[tattcasetle]

I was raised Baptist and "dropped out" when I had more questions than they could (or could not) answer. I read many books and decided on the Pagan/Wiccan path. My daughter went to a Baptist school from kindergarten to 6th grade, Catholic for 7th and 8th grades, and a public high school. She goes to a Baptist church, has been to Mass in her Catholic school years, and also has been reading "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham. She also asks questions and I answer the best I can. (Check this out: if she ever has a son, she wants to name him Odin!)

She pretty much gets to pick and choose what she wants to learn and do. I don't mind her going to church; I tell her to go with an open mind and ask questions.

[StethyEntinic]

I have found a good book for children to get them discovering their own path in religion.
Mountains, Meadows, and Moonbeams- A childs spiritual reader by Mary Summer Rain.
I recommend it to all parents. It is a very good book. Has moral stories. It covers alot of ground in very simple terms. I love using it when I work with children.

[LomodiorCon]

~ Funny, just yesterday our daughter was mentioning how we always encouraged her to go to different churches with her various friends. & yeah, we did.
Why not? If you have a strong faith in one belief other beliefs won't shake it.
My mother raised my sister & me Unitarian Universalist, our father was Atheist.
My husband's Atheist also & so I raised our kids with a bit of this, a taste of that. Mostly Pagan.
{I'm Agnostic generally }
Celebrating Nature & protecting the Earth is never a bad way to go tho', y'know?

[casinobonusnolimit]

The issue seems completely simple: If you're Wiccan but you want your children to experience Christianity too, or Buddhism, etc., etc., do you go to church or temple and sit with them on Sunday, or just drop them off? Or do you just tell them it's cool if that's what they want to believe when they decide and never take them to church or have any participation with them over it all? Like Mary's family, do you buy a Bible or Koran and bring it home, or do you wait for them to find books at the library? (spirituality only comes to those who can read?) When will you be certain they've spent time experiencing another religion? Is the level of participation all up to them, and until what age? Can they get all of the experience they need through the home environment? Until what age does someone else have their spirituality spoken for? (When they first become a person?) Won't the home environment/parental actions form the beliefs of the child early on anyway? Is it acceptable for them to begin sacrificing goats in the livingroom at age 5 if that's what they believe?

[Frjrbefd]

encouragement can take many forms,but hopefully all are the active type.just dropping them off somewhere isn't encouraging anything,it's telling them"don't bother me".

[Grizli]

There are two things I wish to impart to my children. They are not belief, they are facts.

No matter what you believe, most of the world disagrees with you.

Answers are not forthcoming. Trust yourself, before you trust mankind's God"

Here's what I'm driving at:

You don't have any knowledge of 'god', only the things you have chosen to treat as fact. In reality there is only one fact in the area of religion/spirituality: THERE ARE NO FACTS.

What makes you think your children are even as capable as you, you who know nothing?

Teach your children to learn, not to know.

Then, when they have left childhood behind, like you, they will make their own decision.

Hopefully they will decide to keep learning, instead of pretending they know.

[Slonopotam845]

Very nice.

There are two things I wish to impart to my children. They are not belief, they are facts.

No matter what you believe, most of the world disagrees with you.

Answers are not forthcoming. Trust yourself, before you trust mankind's God"

Here's what I'm driving at:

You don't have any knowledge of 'god', only the things you have chosen to treat as fact. In reality there is only one fact in the area of religion/spirituality: THERE ARE NO FACTS.

What makes you think your children are even as capable as you, you who know nothing?

Teach your children to learn, not to know.

Then, when they have left childhood behind, like you, they will make their own decision.

Hopefully they will decide to keep learning, instead of pretending they know.

[Beragagnu]

I know that many of us had religion...predominantly Christianity or Catholocism pushed on us as children. For some this wasn't a problem and you've held those beliefs throughout your life...and then there are those who practice and believe just about everything else here...

So...my question is how do you teach your children spiritual/religious ideas?

I would seek the spiritual and the path to growth and happiness. I would also emphasis that what ever path they choose for themselves that love should be foremost quality of any belief. If this is followed then I do not believe they would go wrong by me.

[thushioli]

I taught my children by example, and they have followed their own spiritual path.

[CsFLhGNp]

allow them to explore their own beliefs and encourage them to always question.they will find their own truth,wether we agree with it or not.

[MariaBeautys]

Yep, pretty much as above. I've tried to instill the fact we can walk with nature and animals as well as be spiritual beings.

[glagoliska]

How did I miss this question?

Rog and I have studied religion. Some more than others. I was raised with a very open view of religion. Rog was raised a Jehovas Witness. Different starts to the similar paths. We have complementary views of religion, faith and spirituality.

Both of the girls (Cosmo isn't big enough yet) go to church on Sunday's, they go to church on Wednesdays, and they have attended two different Vacation Bible Schools (well, one starts tomorrow). We also have an entire shelf of bibles. That seems like a lot of Christian influence, and it is. But most of it is external.

Tiva is in it for the activities and food. She comes home and is much more interested in the Pagan influences at home. There is plenty of books too! Blaze is more interested other mythologies, particularly Asian.
So we are trying to expose them to whatever we can find or are knowledgeable about and hopefully through seeing many different paths they can pick what they feel is right for them.

[overavantstandard]

Basically as the others have said by example,encouraged Robert to ask questions and to follow his heart as to what path,beliefs are right for him.

I have never shoved my beliefs on him,he has watched me through the years.
He was just asking me questions the other day,we discuss this topic from time to time.
I just sent him a book on Druidism.

One thing I have stressed to him was to let Morgan choose for herself when that time is right as I have done with him.
Answer her questions to the best of your ability with honesty,if you don't have a answer seek them together.
Keep a open mind in doing so and respect their decision.
In the ultimate end,its their choice.

[mr.calisto]

I was thinking especially hard about this right before I had my baby last year. Most of the people I know who grew up being forced into their family religion either revolted completely or got kind of brainwashed. However I think you can teach and encourage spirituality, and the best way is to simply share how you do things with your child, without forcing them to be a part of it. They will come to it in their own way.

That's my theory for this year. We'll see if it changes as the baby grows... :-)

[houkbsdov]

allow them to explore their own beliefs and encourage them to always question.they will find their own truth,wether we agree with it or not.

I have to agree with rev mark, I allow my daughter to follow which ever path she sees fit to go down. I won't force my beliefs upon her or try to get her going in a certain direction. The choice she makes is wholely hers (no pun intended)

[molaunterbizone]

I know that many of us had religion...predominantly Christianity or Catholocism pushed on us as children. For some this wasn't a problem and you've held those beliefs throughout your life...and then there are those who practice and believe just about everything else here...

So...my question is how do you teach your children spiritual/religious ideas?