How are you going to raise your children?

Are you going to shield your children when religion comes up? Are you going to talk about religion if it comes up? Are you going to be laissez-faire about it? Also, are you going to lie about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy to your children? When are you going to talk about sex?

I'm going to apply a laissez-faire attitude on my children when it comes to these issues. If they ask me about it, I'll tell them the truth. If they don't accept it, fine, as long they don't act unruly and cause harm to them or someone else because of it. I'm pretty sure this will be the consensus among most of the members here, but it would be interesting what you have to say if it's different than that.

Are you going to shield your children when religion comes up? Are you going to talk about religion if it comes up? Are you going to be laissez-faire about it? Also, are you going to lie about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy to your children? When are you going to talk about sex? 

Genetic_Code

1. No, assuming that I stay a Muslim.

2. Because of #1, yes.

3. To some degree.

4. Nope.

5. When they're around 11-13 years old. 

1. No

2. No

3. No

4. No

5. Never

I probably won't have children, so the question is moot. :P

If I did, though, I don't see any reason why I'd dodge any issues with them.  Children from whom information on a subject is withheld begin to view it as having a "forbidden" mystique and begin to want to do anything in their power to find out more about it.  Conversely, I feel as though a child who knows entirely what sex, drugs, and all that is all about is much less likely to become a sex or a drug addict.  I'm not sure if I'd really raise the topic in a vacuum (I'd find it really super creepy if my parents had ever just randomly sat down and told me about sex), but if my kid either asked or got a significant other I'd tell them whatever they wanted or needed to know.

Same thing with religion, too: I feel as though telling your kids that this is definitely the way things are, and to stress that they ought not even consider anything else, will cause them to be only that much more likely to get completely wrapped up in what lies beyond the "DO NOT ENTER" sign, and will make them all that more likely to dive into it whole hog and get into something that will be ultimately destructive for their mental and spiritual health.

I will not force my children to be Christians but they sure will know what Christianity teaches.  Heck, I in-part jokingly and in-part seriously talk about how I wish to read portions of the Westminster Confession of Faith to my children as bedtime stories.

I have not yet decided how I will handle certain things like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.  I'd prefer to make up my mind with whomever I might be married with as opposed to come to a concrete decision beforehand.

I will not force my children to be Christians but they sure will know what Christianity teaches.  Heck, I in-part jokingly and in-part seriously talk about how I wish to read portions of the Westminster Confession of Faith to my children as bedtime stories.

I have not yet decided how I will handle certain things like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.  I'd prefer to make up my mind with whomever I might be married with as opposed to come to a concrete decision beforehand.

mindstorm

Of course you will force your children to be Christians. They are a captive flock for you. I remember you saying that it is difficult for you to speak about anything to anyone without bringing Christianity into it somehow. This environment is going to affect a child, who is unable to discriminate in their formative years.

People typically inherit the religious views of their parents. This is indoctrination and brainwashing in its most effective and unwavering form. (Are you reading this Android?) 

[QUOTE="mindstorm"]

I will not force my children to be Christians but they sure will know what Christianity teaches.  Heck, I in-part jokingly and in-part seriously talk about how I wish to read portions of the Westminster Confession of Faith to my children as bedtime stories.

I have not yet decided how I will handle certain things like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.  I'd prefer to make up my mind with whomever I might be married with as opposed to come to a concrete decision beforehand.

RationalAtheist

Of course you will force your children to be Christians. They are a captive flock for you. I remember you saying that it is difficult for you to speak about anything to anyone without bringing Christianity into it somehow. This environment is going to affect a child, who is unable to discriminate in their formative years.

People typically inherit the religious views of their parents. This is indoctrination and brainwashing in its most effective and unwavering form. (Are you reading this Android?) 

It's impossible to do otherwise.  To not "indoctrinate" your children is to never be around them.

[QUOTE="mindstorm"]

I will not force my children to be Christians but they sure will know what Christianity teaches.  Heck, I in-part jokingly and in-part seriously talk about how I wish to read portions of the Westminster Confession of Faith to my children as bedtime stories.

I have not yet decided how I will handle certain things like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.  I'd prefer to make up my mind with whomever I might be married with as opposed to come to a concrete decision beforehand.

RationalAtheist

Of course you will force your children to be Christians. They are a captive flock for you. I remember you saying that it is difficult for you to speak about anything to anyone without bringing Christianity into it somehow. This environment is going to affect a child, who is unable to discriminate in their formative years.

People typically inherit the religious views of their parents. This is indoctrination and brainwashing in its most effective and unwavering form. (Are you reading this Android?) 

By that logic it would seem to me that everyone who has children inevitably forces them to believe what they believe, unless they are parents in absentia and never talk or answer questions about anything at all.

Of course you will force your children to be Christians. They are a captive flock for you. I remember you saying that it is difficult for you to speak about anything to anyone without bringing Christianity into it somehow. This environment is going to affect a child, who is unable to discriminate in their formative years.

People typically inherit the religious views of their parents. This is indoctrination and brainwashing in its most effective and unwavering form. (Are you reading this Android?)

RationalAtheist

[QUOTE="RationalAtheist"]

Of course you will force your children to be Christians. They are a captive flock for you. I remember you saying that it is difficult for you to speak about anything to anyone without bringing Christianity into it somehow. This environment is going to affect a child, who is unable to discriminate in their formative years.

People typically inherit the religious views of their parents. This is indoctrination and brainwashing in its most effective and unwavering form. (Are you reading this Android?)

foxhound_fox

I am generalising - of course and your exceptions are valid. But it is unlikely for a Christian couple to have a Muslim baby, if you know what I'm saying. You do seem to like pigeon-holing Gabu's beliefs, don'tcha? Most people do at least begin by following their parents religious views. Also, moral outlooks, behaviours and political and philosophical views are also passed down in the family too.

You do seem to like pigeon-holing Gabu's beliefs, don'tcha? RationalAtheist

@Foxhound,

I didn't mean to pick at you by using Gabu as a (shining) example - it's just that I remember you doing something similar before in OT!

Although valid, your personal experiences don't really justify an opposition to my generalisation. Your's and Gabu's up-bringings didn't seem particularly religiously framed and consequently you are both not particularly religious in the strict sense.

At the risk of sounding like an old man, there is also the youthful period of rebellion, investigation and identification of self and of belief that does tend to settle out as your hair goes grey/falls out.

I think that children have increasingly been able to access information independently of their parents' control, either through technology or education. This will hopefully reduce the attachment rate for hand-reared theists.

@Gabu, 

If you don't mind my asking, why don't you think you'll have children? I only ask, since I'm practically certain I won't have any.

If my hypothetical children would ask me, sure, I would answer their questions (and I would definitely be better prepared for them than my own dad was). I don't think I have the right to shape their beliefs though. I do plan to read a lot of novels for them, which may or may not have an influence on their religious beliefs.

I would absolutely let them believe in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus and would play along. During my time as a substitute teacher in an elementary school I realised how important it is to show, not just tell when working with kids, so I wouldn't want them to miss out on the moment when they realize it's all a lie.

@Gabu, 

If you don't mind my asking, why don't you think you'll have children? I only ask, since I'm practically certain I won't have any.

RationalAtheist

Just realized I somehow missed this question.  It's pretty simple, really: I have no significant other, nor sufficient drive to find one, nor would I want kids even if I had one, as I don't feel that I'd make a very good father.  Too many other things I want to do in life.