I kind of admire parents that want to expose their children to many different religious beliefs without pushing their own. I was raised Catholic and even attended a couple of Catholic Schools. When I took the time to read the bible, it did not speak to me. Sermons did not speak to me. For me, church felt like a fashion show / popularity contest (much like school). For a while, I wanted to be Wiccan and I still feel that it is a beautifully romantic belief system. I don't share those beliefs either, though. What I believe shouldn't really matter to you and isn't really my point.
 Jorje's 8th Grade School PictureMonte Cassino Catholic Benedictine School |
When Ronni was very young, just old enough to have play dates, I found myself to be a bit of an anti-Christian. You do find a lot of Christians as well as Pagans in the homeschooling community, especially right here in the buckle of the bible belt (Oklahoma). You would have thought I was protecting my child from... troublemakers, I guess. I didn't want her hanging out with "those kinds of people!" Yes, this is judgmental and awful. I also wound up becoming very close friends with people that have strong religious beliefs.
The other trouble with my attitude was that I did still want Ronni to make his own decisions regarding faith. I just didn't want it pushed on him. And as an Agnostic (at best), leaning toward Atheist, I probably didn't (deep down) want him to have faith. My sister has two daughters and they go to church every Sunday. Another close friend of Ronni's goes to church every Sunday. This complicated sleepovers. When he had his friend over on Saturday nights, she had to leave early for church. And when Ronni stayed over there or at my sister's? Well I finally gave in. Ronni really liked going to church. I don't think he has ever asked me to take him, but he does believe in God. And that is okay. Really.
I've made a point with him, when asked, to make it clear that what HE believes is all that really matters. That carries over into other parts of our lives, such as Santa. When arguments came up with classmates about Santa and he asked me if Santa was real, I asked him what he thought, what he believed. He believed he was real. That was all that mattered. His classmates opinions and beliefs didn't matter, so long as he knew in his heart what he believed.
I support my son's rights to believe whatever speaks to him. It doesn't have to be what speaks to me (or, more appropriately, doesn't speak to me). I still support his right. I want him to be able to discuss his beliefs with me, just as I can discuss my own with friends that don't share my viewpoint. It doesn't have to be a battle to convert each other. We aren't bad influences on each other. We can coexist.
