do you feel religion is important in a child' life?

Heather - posted on 06/16/2010

Carol, Loureen and Brandy: spot on. :)

Johnny - posted on 06/16/2010

And I make me happier. As do my family, friends and meaningful interactions with this world. I do not require god for that, but thank you for the offer Lillian.

Lilian - posted on 06/16/2010

Brandy and Carol have their own way of live but am sure, Jesus Christ will shine upon their lives soon. i will begin to pray for you everyday that God will make them understand who he is. thanks

Charlie - posted on 06/16/2010

Lilian ,

It is your right to believe what you want but please refrain from incorrectly calling people bitter for simply not having the same beliefs ( you are verging on personal attack ) , it is not bitter to not believe , there are many wonderful people who believe in god but also have the decency and respect to not force their views on others especially in such a condescending manner , it really doesn't do your religion any favors to behave towards non believers in such a way , if anything that type of behavior only pushes people away .

Betty - posted on 06/16/2010

Dear Melissa,
You are asking the right questions. It seems you want the very best for your child/ren. "Raise a child in the way they should go and in the end they will not depart from it." -Bible
May you find the best answer for you and your family.

Liz - posted on 06/16/2010

@ Brandy you know why you know right from wrong? because the God of the Bible has given you a conscience that's how He created you... You said, the "Bible was originally created as a control tool by Emperor Constantine not as a guideline on how to live". Don't start saying these comments unless you are willing to go back to the start and look for the truth, and that website is a good place to find it.

Johnny - posted on 06/16/2010

It is not the "word of God" that makes me "bitter". There is no god for me Lillian. I am "bitter" at those PEOPLE who claim to follow god.. Perhaps the phrase, "Dear God, please save me from your followers" would somewhat describe how I feel. I am an agnostic, I do not absolutely deny the existence of a god. In fact, I hope that there is a god. And that if indeed god does speak to us, god will do something to stop all of those people who are constantly claiming that they are speaking his word.

Janice - posted on 06/16/2010

I was baptised two years before my son was born. He is now 4, and I have a daughter of two and a half. We do not go to Sunday, because there is no creche service, however they do say their prayers every night and we have books about nativity and easter. Having said that we speak about many different religions and customs. I thnk that as long as they live by Christian principles, it will not do them any harm, this can be taught to them without dragging them to a church where they have to sit still and be quiet. The decision is ultimately yours.

Brandy - posted on 06/16/2010

Thank you, Carol...great post! :)

Lilian - posted on 06/16/2010

My friend Carol, Jesus is the way the truth and life. It is only through the cleansing with his blood that we are made whole. Sorry you are bitter about the word of God but knowing him more will make you even happier

Johnny - posted on 06/16/2010

I don't know about Brandy, but as a non-believer, constantly being told crap like, "Knowing God is knowing the Truth and the truth will set you free" does make me bitter.... and annoyed, irritated, frustrated, tired, defeated, and pissed the hell off. I am a moral, law abiding, thinking adult who is capable of forming my own thoughts, beliefs, ideas and path, and does not require any god to help me on my way. If you can not imagine that a person is capable of being fulfilled by other than the christian god, then that is your loss and your lack of imagination.

It lifts me up and gives me hope to see the many people of faith in this thread who take solace and guidance in their own beliefs and yet understand that not all will or do share them. And it saddens me to see so many others who have such small, closed minds that they are unable to understand that we each walk our own path.

If the original poster no longer considers herself to be a Christian, how are all these exhortations that she must find her way with Jesus really supposed to help her?

Charlie - posted on 06/16/2010

Great post Heather :D

Brandy - posted on 06/16/2010

"why do you sound bitter, brandy, are you alright? Has someone wronged you? Knowing God is knowing the Truth and the truth will set you free"

LOL...oh I am so not bitter. No one has wronged me and I am very happy in my life. I just get tired of the "only Christians know the truth" stuff. Like I said, Christians know THEIR truth, not everyone's truth. The truth has set me free...and that truth is very far from the Christian version. :)

Amira - posted on 06/16/2010

Hi , Melissa
Hii, In my opinion
You must introduce religion to your children , it's the only way to have peace , the futur is getting worse and religion will guide them to right way ,,,,,,,,
so
if you really want their

Liz - posted on 06/16/2010

@ Sarah - you are talking about religion... not a living, vital relationship with your Creator... go ahead and believe there is no God, it's no wonder there are people going around acting like animals when that's what we are taught in our schools! God created Man in his own image... this gives purpose, read the Old Testament, very, very hard to deny the truth... Sarah, we as Christians live in a fallen world and of course "bad things" are going to happen, but God can use those things to build character in you and to help you to trust in God...

