I will be waiting when they get home to answer their questions as best as I can. And of course there will be many opportunities for learning along their life path. It really doesn't matter what you teach her, but if the two of you are always at conflict about it, she will most likely not want to believe either of your ways, as it will represent family conflict to her. She will seek peace somewhere else. If you can make both of your beliefs heard and simply agree to disagree, she will associate your beliefs with compromise and compassion.

My husband is a Christian and I am a Witch. Together we have raised four beautiful children. They went to church with him on Sundays and they also came with me for celebrations. His holidays and my sacred days were both given equal due. How did we do it? Respect. He married me knowing who I am and then he became a Christian a few years later. It in no way affected our relationship. We honor and love each other even though our belief system is different. We can teach our children all we want them to know but sooner or later they grow up and choose for themselves. There is nothing wrong with giving them the best of both worlds. It's not a reason to leave your husband, afterall you must have known before you were married. You made an oath before your God, are you going to break it now?

I think most mom will always has a bigger influence to their children compared to dad. I myself feel that way. Since mom has more time in taking care of the family than father, father is busy working for living the family. So mom has bigger chances to influence their children since they had a lot more time together with their children. I think u should use that situation to introduce Jesus to ur daughter, teach them how to pray, etc. I've seen couples of family like yours, which the husband didn't believe on Jesus, but the mom can teach their children to believe in Jesus, and indeed this children follow their mother faith. So this mother & her children always pray together for his father, so that someday he may believe in Jesus also. It's not an easy situation & maybe need a long time of praying, and Jesus did touch the husband and finally the husband receive Him as his God and savior. I hope that will happen in your family too :) Introduce Jesus to your daughter, teach her to know Jesus better, so she may believe in HIM :)

Teach her as much as possible about both your beliefs as honestly as possible without bias. We teach our children about both our beliefs and that of others so that they can understand all of humanity as a whole and not just a full slate set upon them. Who are we to sit and bicker about whoes God is right and whoes is wrong when we are all looking for the same ends. You both seem like highly intelligent people and that will rub off on your daughter which will allow her to one day educate you on such topics and many many more. -Best Wishes

Jsesus is a character in abook called the Bible. Good one. You should just tel your daughter both sides. and let her choose. It's not fair for her to be forced to be christian. And not should she be denied her 'God' if she feels christian.

I have a question for you and I seriously dont want you to take this the wrong way. The bible says that one should not be unequally yoked. So why are you as a christian with a atheist to begin with?

Love him, that all that is keeping him to you. He is not interfering with your beliefs. He loves you regardless of your thinking and is putting up with a lot from you. We can all learn for the children, they will lead. Let her hear from both of you, anyone than can't answer her questions without telling a lie is wrong. You didn't say how you started out with someone with a different belief. Interesting.

Hi, leatherandlatex. You should just tell your daughter that daddy and mommy both believe in God. You both just have different views on the religion. But sooner or later, she will need to know the truth. You are the one that is right about the true religion of God. Your husband's belief is totally wrong.

This difference should not be a problem. Your child will grow up with her own set of beliefs and you should not be worried unduly what she decides for herself. Whether she opts for her father's way of thinking or your way of thinking or her very own way of thinking is ultimately her choice. So do not worry about the future. It will unfold itself naturally

I think it's too late to worry about what you would do. The time to have given this serious thought was before you dated or at least,before you married. I always had the thought of never dating anyone I wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life with. And, being brought up in a Christian home, I could not see myself dating an atheist. My husband was brought up one religion and I another, but we both believe in the same God.We've never had a problem with going to church. My kids both went to the same denomination I was brought up in. My son married the daughter of a pastor (he pastors a church of my husband's denomination), and they go to that denomination. I have no problem with that.I'm just happy he is in church. I believe parents are prone to take their children to church with them and they will learn whatever they teach. As they become teenagers or young adults, they will begin to date and usually go where the one they are dating goes. Some girls will go with the boys; some boys will go with the girls.It will be whomever is the strongest in their faith.With me, my husband went to church some with me, but he never went to his after he got grown and doesn't go now. But, he believes in God and we have no problems. I have never been in your situation, so there is nothing I could say to give you any advice on what to do now that you do have a child by your husband. I suppose, when she gets old enough, she will make up her own mind. But being a Christian, I remember that the Word say to train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

I think you should tell your daughter the truth, and if she ever asks, tell her that Daddy just doesn't belive it. Does he really think that our whole religion is a lie? If so, I must say I feel for you. It must be a hard thing for you to have to deal with. I must also say that if it were me in your situation, Daddy would know to keep his views to himself, or else. I know that fathers are part of the parent package, but women are the ones who carry and nuture the babies, and also delivering the babies. That makes the babies ours, yes our property, our children period. My husband really doesn't like it when I tell him that but it is fact. They could never have children on their own, so I think their 'say' should be very small when it comes to our children.

Hello since both of you have separate opinions, it is better you sit together, discuss over this sensitive issue and talk to your daughter accordingly... Thanks for sharing. Welcome always, cheers. Professor. .