Raising a Child in a Mixed-Faith Marriage

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Michlow

Ha! That was funny on facebook. He actually thought you were being aggressive. Until I pointed out to him that you were posting on MY page not HIS and you know that I am a Christian.



The fact that I am extremely laid back (some may prefer luke warm ) may actually make this situation a little easier. I believe in God, and I believe Jesus is Him. I think Jesus is a great example to us, and how we should live our lives. However, I don't know where I stand on church, I have serious issues with the Bible (as a literal source or "word of God"), and I'm pretty liberal when it comes to the concept of salvation, and I don't think I believe in a literal hell.

I guess some of that is obvious. Which is why I'm not worried about my husbands spirituality or lack there of.

Mich - not a task I would want to take on, or recommend, but once you've taken it on, well, you've taken it on.

My thoughts would be:

Start with what you know. What you stated above is a great place to start, and your husband should respect your right as a mother to pass along these ideas to your child. At the same time, your husband will have that same right to present his opposing views. When your children are little, they are less prepared for a non-unified front, so you need to find points you can agree on and present those. If, for example, your husband believes that the teachings of Jesus, whether He be God or simple prophet, are at least applicable and beneficial, you can start with that common ground.

As your child gets older, they should hear both sides and then be encouraged to find the answers by looking at other resources, including the Bible. At the very least, the Bible is a fine piece of literature with historical accounts, prose and poetry and insight into ancient cultures. Reading the Bible should be encouraged on those points alone.

Your husband should keep himself open to new ideas, too. If he wants to produce a child who is open-minded, curious and interested in exploration, then he must also be open to exploration of ideas, including the idea that there is a God, or common divine source of humanity.