Heather - posted on 06/16/2010

IMO, no.

It's much more healthy and honest to let your children know there are many faiths and religions out there. Help them explore the options as they grow. As one poster commented, if you are old enough to ask...

You say you don't consider yourself a Christian anymore and I can relate to that 100%. There seems to be a common thread or belief that non-Christians (or perhaps non-believers as Christianity is just one religion of many) have lost their moral compass. Good morals and good ethics have nothing to do with religion and everything to do with responsible parenting.

Good luck!

Brandy - posted on 06/16/2010

"@ Brandy no that is not correct - take a look at this website to find the truth... the Tanakh (hebrew scriptures) points to Messiah (Jesus) - I'm afraid my dear Constantine's efforts did not prevail...
www.elijahnet.net/"

Liz, I'm not exactly sure what you are talking about, here. I am not Christian...so the website isn't going to change my mind about anything.

Charlie - posted on 06/16/2010

No i dont think its important , i think children can be taught good morals without the use of religion although i do accept that some people need religion as a guide , many do not , morals are based on what we value as people , as long as what we value is good and true then so should our morals be .

Personally i dont like the thought of imposing religious beliefs on a child , i think if a child shows their own interest in religion , whatever religion that may be Buddhist , Catholic , Hindu or if they choose to be atheist , i am here to support their decision but i do hope they will have developed the critical thinking skills to question things .

As for those who claim it to be THE truth , well its YOUR truth , not mine and not millions of other people who have alternative religions and faiths , to suggest anyone is bitter for not having your beliefs is condescending .

Brandy - posted on 06/16/2010

"If you let them find their own path, they could get mixed up in any strange cult or become an atheist.."

Oh the horror...your child could not be Christian, or even not believe in a Creator at all! The world will end! Not.

Most kids will grow up and find their own path anyway, regardless of what they are indoctrinated with.

BTW, I was allowed to find my own path...and guess what, I have never belonged to a cult, and I'm not an atheist (not that there is anything wrong with atheism). I have always believed a certain way and have always known it wasn't Christian. Later in life, when I was older, I started researching all beliefs...and found that my beliefs were centered in a certain ancient culture.

I didn't turn out a horrible moral-less person who joined a cult and ruined their life. In fact, I tend to have more morals than a lot of "Christians" I have come across.

Veronica - posted on 06/16/2010

It's not about religion. We raised our children in our faith, catholics, because we believe that it is important to teach them christian values that will uphold them when life gets rough. Values and philosophy of life is learnt in our homes when they are young. As they grow older and wiser they make their own decisions. We teach them that life is consequential. Everything you do has a consequence. If you do what is right you reap the benefit; if you do what is not right you suffer the consequences.
I don't know about you but this is what I believe and how I raised our four children. They are now older and still very close as a family.

Lilian - posted on 06/16/2010

Did you understand the question of the person seeking an advice, she want to be assisted. why do you sound bitter, brandy, are you alright? Has someone wronged you? Knowing God is knowing the Truth and the truth will set you free

Tanya - posted on 06/16/2010

SO if this lady was a back sliding witch would all of the christians still advise she teach her children about religion. Would you opinion change?

As for the rapture and the anti-christ they were added to the bible much later. SO i wouldn't worry about that.

The theological notion of a "rapture" was invented 170 years ago. In 1830, in Port Glasgow, Scotland, fifteen year old Margaret MacDonald had a vision concerning the return of Christ. Her vision was adopted by John Nelson Darby a British minister and founder of a denomination called the "Plymouth Brethern." In 1909, an American, C. I. Scofield, pubished an annotated version of the "King James" translation of the Bible called the "Scofield Reference Bible." Scofield's annotations were based on the theology of John Nelson Darby. The "Scofield Reference Bible" popularized the teachings of Darby. Fundamentalist Christians in the U. S. adopted Scofield's Bible as authoritative. With the rise of fundamentalism in the U. S. in recent years, the popularity of the theological notion of the "rapture" has also gained popularity

