I've never had any children, but if I did, I certainly wouldn't bring them up to go to church just to "fit in". Doing that can teach a child bad lessons. It would encourage a child to feel that it is good to hide what they really believe, to be untrue to their own principles and beliefs. It would teach them that pretending to be something you're not is okay.

I would teach my child that it is good to question, to doubt, to ask why when someone tells them something is true, or good or bad. But I do think that children who are in their teens or almost adults have a right to make the decision for themselves whether they will join a religion or not. However, I think parents should permit themselves to make rational arguments to try and persuade a young person not to join a fundamentalist religion (e.g Evangelical Christians). But parents must let them ultimately be allowed to make their own choice.

Heck no. I'll teach kids about living a free hateless world.

No, absolutely not. The area in which I grew up is close to the area in which I currently live, and with the same predominant religion. As a child, my parents held some vague notion of religion, and it didn't fit the predominant paradigm. I was raised without a specified faith, though many of my friends were profoundly religious, I did not need the religion to fit in. I believe this difference made my friends and I more respectful of difference, not less.

No, but I would allow them to explore religion if they had peer pressure to do so. I understand that its a risk but so is forbidding it. I will have tried to give them the tools to think for themselves and try to respect their autonomy if they decide they believe. this isn't just hypothetical. I raised my child this way and she went through a brief period of conformity and belief. But her BS meter was well-developed and she grew out of that phase. So she is an atheist and is raising her children to also make their own choices about god and religion.

No.

No, but I would let them make their own decisions.

Definitely not.

No way

I am already raising free thinkers even though we are surrounded by religious family and friends. I can already see how different my kids are compared to their friends being raised religiously. We cannot continue to damage our kids with religion. We are the ones to break the indoctrination process.

Let's say the worst possible scenario happens. After this presidency, we become in the United States some sort of theocracy. I would raise them to be free thinkers, but also teach them how to act in a religious society. So no I would not raise them to be religious, but I would teach them how to act in such a surrounding.

Hell NO!

Absolutely not!!!!

Nope

I raised my children to think for themselves. If they wanted religion I had no problem with it.

They all chose not to be bogged down by dogma.

No.

Haha
Absolutely not
Why would anyone who loves their children make such compromises just to fit in

Children are not born religious, they are brainwashed to believe in that stuff. So why not teach then how to think, rather than what to think. They will not always make quick friends, but they will eventually find friends who can reason and not be gullible sheep.

Hypothetically, if I had children, I know I could count on my relatives to supply them with King James themed bible story and activity books, so here's what I'd do.
Go to the bookstore, buy plenty of sciencey activity books and do lots of kitchen experiments together. I'll remind my children that science is heartbreakingly objective, but there are plenty of people today who have compromised their beliefs in science and religion to cater to their personal lifestyle/needs. When those bible story books come rolling in, I'll buy plenty of story books from other religions and give them to my children. This should reinforce that it is important to respect diversity and there is no one true path in life.
Yeah I'd prefer atheist babies. But I can trust that they'll come to the conclusion that's best for them.

My sons only 3 but I read him all the old myth stories and bed time stories even the ones from the bible so in his head as he grows older they will just be stories. I did start looking into getting books on critical thinking so as he gets older we can sit down and read those together. I don't want him to be a yes man to whatever anyone else says. I want him to always ask Why if there is no evidence as to why.

My children were raised Jewish...but secular humanistic Jews...culturally Jewish...I think both my sons now 29 and 32 would say they are atheists.

My children know I'm an atheist. Their mother is religious, and had quite a bit of influence on them in their younger years. We have discussed the topic and I feel as though they have yet to commit one way or the other. I don't force my views on them, but rather offer my opinions.

My parents didn't attend church, but they sent me to Sunday School. For several years during my childhood, I found the idea of God very comforting

NO WAY ...which began with my choice of their mother.. I recently found both our kids ‘Atheist Primers,’ by Madalyn Murray O’Hair, purchased far in advance of having them, from American Atheists. They loved them! Even colored in the pages

Having planned to raise Atheist Warriors, I may actually have done better - they’re far more sophisticated than me. But it just ‘doesn't happen.’ It requires an age-appropriate honest response to every question … to the point they come to expect the same from everyone. So when it comes to religion, it had better add up...

Absolutely not and I’m very open to sharing my views as an atheist with my young daughter if need be. I assume to just keep religion out of conversation or not use is as a crutch to get through tough times. But, when the time comes she will learn of these fairytales, and mama will have to subject her to what most would find horrible. There is no god, we are here and it is a beautiful thing that we are..but religion (all of them) is bullshit.

I really believe the operative word here is children. I'm opposed to encouraging young children to believe in religious activities simply to fit in because I'm against indoctrination. Children do not actually understand the concept of religion which is why Sunday school tries to make it fun but encourages them to accept it as a reality in their lives. On the flip side, is it a contradiction that we celebrate certain holidays like Christmas/Yule for the Santa factor? I've heard many explain to me it is like taking away the magic for a child by not allowing them to participate. It seems to get muddled here though because it is okay to tell them about Santa and allow that to be something they discover to be untrue. My oldest was told in Kindergarten, by some other child, that Jesus was her father and she got annoyed, and told him "matter of factly" that he was wrong because "she already has a father." She came home upset, to ask me why the kid would say that and I went on to explain religion and its association with Christmas. She is really smart, but she still did not understand why anyone would believe something extraordinary.