I have a question for some of my Christian friends who follow this blog (whether they admit it or not):
My girls go to church. I haven't hidden the fact from them that I'm not a believer, but I have decided to not force my lack of belief on them. We all make decisions and determinations in our lives, and we deal with whatever the consequences of our choices may be. My oldest has been very frank with me about her desire to learn about God and to establish a "relationship" with him/her/it, and I see no reason to counter that desire with my absolute lack of.
We have actually had several discussions about it, and I usually end up telling her the same thing: the only person who can make this choice is you. If you truly want to go to church and learn about the Bible the way that whatever church you attend teaches you, then I will encourage you to do so, because the more you know, the better equipped you become to choose. And if you ultimately decide that you want to be a Christian, then I will support and respect this decision, as long as you respect my decision not to be. I also have no problem with her asking me questions about something that was said, or the sermon that was preached, because I want her to know both sides of the issue.
So here is my question...does this door open both ways?
If you are a Christian, and your child comes to you and says he or she no longer believes (or perhaps never did), how would you handle it? Are you going to accept your child's proclamation, and allow him or her to stop going to church, but leave yourself open to the option that one day he or she might return to a life of faith? Or are you going to insist your child keeps going to church every Sunday in hopes that somehow this loss of faith is only temporary, or that the belief will somehow force its way back in?
I am not knocking Christians, because I know atheists who are just as adamant that their children grow up to be nonbelievers; however, I don't believe you can lead your child's life for him (or her), and there are some things they just have to decide for themselves.
So tell me...what would you do? How would you handle it?
Being from a family that never went to church, i always went alone. I feel i really missed out on something there... only my bother would go with me and somehow that bonded us beyond belief. But as far as my children go, i would expect them to go until they get to an age and maturity level where they could decide for themselves... I'd hope whatever they decide that it's the right choice for them. Not everyone "fits" at church, i know some days i feel like i dont, but that doesn't mean, just cause you dont go to church, you cant be a Christian or have a relationship with God. I just hope whether or not he choses to believe or not, i hope that he try to lives right, by himself and others... :)
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