I Believe In God, Yet I Have Issues
Today, my child asked about God and how He is perceived across all religions. In my mind, all I could think about is "This is it. This is the point where I decide on how to bring my child up regarding religion."
I knew beforehand the moment will inevitably come. It was a matter of time before I had to teach her religion. Unlike some parents however, I am having trouble with this. I don't know how to approach the subject at all.
On one hand, teaching her about the religion we are currently following means indoctrination. I don't know what others think but I believe that a child who looks up to his parent will probably follow what his parents believes. If she thinks her parent as the 'best-est' parent ever, then he will follow what the parent believes in.
On the other hand, teaching the child about every religion there is and making comparisons screams of secularism. A bird's eye view of religion does place logic in the driver's seat and the 'pure faith' at the back seat. At some point, the child will become curious enough or maybe jaded enough to venture into the ultimate question: Does God exist?
As a parent, I feel like I don't want to make the decision for her. I want her to decide on her own on what she wants to believe. It is however difficult to accomplish this considering how young she is. Let's face it. She's going to just look at me and see I am a believer of this religion. She will possibly grow following my own. I don't want her to follow the religion just because I do. I want her to follow it because she also believes in it without any influence on my part.
At the same time, I do not want to raise her jaded on the concept of God. Some part of me still wants to teach her 'God is everywhere'. I want to say God takes care of you.
Bottom line, I do not want to orchestrate everything in her life. I just want to give her the tools she'll need to go through a life of her choosing. I do not want to make it for her.
I knew beforehand the moment will inevitably come. It was a matter of time before I had to teach her religion. Unlike some parents however, I am having trouble with this. I don't know how to approach the subject at all.
On one hand, teaching her about the religion we are currently following means indoctrination. I don't know what others think but I believe that a child who looks up to his parent will probably follow what his parents believes. If she thinks her parent as the 'best-est' parent ever, then he will follow what the parent believes in.
On the other hand, teaching the child about every religion there is and making comparisons screams of secularism. A bird's eye view of religion does place logic in the driver's seat and the 'pure faith' at the back seat. At some point, the child will become curious enough or maybe jaded enough to venture into the ultimate question: Does God exist?
As a parent, I feel like I don't want to make the decision for her. I want her to decide on her own on what she wants to believe. It is however difficult to accomplish this considering how young she is. Let's face it. She's going to just look at me and see I am a believer of this religion. She will possibly grow following my own. I don't want her to follow the religion just because I do. I want her to follow it because she also believes in it without any influence on my part.
At the same time, I do not want to raise her jaded on the concept of God. Some part of me still wants to teach her 'God is everywhere'. I want to say God takes care of you.
Bottom line, I do not want to orchestrate everything in her life. I just want to give her the tools she'll need to go through a life of her choosing. I do not want to make it for her.