My family is that way . I have an aunt that spends $K's on her grand-kids & I can hear her spouting off to them already as to how much money & time she spent on their education , & how dare they not use it to be some sort of professionl charlatan ! They never asked for it , but they will have it to reckon with

Wow, so all you have to do is make it known that non-belief is an option, and 9/10 youngsters will choose that?

No wonder religious folk hate and mistrust atheists so much! We're their kryptonite!

I raised mine to be freethinkers. All three of my kids are atheists. I was raised Catholic and I didn't want to give them the experiences I had.

I had my daughter at 23. I was an atheist by then, so I did not raise her with religion and I was very open and honest with her about everything -- including my thoughts about, god, religion, etc. She was absolutely free to choose whatever worked for her, and we did have plenty of family and close friends who were believers, so she saw her fair share of church. Naturally, I had my hopes about which way she would choose.

I would LIKE to believe that I did not intentionally influence her thinking one way or the other. But, I (and her atheist grandfather) clearly rubbed off on her. She has not declared herself to be an atheist, but her conversations indicate that she is atheist. I'm not sad about that.

At almost 28, she is still a tad impressionable and recently was convinced to go see some kind of woo woo get-rid-of-the-bad-ju-ju woman in New York. I didn't say much. I didn't have to. She knows I think it's all hocus pocus b.s.

We have always celebrated traditionally religious holidays secularly (i.e. Christmas and Easter).

I tried to let them be free thinkers but found myself stepping in when they asked questions about God and church that they overheard their friends or tv talking about it. I didn't tell them they were wrong or it was stupid just calmly explained what I believe and they will have to decide for themselves but to explore all the facts and all the different religions and gods.

Religion would die if people didn't indoctrinate from birth. How many people do you think would buy that shit as an adult if they had never been presented with the notion that people actually believe that nonsense?

I exposed my son to different cultures, religions and beliefs. I wanted him to grow up valuing our differences. Take the good and incorporate into his life and work to change the harmful aspects.

I believe it is a very important job of a parent to teach their children right and wrong and how to live in society. I don't agree with the beliefs of religious people, but If that is how they believe people should live I can't see them not teaching it to their children.
I teach mine about science, and about working hard and not stealing or hurting people. I tell them that religion is false and is used to belittle others. These are my truths, the ones my parents taught to me. There are convincing people trying hard to bring people into religion and lots of appealing propaganda out there. Obviously they will make their own decisions about beliefs as they grow, but It's not reasonable to expect a parent to just let children "decide for themselves" without showing them what they think is right.

I think that is one of the facts of having a family or social culture. Right or wrong children have to be raised to where they can make decisions for themselves, and right or wrong, the values of the parent are passed along to the children up to where they are independent. I'd hate to live where the society were to either dictate the early life of or children, or teach them nothing until they are ready for everything.

I let my boys choose what they wanted, inviting over people with different religions to talk with them when they had questions I couldn't answer.

My mom would take him to church when he was grammar school age.I wanted him to be exposed but decide for himself. He saw through it right away and I'm happy he did not become a church goer .

I did not stress my Christian Religion to my children, when I was in it, but some of them came to be 'hard core' and the other half, 'free thinkers!' But I was mostly just showing up at church! It is all a mystery to me!

I raised my child to decide for himself.