Allow, but follow up with conversation about what she learns, and (calmly) make sure rational thought does not evaporate.

Planting the various seeds that are homophobia, misogyny, shame about sex and the fear of hell, and the more toxic and dangerous idea that life offers a second chance, causing many to lead half lives; deferring their dreams and aspirations, is child abuse.

When their cognitive function has fully developed, so they're aware of the trickery and manipulation being used against them - is when I would let them choose for themselves.

A child's brain is no match for sophisticated religious propaganda. This is one reason religious schools exist, to try and get them while they're young.

Yes, I have 14 year old twins. We have always encouraged them to be free thinkers, to learn about things, religion included and we talk about them at home. My daughter was kind of a believer for a spell (mostly I think because her friends were.) She would go to church and youth group with the family who lived next door, who were missionaries...but now she is pretty much over it. My son was never interested, hated going to anything church related. He's smart and reads a lot. He has read the Bible and read about other religions, but just never bought into it.

I might start attending as well so I could understand how I had a child without me knowing.

I would support them in anything so long as they were not harming themselves or others. However, I would be disappointed in myself for failing to teach them critical thinking.

Both of my boys have gone to church with their friends. I never discouraged it. When they question me about my beliefs, I answer them honestly. They do not need to be brainwashed, they have the critical thinking skills to figure out what works best for them.

I'm just curious...

How many people's comments here would be different if the religion used as an example here was Islam instead of Christianity.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make then drink. You can teach your child your beliefs, but they have a mind of their own. My wife and I are non-believers, but our son got religion.

My son did that as a youth. They were never given religious education and knew did not believe any of it, but people they knew did and he sought to understand why.

He discovered that the socratic method draws ire from religion.

My daughter, age 35, is xtian. She’s always known I’m agnostic, and I feel it’s her choice. She’s more conservative politically than I had hoped, but again, her choice.
My son is a heathen like me!

But I would ask them a lot of questions about it too ensure they were thinking critically about the information they are "learning" afterwards. First time I've ever used the word learning ironically... I don't like it.

I have done my best to teach my son about ALL religions. I want him to make his own decision about religion, but I also believe that he shouldn't make any decision like that until he's an adult and better able to understand what he's getting into.

No probs with reading a king James but I would not be comfortable with my kids attending christian gatherings of any kind.

Oh hell yes. I have told this story already. My daughters were brought up freethinkers. The youngest dragged my ass to church a while ago and I played the part because I wanted her to find out it's all BS by her own experience, not because I told her so. Sure enough, things did fall in place given time. She really treasure the learning experience and haven't tried to follow any other religion again. She is an adult now. If she ever comes up with new alternative for a different religion or whatnot, now I could easily say no and she would know why.

My stepdaughter was interested in Christianity from a young age and her mother wanted her to explore for herself and make her own decisions. Even though her mother is an unbeliever, she bought a children's Bible and Bible story books and read them to her at bedtime and permitted her to attend her biological father's church, even to take catechism classes in high school. Now and then, Mom even attended services to show solidarity (although it was, at times, all she could do not to burst out laughing; having grown up in an integrated school, and understanding black culture and sensibilities better than the average bear, she found the midwestern white people trying to do happy-clappy music to be utterly hilarious).

The catechism teacher said this class was going to be an objective assessment of Christian teaching and each student was free to make up their minds at the end of the class.

In her presentation at the end of the class, my stepdaughter said she'd concluded that god doesn't exist. It scandalized her fellow students and the church. She shrugged and moved on. To my knowledge she had not been to church in the six years since.

If the outcome had been different, though, it wouldn't have perturbed her mother, or me. The only person it would have perturbed would have been her father at the time. However, a financial scandal at the church that touched him personally (he had known and respected the perpetrator and was terribly disillusioned to find out he'd been gaming everyone) has (among other forces) caused him to drift away from the faith as well.

What some unbelievers don't truly understand is the shaky nature of religious faith, its vulnerability, the underlying dishonesty leading to grosser forms of perfidy. It's in its death throes. So long as a child is truly free to make their own decisions, and not manipulated into giving up their powers of reason and deduction, there's nothing for a parent to fear in a child exploring religion. The problem is when there's a believing spouse or maybe grandparent who wants to silence you in any sort of objective critique of the dogma, that's where the actual trouble would be. Also, I'd resist a young child attending a fundamentalist church; something less aggressively manipulative like a mainline denomination would be better.

If I start sounding too religious, some of my children get on my case.

I would talk to them about why they started going. I would mostly be supportive unless their doing it because of pressure to fit in. I’d never forbid them from going but I would explain why I don’t agree with their reason to go.

It would depend how old they are. Younger than seven, definitely no play-dates with the bible group, teenagers it would be fine, as long as they discussed what they learnt.

I would try to talk them out of it just as I would any activity I perceived as harmful to their wellbeing but I would respect their decision.

Although, I would most likely insist upon some sort of psychiatric assessment and lock up all the guns and swords. She's obviously lost her mind and is in some unstable psychosis.

Both my daughters were raised catholic. I had to bring them to CDC and I had to attend church for the specific services. This was my time to chat with the priest with my children present and boy I did so., I always maintained a likeable self and never attacked but carefully pointed out shit. My daughters knew I respected the church as they had my kids but I was not going to agree with them.
At the service the priest stated that no one will ever be worthy in the eyes of the lord. I raised my hand and stated that I do not believe this to be true. Now both women are free thinkers.
Success.

Non of the above i would read them the evil passages in the bible. I say if you question just one in the book you have to question the entire book as they claim it to be. I can find good things in any book but to say you have to believe in it then that is so wrong!

I'd get a new kid.

If I had ever been careless enough to produce a child, I would like to think that being raised by me they would see religion for the dangerous fairy tale that it is. Anything more would just be a scientific curiosity to confirm their insanity.