For all the christians out there you might want to look into this for those left behind pets:
http://eternal-earthbound-pets.com/

So what I am saying maybe you need to teach them about everything. Don't let people on here make you think you are a bad mom if you do or don't teach religion. Teach them morals. Let me end by saying that I bought all my drugs in high school form the youth group leaders son. Most of the time right there in the church. So maybe it just make you think you children are safe

Lindsey - posted on 06/16/2010

It takes a community to raise a child, at the very least Sunday School will help renforce the basic morals you are trying to teach your child. At our church the kids don't learn much aside from sharing, respecting your parents, not to steal, ect... It's a year or two in when they start learning about God. I'm taking my son as long as he wants to go, that way he at least gets the exposure to make an informed decision for himself. And, like I said, it's nice to have the support of other parents helping me to teach him the ways that are right.

Liz - posted on 06/16/2010

@ Brandy no that is not correct - take a look at this website to find the truth... the Tanakh (hebrew scriptures) points to Messiah (Jesus) - I'm afraid my dear Constantine's efforts did not prevail...
www.elijahnet.net/

Brandy - posted on 06/16/2010

"what does that mean, that people have somehow been given the power to make up truth, that we get to just kind of make up our own way to heaven.?"

So it's ok for Christians to make up truth for themselves and everyone else, but no one else is allowed the same freedom? Wrong. If you want to teach your kids your religion, that's fine. But everyone else has a right to teach their kids whatever it is they believe, or don't believe. And there is nothing wrong with believing in something other than Christianity...or even nothing at all. Christians have no more rights to any "truth" than anyone else. Beliefs are personal to each individual. Most beliefs have been around long before Christianity anyway, so for any Christian to claim the copyright to "truth" is absurd.

We all have our own personal truths, and as long as you stay your path, no one can take that from you...and no one should. We are all unique individuals who have our beliefs and lives. If the Creator did not want such diversity, the Creator would not have created such diversity.

Lilian - posted on 06/16/2010

Sure you have said it LIZZ. In the beginning there was word and the word was God hence he knows much about us hence we should make an effort of finding who he is through learning about his word and fellowshipping with the other Christians

Liz - posted on 06/16/2010

If you let them find their own path, they could get mixed up in any strange cult or become an atheist... everyone likes to hope for all the "good" things in the Bible like life after death (Heaven) and loving everybody, and even though these things are in the Bible you need to start at the very beginning - God created - when children have a right understanding of what happened then they can behave like they were created in the image of God and not from monkeys. We teach our children the ways of the Bible, it gives them a good solid foundation and purpose in their lives... Just remember God is a God of justice, mercy and love. To be love He also needs to be Just otherwise people can get away with anything! it makes sense to me and if you don't teach them the Bible someone else will come along and teach them their thing.

Lilian - posted on 06/16/2010

Church is important. This is where we learn about God, the reason to worship and praise him, what he does for us and more so we know very well that it is by his Grace that we live. Take the children to church and rejoin the church. The fellowship of the believers will strengthen you as a mother of the family.

Sage - posted on 06/16/2010

"Chidlren should be raised with ONE religion, not told they can make that decision for themself, nor decide on their own, nor follow their own path."
You do realize this is brainwashing right? It's one thing to teach them different things and let them decide what they believe. Or to teach them that YOU "believe" ABC is the truth, but that others disagree. It is quite another thing to teach them only one thing and not give them the option to think otherwise.

Jenny - posted on 06/16/2010

are you kidding me. does it really make sense that there is no absolute truth. is it really reasonable to say"i want my kids to find thier own path." what does that mean, that people have somehow been given the power to make up truth, that we get to just kind of make up our own way to heaven.? God has given us the truth in his word to humanity. He is a person named Jesus Christ. If you believe in God, which i'm assuming you do, don't you think He is the one who tells us the way. I really encourage you to think about this. i can't imagine anyone not caring deeply about thier child's eternity, as i'm sure you do, and i can tell you as someone who has experienced Jesus and his love and his faithfullness and his work in my life and on my heart, He is the only way. this is not arrogant as some people call christians, it is the truth that has been given by Him. the fact that there are people who's eyes have not been opened and are rejecting God and passing this on to thier kids can be a tragedy if that child does not grow up and find Christ on thier own. You ask if religion is important. that is actually a cheapened, generic term. religion is meaningless outside of an honest and sincere relationship with the savior who loves us and desperatly wants to be with us someday. that includes your children. what iwould do for the answer you seek is to pray about it. ask God to reveal his truth to you, he wants you and your children to know him. i will pray for you sister!

