One of the interesting things about browsing US submissions is that it seems being a Christian is the DEFAULT setting. The idea of indoctrinating anyone into NON belief is really weird.

our public schools in the UK are multi-faith and thus there is no indoctrination INTO a faith. Yes of course there are religious families, but Europe is becoming more and more secular with each generation.

Exactly. Teach children to be open minded and critical thinkers. They will get there on their own.

I speak openly with my daughter about major religions local and abroad. She’s always thought it quite silly. Even as the only non-christian in her 1st grade class in Texas, she didn’t give in to peer pressure.

In my memory nobody talked about religion at home as a kid, we had hymns and such at school and harvest festivals and things in the local church, but as much as I was aware of Jesus and some bible stories I don't remember ever questioning if it all really happened, yet that doesn't mean I believed it it just didn't matter. I think general education then told me it was all rather unlikely, and the more you then learn about religion the more you realise it's nonsense. My son comes home from school sometimes telling me about what god did and one time when we couldn't go somewhere because it was raining he said 'why did god make it rain?'
I said 'he didnt'
He replied 'yes he did god does rain'
I just said 'ok then', because he's 5 and will learn about water cycles later and learn about prisms and split light and know that a rainbow isn't a promise that god won't drown us all again but is in fact much cooler than that.

Going to church made me, my son, my brother and my niece non-believers (4 out of 5). There is nothing like a gathering of Christians to demonstrated what a joke religion is. I have one niece that has been completely brainwashed. She lives with her mother who has totally poisoned her against her father.

I think we have allowed wrong ideas to persist just because its always been there. People should be taught what is right by teaching the positives and negatives of everything. Imagine let us say cigarettes. Everyone knows it's harmful yet it is an institution already. Imagine if we colonize other planets and we introduce aliens to smoking.

My son believes in god and thats fine. He is only 7 and has plenty of time to make his choice but gor npw it's what he chooses to believe. I told him I support his belief no matter what they are but at the same time I educate him in those beliefs. I don't force mine on him that would make me no better than the religious nuts. A person must be free to choose and we MUST have respect for everyones beliefs and right to choose.knowledge is key and if you try and control your childs belief it will backgire but if you teach all aspects of the belief system they question then you're giving them a chance to grow

It is one of those things that everyone must decide for themselves, or you never really own the decision.

There is no indoctrinating children into non-belief. We are ALL born atheists.
Belief is what has to be taught.
It's good that you got your daughter to think more rationally.