interfaith families

[vegdumpling]

i'm curious to how you guys feel about interfaith relationships? what if your partner had no beliefs or had strong beliefs that you didn't share

Comments

[book_of_sage]

at the moment, i'm dating someone whom we'll call "D" with different beliefs than mine. we actually talk about our seperate beliefs a lot... but we're both passive in the end because we're both secure in our own beliefs

[vegdumpling]

i agree that studying serveral religions is a very beneficial thing but what about when a child is very small? do you think there is anything wrong with sharing your own religion with a child until a point comes when they are old enough (maybe 7-ish, perhaps younger depending on the child) to intellectually understand learning about different religions?

oh and, i totally support the not having kids thing. we have more than enough people who want them and overpopulation exists so there is no need for anyone to make more people if they aren't inclined.

[book_of_sage]

when the child is young, of course they are going to see their parents participating in things that go on within their religion, for example: a magick circle one parent may be having and the child may see the set-up in process. i would explain what it was and what is going to be happening. if they had any further questions, i would answer them. children are naturally curious, i find, and if they ask a question pertaining to my religion, i would answer it, and would expect their other parent to do the same if the child were to witness something religious going on

[vegdumpling]

i've do want to have kids in the future, someday not too soon, but whether i have one or more will completely depend on my financial capabilities. too many people without the means have kids they can't support. it's not like we live on farms anymore and you needed to have kids to work the fields, don't have a huge family unless you can support it

[book_of_sage]

you're absolutely right: too many people have kids and cannot support them. then wonder why it seems like nobody sympathizes with them. 'oh, you're a single parent mother with a shitty babydaddy and you're living on section 8? and you expect me to care? who brought this on you? thought so... moving on!' (lol

[vegdumpling]

oh, you had to bring up the pledge of allegiance, didn't you. yeah, around 4th or 5th grade i decided that i didn't apreciate being forced to speak words of loyalty that i didn't feel and refused to participate. i got sent to the principal but apparently they can't make you say it, but they can ask you to stand anyway. i didn't.

it is true that the topic can be a hard thing to avoid, so maybe i'm just being nitpicky in thinking that kids wouldn't have much positive exposure that was initiated by their parents. i certainly don't think that possessing a spirituality is a necessity for living a good life, i just think it has the potential to enrich it.

i really appreciated your points, it made this little discussion extra fun.

[book_of_sage]

of course i did! shit, they ASKED me to stand, but i didn't either. stand for what? ha!

i understand where you're coming from with presenting your kids with an ideal of what's out there - speaking to them about the gods/goddesses you choose to revere and why, your view on how this world operates, etc... i just think it's important not to stress it so much that they feel like they HAVE to hold the same beliefs. i guess, talking to them about other religions while simultaneously speaking of your own and why you chose it (or why it chose you) is important.

i just still have scars from feeling trapped =\ so i sympathize.

[vegdumpling]

i get the trapped thing, it wasn't precisely what i went through but i've experienced it in other ways. i was a little too vocal about my opinions, i was the kid that the nun gave the "why be catholic book" to, she also called my parents and recommended that i not be confirmed. other kids of course called me a satanist and my parents tried to force me to go through with confirmation up until i made it very clear i did not want to do this by having a screaming argument in the church basement just before the cermony.

i suppose that i assume my kids will be opinionated and my job will simply be to support them and not stand in their way. my ideal version of the conversation is me explaining why i a wiccan and saying something like you are welcome to participate and perhaps one day you will decide to be wiccan too. then we talk about other religions and what's great about them. i think it's important to stress that this is their choice and it's not one they have to make soon, but i don't think that will stop me from sharing what i

[book_of_sage]

true enough. and if they seem to be interested, i would imagine they have a wise, supportive parent on their side ;).

[vegdumpling]

you can be sure i will tell my future children that you said that when they question why i get to make the decisions.

[book_of_sage]

hahaha.

add?