what would you do if your partner wants your children to be a catholic but you are not?

Answer 1

I do not believe in pushing religion on my children. I am a Christian, but I believe in free will. I was raised in a somewhat religious home, but I was given free will. I will do the same for my children. I will teach them about God and Jesus, but I will not push organized religion on them. After all, the problem most people have with Christianity, myself included, is organized religion. I will teach them and guide them accordingly, but they will have to search for God on their own as well. I feel that searching for God on your own gives you a better relationship with God. I will always be there for my children. If they have questions, then I will answer them to the best of my knowledge. I will give them the free will that we were all born with. I will pray they find their way.

Answer 2

I agree that working this out before marriage is preferable.

If your partner is so strong in faith, then what I think you should do is take an adult catechism class TOGETHER to learn more in-depth about what it means to be Catholic and to raise children Catholic. In the U.S., this class is called RCIA and it's free (and just starting now, throughout the country).

Then I would also take an adult catechism class in whatever religion you belong to, TOGETHER. This way, you can intelligently determine where the similarities and differences are about your respective faith traditions, and reach a decision that works best for your family.

Personally, I feel that parents should be united in faith and in the values in which they raise the kids. If you teach the kids that either or both of two completely different philosophies are perfectly okay, then you teach the kids that faith is optional...and if it's optional, it can't possibly be true, can it? Truth is never optional, it's always true!

Answer 3

I am suprised this is new to you, as when a Catholic marries a non-Catholic, they usually have to go thru a preparatory class, and you have to agree to raise the kids Catholic. If you are active in another religion, then alternate. If you're not, then it can't hurt, it is a good Christian religion, you can have the baby baptized and then let the child choose for himself before confirmation (age 13-14) when they actually confirm their faith and accept Catholicism or not...

Answer 4

If you have a problem with it you should have thought about it before you two became partners. To late now. Why don't the children just learn BOTH of your schools of thought. Then when they get old enough they can make up their own minds!

Answer 5

I agree with Pheonix.

Children should not be forced into a religion because that just builds up a resentment for the church, then the religion as a whole (I am a prime example of a girl raised in a Baptist church, but I renounced my religion a year a go).

My children will have the choice of sampling any religion they want or not sampling. I would want them to go into a religion because they feel that the message agrees with their personalities and morals, not because daddy said so. If our children choose to not be religious, that is fine with me and my husband will just have to get over it.

Answer 6

That's why Catholics should marry only Catholics. If you don't convert..this will probably be a problem the rest of your life. If you don't want to do this..tell your husband (or wife) why. Didn't ya'll discuss this before you married? I thought that was one of the terms of a Catholic being allowed to marry a protestant and stay in the church.

Answer 7

This should be something that is discussed and agreed upon way before children are ever conceived. The last thing we need to do is bring children into this world and confuse them with our religious differences. If both people cannot truly and wholeheartedly agree, then they should either move on or reconsider bringing children into the relationship.

Answer 8

partner or spouse? if you are not firm in YOUR faith, then why even bother being concerned with what the other person wants to impose on your children. it's like you're going to hand them off to be led down the wrong path. read the bible and decide what you can contribute to your child's spiritual awareness. don't let other people brainwash your children. it's a sin.

Answer 9

Do you have a reason to refuse? Is it going to do harm if they follow the wishes of your partner?

Allow the heart's desire. Follow through with a little walk through the comparative religions section of the library, though.

Answer 10

I would let them bring them to Church, if you do not actually have a problem with it, then let her bring them, but also let the kids chose when they are old enough, why not try to bring them to a few other churches, so you open them up to a few Church's not just catholic, it might be a nice experience.