Personally, I think "no". My BF is an atheist and I'm a Wiccan. We plan on answering any questions the children bring us from our own points of view, but we intend to explain that other people believe differently and that they are free and welcome to do so, too.
What do YOU believe, and please note your religion (or lack thereof) of choice. :)
2007-01-09 04:38:08 · 31 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I'm Wiccan. My boyfriend leans heavily towards atheism, though I don't think he really considers religion worth putting enough thought and effort into to declare that God doesn't exist (which I guess makes him agnostic right now, but sliding quickly). I'm going to do exactly as you are. I certainly don't plan on forcing any children I have into Wicca, but I will let them know what I believe, what their grandparents believe (Christian on my side, and presuming I have children with my boyfriend, Catholic and Lutheran on his side), what mommy's friends believe (I have a very close Jewish friend, a Buddhist friend, and several Catholic friends), and then let them figure out for themselves what they believe.
)O(
2007-01-09 04:45:10 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yes, it is appropriate. People who have a religion believe that their beliefs are right and are "the way." It is the same as raising your children to do good and to care about others. Children will eventually learn when they get out into the world that there are other points of view besides their own and they can either keep going the way you have led them or choose another path. Teaching them to believe what you think is right does not interefere with their free will, because ultimately you can never MAKE anybody believe anything unless they choose to believe it. If people's beliefs were fully defined by how they were raised, there would be no such thing as converts for any faith or religion.
-- I'm a Christian.
2007-01-09 04:50:50 · answer #2 · answered by Lady of the Garden 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I believe a background in a religion can be good- it would expose the kids to beliefs and traditions that can bring you together as a family. Obviously if you don't follow any religious beliefs (your bf), that changes things, so why not expose your children to your wiccan beliefs on a regular basis? It would be hard for them to ask about issues that they have no real life experience with- they'd likely be asking you questions about religious issues they were exposed to at friend's houses. When they are old enough they could decide to follow (or not) based on what they believe versus what they learned from Mom and Dad.
2007-01-09 04:46:08 · answer #3 · answered by GEEGEE 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think that the best way to find out what you believe is to check it out for yourself. You owe it to yourself to find out without a doubt what you believe. It is not what someone tells you to believe or their opinion; it is what is truth. When you have checked out something and you find truth and the questions you have are answered; then you can be sure you are on the right track. I really admire your respectful view point to other religion and your tolerance to them. What religion is about is about "God." The best place to find out about his viewpoint is in the bible which is the word of God. The bible is a road map to life and his standards and values are noted in it, having the bible is like having the mind of god. The only way you can be pleasing to him is to know what his standards are and knowing them means everlasting life to you and those you love. What better gift can there be to give your children this knowledge? Please consider these things and allow yourself a chance to find what the bible has to teach. The principles stated there are never out of date and are always for our good. You can find out why God acted like he did in the past and what he is going to do in the future, there are answers there and it is very interesting. There are free bible studies available in your own home in your own free time. Any Jehovah's Witness that knocks on your door would be more than happy to start a study with you in the book "What does the bible really teach?" Here is an article I think you might enjoy.
Why Look To The Bible For Guidance?
http://www.watchtower.org/e/200601b/article_01.htm
2007-01-09 05:06:17 · answer #4 · answered by research woman 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Its a personal choice to be made by the parents, I do not agree with it but it is not my right to tell others what to do or what is right or wrong. I was raised Catholic, I believe in Christ but I am not one of these people who spew hate and judgement over people and call it being a good Christian. I was also raised to be respectful of other religions. I am raising my child to have faith and I teach her as much as I know about all kinds of religions but I am letting her choose her own path and I will love her wholeheartedly no matter where she lands as far as her faith goes.
2007-01-09 05:08:22 · answer #5 · answered by babygyrl_nyc 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think it's important to let your kids make informed choices on their own. We do pretty much the same thing. Some of my step kids are LDS and my kids are "explorers". I think that tolerance begins at home and that's what we're teaching our kids. There's a lot of discussions going on in our house, but basically we want the kids to understand that being a good person doesn't necessarily mean you practice a certain faith.
My husband was brought up a Catholic and I practice Green Witchcraft.
2007-01-09 04:49:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
That is a difficult question since it involves your beliefs. I think that a child should be given education on all types of religions and not just the one of their parents. When they get older they can decide to follow a religion or not.
The only probably is that a parents beliefs may require a child to follow their religion from the time it is baptized. There is no straight forward answer.
2007-01-09 04:45:23 · answer #7 · answered by Barkley Hound 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I feel very fortunate that I was never kept from learning about different religions and belief systems. I think it's okay to include your children in your own traditions and beliefs, but it's important to be clear with them that all belief systems are worth learning about and most are deserving of respect. I was raised Christian, stepped away from Christianity to openly study other religions, and eventually settled on a much more progressive and loving denomination of Christianity.
2007-01-09 04:44:15 · answer #8 · answered by Zafrod 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
This one hits close to home with me.
I'm an atheist and my wife is a christian with strong Unitarian/Universalist leanings.
The reality is that our ethics are very similar. The kids end up getting a different point of view from each of us, and in the end I think this is probably a very good thing.
2007-01-09 04:48:35 · answer #9 · answered by Samurai Jack 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I was raised in a home with no religion.
To this day I don't know what my parents believe. They never did anything in front of their children and never talked about it.
I must admit it has had some advantages.
FYI, I know God exists and I have my own beliefs. Being raised without religion does not make you atheist.
Although I was raised without any reference, I will teach my children more of the general spiritual principles that I found work. I will teach Spirituality, not religion.
~ Eric Putkonen
2007-01-09 04:48:16 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