If your child wants to study, learn and participate in a religion that is quite a bit different than what you have brought them up in, how do/would you react? What would you say to them and would you allow them to do as they wish in their searching?
~The Mom Blogs
This is a tough one for me, especially since I have not faced this (and hope I never do). I suppose the answer to this would depend on their age. If they were older I hope I would not try to control them as they explore and do what they needed to do to find their faith. Joyce Meyers wrote that there was a time when her son said that he did not know if he believed what he believed because it was true or because it was what his parents told him to believe. They had to allow him to go out and find God for himself. Because I do trust God to abide by his word I believe that if I raise my children in the way they should go when they are grown they will not depart (Proverbs 22:6). This does not mean they will not question their faith, but that ultimately God will show them who He is.
I think questioning your faith as you grow up is a natural part of the growing process, and is not something to fear. In fact, I think it is healthy. Because when they discover God for themselves it will be a personal relationship, and that will not easily be shaken. I liked the comment by mamatoo and I totally agree with her:
“I hope that my children will see my faith more than hear about it. I also hope I’m quick to encourage them to question and learn, and to develop beliefs that are more than a series of habits or “to do’s.†”
As a child or young teen, however, I would probably tell them that “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15) You may not always agree with what we believe but you will attend church and participate in the religious activities that the family does together.”
My sister said when she lived at home, at 20 and 21 years old, she was not living for God. My parents only had one condition for her living with them, she had to be in church on Sunday morning. She would sometimes be there with a hangover, but they did not care and neither did God. She says this was the thing that saved her life, that God reached her all the way on the back row.
I have a good friend who married a man of muslim faith and converted. Her family has REALLY struggled with it and she frequently tells me how difficult it is. I think we would all do well to remember how personal spiritual beliefs are. When we are searching, we find what we are searching for no matter where we look. So my goal is help instill in my kids the desire to search for the good things. Love can bridge all chasims – no matter how big or deep so that is and would remain my focus. I think sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the organization of religion and thus the ownership issues that accompany membership into any given church or group. At the end of the day, it’s the moral teachings that are most important to me that my children stick to. 😉
Hugs,
Holly
I think that if children are exposed to christianity and the lifestyle early on, it’s not going to be a huge problem in the long run. However, when religious rules are applied without common sense, they’ll go looking elsewhere for peace and acceptance.
I’ve always been curious about different religions, but I’ve only found peace with one.