Sue - posted on 06/16/2010

I have three children ranging in age 17 y to 10y. Our decision was to not "force" them into any one religion, but to bring them up to respect each individual's choice in their religion, to ask questions, to join in discussions and then ultimately to make a decision for themselves. We were both brought up within the Christian religion. When we asked questions we were never answered except with the attitude that "it is because I say it is..." Neither of us wanted to do this to our children. As long as you instill in your child/ren respect for others and the choices those individuals make, then you cannot go wrong.

Tiny - posted on 06/16/2010

For me religion is very important. Children are a gift from God. There is therefore no reason for me not to introduce them to our own creator who made us to fulfill his own purpose in life. The bible and the church helps us prepare for eternity. Without God, my life would be meaningless, and so will the kids'. They need the education and support so that they understand and learn how to follow in Jesus footsteps and make an impact in life.

Again, I am here now, a single parent, raising 3 kids, I need them to put their hope in Christ as tomorrow I may not be around and they will have to stand on their own and make meaningful lives, be fearless, courageous, have faith and love. These fruits of the spirits can only be received from God. The church is a great support structure and character molding facility available for free to all. I'd rather believe in God than on nothing as without this belief my life would be meaningless.

I will do my part and introduce the kids to all that I believe in while I still can, when they are old, they can decide for themselves.

Kelly - posted on 06/16/2010

The truth shall set you free!! Believe it and walk therein.

Nicole - posted on 06/16/2010

I'm the same as you, I just started taking my kids to church. I found out that taking them to church has giving them more opportunities and confidence to find their own path.
And if you find the right church the positive energy alone is worth it.
good luck in which ever way you go :O)

Nicole

Jean - posted on 06/16/2010

Do you have a Bible? If so I would suggest that you read in Matthew 24 and pay attention to the things that are supposed to happen in the last days. This is a most important time to have religion. We need to be prepared for times to come and they are beginning. Morality is declining, we are hearing more of the natural disasters happening everywhere even her in the US. Children need something good to cling to. I feel it is very important that children have religion so they can withstand the calamities to come. There will be times when only our faith will get us through.

Jewels - posted on 06/16/2010

I THINK RELIGION IS IMPORTANT. ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE GOD IS EVERYWHERE SO HIS CHURCH CAN BE THE OUTDOORS IF I WANT TO TALK TO HIM THERE. AS LONG AS MY CHILD KNOWS OF HIS IMPORTANCE IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHERE YOU LEARN IT UNLESS YOU WANT THE CHURCH TO TEACH IT FOR YOU-THEY DO HAVE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON THINGS AND YOU GET DIFFERENT IDEAS FROM ALL THE CHILDREN. I REALLY ENJOYED CHURCH AS A CHILD AND STILL DO BUT I HAVE TO ADMIT I DON'T TAKE MARY AS OFTEN AS I SHOULD. THEY INTERACTION IS VERY GOOD FOR THE CHILDREN.

Tina - posted on 06/16/2010

The Bible says to train up a child in the way they should go, And when they are old they will not depart from it. I would think this is meaning we are responsible for ensuring that they choose the right path. So I would say yes you should introduce not so much religion but the Love of God to your children

Joann - posted on 06/16/2010

raised a catholic my children were alter boys but the wifes are different i always respect all religions / one is presby went to 3 chruches when i was yong learned them all one is athiest do not believe in this but always a catholic comes first to me went to jewish temples i just love religion but only have one belief children should be introduced to all and make their own choice stablity is the key to all religion trust in their choice once introduced to all

Sabrina Cornell - posted on 06/16/2010

what is important for children is the truth and to have the freedom to find your own thruth.
My dad was the son of a Pastor, he was not very religous, but openminded he introduced me to many differrent philosopies in live and opened up my curious mind without shanding other belief systems or pushing it onto me. I studied for myself about religion, spirituality,history and i still do, but I remained open minded to all my human brothers and sisters their truths and mine. All has validity in a certain way!
Love and balance to you. Sabrina

Kaci - posted on 06/16/2010

Religious beliefs tend to "run in families." If your family does not belong to a particular religion the probability of ur children belonging to one is slim...whether you introduce them to religion or not. If its not important to you...it won't be important to them. So I guess the question is..what do you believe? once you know...then teach that to your children.

