Jasonb was asked

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Have you ever seriously considered introducing them to any other religion or philosophy, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Agnosticism, or Islam? If not, why?

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and he replied: As a fellow Christian, I would hope that you would reconsider that position.

GOD is.

God is not Christian, not Jewish, not Muslim.

God is.

As your kids grow up they will come in contact with people that belive as they do, and many more that do not believe as they do. They will meet Atheists, Mormons, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and many with no faith at all.Their beliefs will be challenged.Faith is between the individual and God. To make that faith as strong as possible, one that will be able to withstand challenge and temptation, it must be tested and tempered. The best way to do that is by exposing your kids to all of the other moral systems that have developed over the years.

Unless you believe that Christianity cannot stand comparision to those other systems, the best thing you can do for your kids is to help them explore all of those other systems.

While Christianity is the only way for Christians, it is not the only way. The Jews pray to the same GOD that you pray to and that same GOD has made compacts and covenants with the Jews.They cannot be hurt by learning about the other ethical systems out their, and they can strengthen their own base by becoming familar with the others.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

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How about John Walker, the american Taliban. His father was quoted as saying "He wanted something pure. We encouraged him to look."
You would agree that the Taliban is a pretty radical group, and by all accounts his parents were not radical in their beliefs.

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OK, that's one.You said that there are "many" examples."Many", to me, would be at least in the thousands, if we take the entire world population as a whole.Of course, the Taliban number in the hundreds at least, and most of them were raised in very radical fundamentalist religious environments.

As a fellow Christian, I would hope that you would reconsider that position. GOD is. God is not Christian, not Jewish, not Muslim

Please read Jesus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zacharias. Then get back to me on this. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/...
{Shortened display form of URL, to restore page width to normal - Adminnemooseus}This message has been edited by Adminnemooseus, 08-11-2004 12:30 AM

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Jason B

You said that there are "many" examples.

Well you got me. I shouldn’t have used Many if I wasn’t willing to take the time to back it up, which I’m not.But I did came up with one example to show some on this thread that if you give your child absolute freedom to make up their own mind about religion, you should be prepared if their decision is extreme.I am not saying that it will happened, but the possibility is there, and you should prepare yourself for that possibility.

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Jason B

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But I did came up with one example to show some on this thread that if you give your child absolute freedom to make up their own mind about religion, you should be prepared if their decision is extreme.

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Well, sure, but don't you think it is much, much more likely that children will become religious extremists by being taught that there is only one true religion?Don't you think that teaching them that your way is the only correct way is likely to make them less accepting and tolerant of differing viewpoints?Remember, I was given only one option WRT religion, and I left it behind.

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I was away from home for a week or so, so I couldn't reply.Thanks for all the replies, they were all very interesting and helpful. I especially liked NosyNed's account, and I think that is the end result I'd be happiest with, but getting what -I- believe to be the best end result isn't necessarily what I'm aiming for. I commend RingoKid's approach as well, as it seems quite appropriate given his/her stance.As for the claim that, if you are Christian, you may only raise your child as a Christian, this seems a little silly. As it was pointed out, shouldn't the Christian belief stand up to the rest if it is the "true" belief? How can letting a child make their own educated decision be an improper method of raising them? I would really like to hear a little more on this point.Another interesting point was that children might grow up to do something radical, such as joining the Taliban. This definitely touches on one of the main concerns I tried to express in my original post. With all of the influences of the outside world, how can you help your child stay away from some of the more dangerous ones while still maintaining an unbiased atmosphere?Also, an early congrats to DC85 (I think I got the name right). I wish you the best of luck with your family.

I wasn't raised in a religious family. Neither of my parents believe in God, though my mother was raised in a household that went to church. The values and morals I was brought up with did not need some invisible god. I was brought up with the belief that you treat others with respect and treat them like you would like to be treated. I went through a phase in my life where I attended church with friends and even became "born again". My parents were supportive and offered to drive me there if I needed.It seems to me that raising your child in an educated and informed household allows him or her to make their own choices about what they believe. Many of the deeply religious people that I have met had parents who were also deeply religious and enculturated their child with their belief. The choice of whether to believe or not was taken away from them.

My wife and I have discussed this topic extensivley. I am an atheist, however my wife is a lutherian christian. We both believe that our children should be exposed to both our viewpoints, and when they get older they can make their own decisions. Of course, it does help that we both have a similar view on rational thought and the scientific method. Frankly, as long as my children can rationaly evaluate and make decisions for themselves as adults, I don't care if they choose to accept a religious faith or not.

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As for the claim that, if you are Christian, you may only raise your child as a Christian, this seems a little silly. As it was pointed out, shouldn't the Christian belief stand up to the rest if it is the "true" belief? How can letting a child make their own educated decision be an improper method of raising them? I would really like to hear a little more on this point.

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One of my favorite preachers and authors, John Piper, put it this way

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some might say that parents have no right to prejudice a child regarding what he will accept as true. It is better to leave all religious options open and then when he chooses one it will be owing to authentic commitment, not to parental authority. There are four problems with that objection.

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1) It goes counter to all the teaching of Scripture that parents are to teach truth about God.

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2) It is impossible not to teach children about God, because not to teach them is to teach them plenty. It teaches them that Jesus does not matter much, that Mom and Dad don't consider him nearly as important or exciting as new furniture, or weekends at the lake, or Dad's job or all the other things that fill their conversation. Silence about Christ is dogma. Not to teach the infinite value of Christ is to teach that he is negligible.

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3) It is not true that teaching children about God has to make them close-minded and irrationally prejudiced. It might if the parents are insecure and have their own faith built on sand. But if parents see compelling reasons for being a Christian, they will impart these to their children as well. Nobody accuses a parent of prejudicing a child's cosmology because he tells the child the world is round and the little stars at night are bigger than the earth and the sun really stands still while the earth turns. Why? Because we know these things are so and can give evidence to a child eventually that will support this truth. And so it is with those who are persuaded for good reasons that the Christian faith is true.

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4) And, fourth, it is simply unloving and cruel not to give a child what he needs most. Since we believe that only by following Christ in the obedience of faith can a child be saved for eternity, escape the torments of hell and enjoy the delights of heaven, it is unloving and cruel not to teach him the way. When I look at my three sons in love, I say, "O Christ, let me not be delinquent in bringing them with me to glory."

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Jason B

JasonB, Thank you for posting such an eloquent defense of teaching your belief to your children.I certainly answered my children's questions about my own faith as well as I could, but also those about other people's beliefs. The only thing I did in addition was made sure I understood what I believed and why, and that I lived by my beliefs.A good Catholic friend once said to me " there is a far stronger way to influence than by preaching and exhorting, and that is by drawing closer to God and letting Him shine through us like a light".And I think that applies to all religions. In fact, IMO it is not which denomination, but the quality of the adherance that counts most.

Firstly, thanks for replying and clarifying to me exactly why some Christians feel that they must bring their children up in this way. I certainly see your/his point, but I just can't agree with it. But then, I guess that's as much a belief thing as anything between Christians and non-Christians. I won't even bother listing my objections to the four points, as I'm sure you already know what they are. I can't say I like the mindframe, but everyone has a right to raise their own children how they see fit, and that's just life.