would you give your child/children the choice?

Our preacher just talked about this in church recently. He said it was an immature and irresponsible thing to tell your child they could choose their religion. Well I sure felt like he was speaking directly to me because I'd told my kids that and you can bet I would do the same thing. I mean maybe I've been thinking wrong all these years but I was always under the impression that God wanted us to come to him of our own free will and not because someone scared us into it. He wants us to love him..well forced love isn't love at all.

The heart of a child is bound in foolishness. No I would not give them a choice. Once they move out of my house, they have complete control over their own lives. But until then, I pay for their food, I pay for their home, I pay for their heat, electricity, clothes, education, and everything they have. Therefore, they are going to whatever church I go to. That's how it works.

First I am assuming your are talking about children old enough to know their won minds, There is an age of accountability. Very young children as a general rule attend a place of worship or church with their parents. However somewhere around 12 or 13 most children start making choices and decisions and one of them should be religion. As parents we should be ready to answer questions and help them, as they grow mature we should respect their choice. Most often children do stay in a faith or belief. However through out history some churches and organized religious orders have split off and made their own group and set of beliefs. Though there is only one true church and many profess they are the one and only true church. The bible tells you what things his true church believes and teaches and does. Pretty much there is not any longer ONE true church. Even Revelations 2-3 shows there were seven attitudes or behaviors and as a result seven differing doctrines. God knows who is people are and pretty much I personally think many churches have true believers doing their best and many false hypocrites who go to a fellowship more to please men and self than God. Children see this and know it so many often opt to not be in their parents church when they see this. Reading the bible is the best you can do and not let some priest, minister, preacher, pastor etc tell you want the bible says. God gave us all a mind to think with and use. As to beyond Christianity again that would be an older childs choice and parents might not like it, be against it but need to respect it.

Hello there! GREAT discussion!!! Okay, I am Pagan. The father of my children (we are not together) is a Christian. My children are 8 and 6 and we have many discussions on religion/faith. I explain some of my beliefs and the beliefs of many other religions. I do this so that they understand that their classmates and people on the street all have different viewpoints when it comes to religion and that it is perfectly fine. I would hate for my children to grow up intolerant of faiths other than their own. I allow them to freely express their thoughts and beliefs (which of course - for 8 and 6 year olds - it is fairly simple stuff). Some things fall in life with my beliefs and others do not. They thrive in an environment knowing that they have the freedom to chose and they are much more interested in religion and history now that we have an open dialogue about it. I think that it may be natural for some parents to just automatically take their kid to their church and teach them just their beliefs. I don't think it's wrong - but I don't think that it is the best option. And I would NEVER be angry at my children for not believing what I believe. This is their life. It is their path to walk. I am simply there to help them along the way when needed.

If a person is convinced that his beliefs are the way to God, wouldn't it be reasonable that he'd make sure that his children were reared in that faith? I would teach my children what I believe and would make sure that they were educated in the faith I follow. However, I would not force them to accept my faith just because it's the faith I follow.

Religion is one of the most hottest debate of all time. I changed my religion for _nth time seeking for the truth. So,if in any case my kids will ever follow or changed their religion,i will not oppose. They had their own freewill to choose and decide for themselves. Unless,it is very clear that,the religion is using their members or doing wrong,of course,i will talk to my child. As of now,my kids are worshiping with me (in my religion) This is very timely,coz,tomorrow,my eldest daughter will receive baptism. Have a good day always

I did change my religion (so to speak) many yrs ago...and as for my kids..they have been given the freedom to choose. All I did, when they started to ask was give them resources on various paths etc and answered any questions as best as i could..Now they are both teens and my son is Atheist and my daughter is leaning towards Buddhism...

Religion is a personal choice. Every child by the time they reach 13, they Should choose their religion or no religion. It Has to be the child's choice , That way his/her heart will be into it . and it won't be just a habit they do because their parents told them to.

I think the thing is, whether you give them a choice or not, they still have a choice. lets say you say to them. your favourite colour is yellow. end of. no discussion, no argument, THAT's your favourite colour, and I forbid you to like another colour better. will that STOP them from having purple as a favourite colour? no. just as telling them that whether they like it or not, they follow x religion, if they don't believe x religion is true, but think that y religion rings more true to them, you can't make them change that belief. because belief doesn't work like that. so there is no do you give them the choice or not. think of it more as WILL YOU support them in the choice they will make. because you can't make that choice for them, even if the path they take is very different to your own.

Hi Phoenix, I was raised Catholic but thankfully my dad was very open minded and exposed my brothers and I to lots of various religions and belief systems....even those that opposed the Catholic belief. When I got older, I opted to not partake in any organized religion and that is not to say that any of them are wrong or anything. Not slotting myself into any one belief system leaves my options open to check out all possibilities. I raised my children to choose for themselves. I wanted them to explore and choose what is best for them even if it is no religion. Whatever they choose, it has to be right for them or it isn't right at all. I would never ever choose something like a persons belief system for them and certainly not my own childs. That would be as presumptuous as piercing their ears or choosing a tattoo for them.

i was born and raised catholic and almost all the members of my family are but i am now a born again christian. i know my parents are not happy with my choice but i made a stand that i want to be renewed with my relationship with God. what is important is where one will grow and make a better relationship with God. when my unborn son grows up and if he choices another belief than i am i will give him the choice as long as the choice will make him a better person and where he can develop and grow his faith to our Lord and Savior.

If children are brought up in a certain religion, what would lead them to another? Their thinking and reasoning abilities are those of a child. Can they understand even their own religion well enough to make a choice one way or the other? As a parent or guardian, I would take the children to the church where I worship (because children shouldn't be left alone) to learn what I believe. Whether they learn and believe is up to them and how well they have been taught. I can not force them to accept any religion, I can only lead them where I think they should go.

hello friend i think that god is one and teachings are also same of every god they got the basic teachings as well as since as in the case of one book that is written in different languages but the contents if read in it will be same so hat is in the case of religion we believe that there are many gods but the basic teachings of all of them are same they got the same teaching of being human and healing humanity it is something everyone does we should only work hard and be a great human being

For me he need to be in right mature age to make a decision, since he/she is a too young to decide then its up to the parent to decide for their children.

The only thing you can and should give your child/children or anyone is you love. You can't dictate what they must do. In the case of your child/children under your immediate care, they don't have a choice but to obey because they have eat, sleep and need care at their tender age. Once reaching adult age and can care for themselves an have the ability to think for themselves you lose all dominance and control over them. It is only dumb ones that will cling to everything you taught them.

Hi, there's lot of religion that encourage me to change but i will stay on what religion i belong right now. beside we only have 1 god and all this religion has the same God. for me i will let my children choose what religion they want, i will not force them because i change religion, its not fair.

I don't want to change my religion. Because the gist of all religions are almost the same.I shall not force my children to follow their ancestors religion. When the will be adult they can choose any religion. It is personal matter.

My boyfriend is a Jew and I am a Christian but we have already talked about this and we both came to a conclusion that we will never force our children to choose a religion, when they will be mature enough they can decide for themselves who they want to be and what to follow, we believe that the greatest religion is humanity which they should follow.

I want my son to learn about the religions and then he can choose what he believes by whats in his heart and mind

That depends on the age and maturity of the child. If the child was a mature 16 year old with a history of thinking things through and making good decisions for him/herself then of course he or she should be allowed to and I would support that right. Now when the child is still young and/or immature they do not get that option. Religion is a family affair at that point and they go to service with the family, never with friends or random third parties.