Brandy - posted on 06/16/2010

Very well said, Carol!

And Daddy Burgoyne, I agree with you as well. :)

Johnny - posted on 06/16/2010

Well, after reading through this thread, to answer the OP, it is clear to me that if you wish to raise your child to likely turn out as a judgmental prat who is unable to understand the world outside their door, you should force them into the "right kind" of Christianity.

Otherwise, you can offer them your knowledge/beliefs of/in God; stories from your faith or others; teachings of morality, right from wrong; and your support, openness, honesty and love. And be secure in the knowledge that whatever choice they make for themselves (and they ALL will choose for themselves eventually, even if indoctrinated forcefully) that you did your best to give them a moral center and a strong sense of their place in the world.

In my life, I have met people who were raised in strictly religious households who have come to reject their parent's faith and have had great difficulty finding a moral path without non-religious based laws. One of the greatest gifts we can give our children and our society is to raise them to understand morality as separate from spirituality. It is entirely possible and very common for those lacking faith to have a strong moral compass. And startlingly and terribly unfortunate that so many with deep faith completely lack that same moral ability. Spiritual faith and religiosity in no way is any guarantee of a good person. Just as lack of faith and not giving 2 hoots about Jesus doesn't make a sinner.

Stacy - posted on 06/16/2010

Daddy Burgoyne,

It's not impossible to teach ethics and how to discern morality while raising kids in a church.

My husband and I both want free thinkers. We talk about that a lot, sometimes to our detriment. LOL. Because they come back at us with that thinking!

But they also do Sunday School, etc.

Admittedly, they'll come home with stuff I'm as likely to challenge as support. But that's all part of education.

Jennifer - posted on 06/16/2010

daddy burgoyne : you are a smart man, and i like the way you think :) also, its nice for there to be a gentleman around here!

Usha - posted on 06/16/2010

I feel religion is important for young children. They should know about it so that they make right choices later.Its on parents to
give them knowledge about it but tell them to keep an open mind and to follow it or not is their choice when they become adults.

Linda - posted on 06/16/2010

Plain "religion" is useless. A relationship with Jesus Christ, who created the universe and who died for your sins, is priceless. He is the only way to heaven!

Brandy - posted on 06/16/2010

"The children I have seen growing up with that mantra, beleive in nothing, or believe in only superficial aspects of a religion, there is no real spirituality, nor is there a relationship with the Maker."

Hmmm...maybe I'm the exception to this "rule"? I have very strong beliefs, though they are not Christian.

IMO, this is completely wrong. You can grow up with religion and not be religious or spiritual at all. Just as you can grow up with no religion and find your spirituality. It all depends on the individual.

Daddy - posted on 06/16/2010

If you raise them in religion, then they don't have any choice. It is only indoctrination if they are taught religion before they are able to grasp those topics.

Teach them ethics, how to discern morality, and let them find their own path.
Spirituality is another way of saying introspectiveness. They can be introspective without being taught objective morality, which only teaches obedience, not real morality.

Daddy - posted on 06/16/2010

You could go wrong by teaching them objective morality (and the teachings of Jesus were not always so kind). There is nothing understanding or empathetic about objective morality. That is not morality, it is obedience. Teach them how to think and how to discern right from wrong, about whether or not their actions harm another person needlessly, and how to figure it out for themselves when faced with a new situation.

That is not Christianity, that is reason and humanity

Stacy - posted on 06/16/2010

Church for us is a big part of our lives, so of course our kids go with us. Not that we're 100 percent or anything. I was a terrible Catholic! Missed Mass again, shoot!

I guess it comes down, for me, to why are you doing it? Because you're not going to fool the kids or God. Do you have a desire to rediscover?

Of course, you should, on an intellectual and educational level introduce your children to religions of various sorts. It's vital to understanding human culture. Whether that means you can, in good conscience, try to create in them faith is a call for you, your husband and God.

But as the Christian daughter of an agnostic and an atheist, it's not going to be your decision in the end anyway, so don't fret.