How do you explain religion to your kids while hoping they don't become religious?

Question

While your kid's are gowing up, it's understandable to explain religion to them. The goal would be to explain how it works, and all of it's ups and downs so they can choose which religion, if any at all, they want to follow. But in order to do this more effectively, you would probably have to take them to a church at least once. It seems that if you would prefer for them to be athiest (like I do), then taking them to church many times and then all of a sudden stopping would give them a weird feeling toward religion. I don't want my kids to be religious, but I don't want them to start hating religion just because I stopped taking them to church. Would it be better to just have them read about religion from books, and explain that they shouldn't bother with going to church?

Answer 1

When you have a kid (which you will here in about 7-8 months) then you will want to teach them common sense skills. Once they have learned to reason through everyday situations, then let them study religious stuff. If they choose to be religious after that... well, then you failed miserably. Then you can let them grow up and become strange.

Answer 2

Hi,
I wouldn't take a child to church. In the UK, churches are awsome, large, historical building that are bound to leave a lasting positive impression on an impressionable youngster.

I am going to tell my son how I feel about religion and faith. I will tell him that that is my and his dad's opinion, but some people choose to believe there is a God.
If he wants to believe there is a God, that's not so bad, but if he was to join a religious sect, Christianity (throws up), Islam (still throwing up) etc, I would be so disapointed.
When he is old enough, I'd like him to watch a movie like Zeitgeist. Anyone who sees that must "see the light" in a non-religious way!!

Answer 3

We teach them that are religions are wrong. They all think that they are better than everyone out there. We also teach them that religions have a different set of rules than the ones handed down by their God(s) and those people put stock in church/religious rules first.
Christians are extremely notorious for using ultimatums or threats to get you into their church/religion. That's why when they are overseas other cultures starve and die off when Christians are there because these people have to give up their culture and convert to Christianity in order to eat, get shelter, health care, and clothing.

Answer 4

This is a good question because it has made me stop and THINK!! I don't see a need for you to teach religion to your kids if you don't believe in it. That would be like a Christian teaching their children Atheistic beliefs for some odd reason. If your kids ask about religion just answer as fairly and to the point as you can. If your child asks you to take them to church, then take them if you feel they will benefit from it in some way (learning experience perhaps). And just love them and let them know you support them in whatever decision they make regarding religion....Blessings!

Answer 5

You don't have to take kids to church to teach them about religion, any more than you have to take them to Iraq to teach them about war, or to a prison to teach them about crime. You can show them websites and books that explain the various religions in ways that are oriented to their age level. You can tell them that lots of people believe there is an invisible, powerful god in an imaginary place called heaven, but that these things aren't real no matter how much people want them to be. It's like science-fiction movies--no matter how cool they are and how much we might wish they were real, they're still imaginary. Others believe in many gods, and there have been many religions throughout history, but so far there is no evidence to show that these gods ever existed. If they ask why grown-ups believe in imaginary things, explain that some people find it comforting to think there are powerful beings looking out for them, guiding them, and punishing evildoers.

Answer 6

I think it's best to take an academic approach with religion. Tell them about all religions, not just christianity, and use books and movies to help explain....I would not take them to church, unless you are going to go to a variety of places, such as jewish temples, muslim mosques, buddist temples, etc., so that you can expose them to all religions in a hands on way. Eventually, your kids are going to make up their own minds as to whether they want to be religious or not, so all you can do for now is try to teach them how be tolerant of all people and their beliefs, but at the same time not to believe everything they hear.

Answer 7

I was like you once. My mother took my children to church because I stopped attending. However, they now believe in Jesus; acknowledge Him. I came back to church also. But you don't teach or try to explain religion to children. They watch and listen to you. Teach them about faith in a loving God. Being religious is just doing something in a repetitive manner, like going to work, taking a bath daily. Teach them good things, to be good people and take them to a church or churches that have children's activities and classes for children. Taking them once is not going to do it. You can find a church setting where they can have fun and learn about Christianity. If they have fun, they will ask to go back and you take them.

Answer 8

Change the word from "religion" to "belief system". It's much healthier. Encourage the tribal and social aspect of living to your child. Have a set of values in which you seek to harm no one, and choose happiness as a mindset. Explain that "Church" is all really about "community." And that self-respect is the 1st step to religious tolerance. Oh, and live the example.... Atheists have a belief system, and a set of values.,
and have saved my life with their kindness and humanity more than once. Some of my favorite atheists still know how to respect others "belief systems."

Answer 9

Kids need religion.. They really do. Otherwise your kids might have nightmares about death and not allow you to get a wink of sleep - not to mention that your kids would deeply distressed.

For kids the comfort of knowing that there is a loving God and a heaven where deceased family members and friends will see each other again later is very important in my opinion.

Kids emulate their parents. If you don't pray, they won't pray. If you talk about religion in a condescending way, they will too. The faith formation of kids would be a very difficult thing to farm out to others or to a book really because kids emulate their parents "warts and all."

Since there is a loving God and a heaven, you would be telling your kids the truth anyway. A win-win!

Answer 10

Dont worry, it comes naturally.
It is not us to put faith in our being, at least that's how I experienced it. Sooooo........ relaxxxxxxxxxx.

You haven't married ,.........right?????
So.........what are you worrying abt ?????
You may NOT even have any child .........who knows????????
So.......what are you worrying abt???

If,if,if you do have a child and if, if,if..........for one out of 1000001 reasons you belong to a religion ........I doubt it would be Christian but who knows(?)........you may take yr child to its "holy building"(church,temple whatever).....???? Who knows ........???? .

It will be at least so many months/years ahead,
So..........why are you wasting yr time thinking abt it now.??????

So........have a child(ren) first and see. ... there are lots and lots unknown what's going to happen every next minute.
Live your day as it comes, meanwhile, fill yr time the best you can.
Work hard is not enough. FIND something which means for you, then try to reach it, it is NOT IMPOSSIBLE!!!.

One thing :
Unless you have "the abundant" please dont try to water the dessert ..........it's wasting time and energy.