Oh hell, no!

I'm a Mémé (grandmother) now, but I raised my daughter in a Unitarian Universalist congregation for the community and their amazing religious and sex education programs. I never tried to push my lack of belief on her but insisted that she make conscious, informed choices about belief. She learned about paganism from my life partner and Christianity from her father.

She and my son-in-law are raising their daughter in a UU congregation now.

No. That being said, I took some time deciding whether or not I was going to when I had mine.

When my ex's family (Baptist) and my family (Catholic), started a tug of war for the "souls" of my children, and after a few more instances of religious abuse by my family members, and years of finding I was an outcast no matter what church I explored, I just walked away from it all and kept my kids out of church.

My 16 year old recently told me how glad she was that I didn't force her to be religious. To be fair, though, I also didn't force them NOT to be religious. I think if one of my kids came to me now and asked, I would consider letting them go if it was something they wanted to explore.

Fortunately, that just never happened.

No. That being said, I took some time deciding whether or not I was going to when I had mine.

When my ex's family (Baptist) and my family (Catholic), started a tug of war for the "souls" of my children, and after a few more instances of religious abuse by my family members, and years of finding I was an outcast no matter what church I explored, I just walked away from it all and kept my kids out of church.

My 16 year old recently told me how glad she was that I didn't force her to be religious. To be fair, though, I also didn't force them NOT to be religious. I think if one of my kids came to me and asked, I would consider letting them go if it was something they wanted to explore.

Fortunately, that just never happened.

I did not, and they were just fine with it. One or two still believe in the invisible friend but none of their children are baptized either.

That would be child abuse. But I suppose many do it.

Absolutely not. I taught my daughter to think for herself and not blindly follow someone because they tell you it's what you should do. I taught her to do her own research and trust her instincts. I hear my grandson use the exclamation "Oh lord" or "Jesus" and I always find myself saying "where?" or "do you see him?" in jest. Since his other grandmother has clouded his thinking with religion, it is difficult to get him understand that Jesus was just a man that was talked about in a book and that he is not alive today. Being that she is Southern Baptist they tend to confuse the children with the whole resurrection and spirit deal. Oh and don't get me started on the concept of hell!

Absolutely not. I taught my daughter to think for herself and not blindly follow someone because they tell you it's what you should do. I taught her to do her own research and trust her instincts. I hear my grandson use the exclamation "Oh lord" or "Jesus" and I always find myself saying "where?" or "do you see him?" in jest. Since his other grandmother has clouded his thinking with religion, it is difficult to get him understand that Jesus was just a man that was talked about in a book and that he is not alive today. Being that she is Southern Baptist they tend to confuse the children with the whole resurrection and spirit deal. Oh and don't get me started on the concept of hell!

I gave my boys the choice to believe what they want. I surely never had the right answer about that. I did however try to teach conscientious living and human compassion as best I could. I Think it’s much better that the forced religion of my childhood that alienated and devastated my family.

My kids have Catholic grandparents. For a short while they both wanted to be Catholic. I told them go ahead, you'll have an easier life if you can manage it. They even went to Catholic school for a couple years, where they were shown the movie "God's Not Dead" ... the difference between my attitude and that of the atheists in the movie really struck them, especially the way all their classmates ate it up. Anyway they are both atheists now.

I told my kids at a young age that I did not go to church because I did not believe in organized religion. I said to them that if they had an interest in church that they should seek out many churches, and not just pick one to attend. I did all that I could to raise them as open-minded, free thinking/questioning, skeptical individuals. Beyond that, I really don't have any control over their decisions now that they are adults. But I will love them regardless. And I'll also continue to be a parent and remind them that nobody likes an asshole, and that everyone should strive to be a decent human being (if and when necessary).

No that is a form of mental child abuse!

Certainly not! In fact, I distanced myself from an old friend who decided to raise her children as Christians, despite the fact that she and her husband are atheists, so they would "have the right social connections."

I told my daughter what I believe (or don't believe), and her father (who became religious after we split up) tried to indoctrinate her into his sect. He died when she was 9, and it didn't truly take. We attended and were heavily involved in a Unitarian Universalist congregation, where she was exposed to many different belief systems in religious education. Since I homeschooled her, I was able to make sure she read the Bible as literature, and understood its history.

No I would not. I had an interesting childhood. My mother, who was a Puerto Rican woman and went to Catholic School, raised all of us as Catholics until we maid our confirmations. At that time, if we chose to not proceed with religion, she was okay with it. My father, was raised as a Jew but from a young age, knew that he was an atheist. He respected my mother's wishes as long as he had the opportunity after church and Sunday School, to deprogram us. In this way, we truly had both sides of the picture growing up. Only 2 of their six children chose atheism. The rest stayed with Christianity in one form or another. It was an interesting social experiment.

No, I'm not that stupid or willing to abuse children.

Ha, ha! I never once took any of my children to church. I talked about the way religion is a commercial business enterprise. I let them know my beliefs, and explained those beliefs to them. But basically I just let them make their own decisions. So now, they are all grown. One is agnostic, but the other two are conventionally religious.

Nope.

No!!!

No. I would teach them to think critically and question everything. They may be ridiculed by those who don't follow their religious morals, but they will live happier lives.

Fuck NO! I would want smart inquisitive children and religion stifles that. Children should be given the facts and left to choose their own faith or lack there of.

If I thought I could have full say on this, I'd just take them to a religious service only once in a while (say, a holiday or two a year). Like going to a museum and a zoo, you get to see something of the past and some other ways things like to live and believe.

But I doubt that my still-very-Christian spouse will want that. So I will probably have to blend into a liberal tradition to avoid the foolery of fundamentalism as much as possible, and to keep them in an environment where they will hopefully be more open to my skepticism about religious ideas.

Absolutely not! It would be tantamount to child abuse

No never

No.

No.

Not now. Children, especially, need to be free, critical thinkers. It's very important, but especially when dominionists are trying to take over.