@Marcel3405 Why let children believe in Santa Claus? Noone can prove or disprove the existence of God. I think it's more useful to children to believe. If they have a strong desire to have a relationship to God he may just show himself to the individual. You do hear people say they have experienced such things and who is anyone else to claim the experience is bogus?

Hmmm Flowewall. Have you Noticed the ages and experiences of most people here? Have you read their stories?

@twill Yes, I have read some as I come across the stories. Haven't done a methodical study. No two people are ever on the exact same path and the exact same time.

Do you mean faith in a religion? If so, why would I instill a faith in religion as opposed to a belief in logic, and let them consider religion as an adult? After all, a major trait of religion is it's teaching NOT to think for themselves, thus negating any chance that they'll opt out later.

@powder, @Lauren You can present the viewpoint very neutrally saying "some people believe " without betraying yourself, your own ideas. Definitely logic. I don't necessarily mean believe what any one religion teaches, but leave the possibility open to idea of God. I know a lot of people fall into believing what others believe and that is a danger to just follow along blindly, but I think the risk of that drops if it's managed right. Surely talk about the negative in religion too, war, abuse, etc.

@Flowerwall I disagree. I have presented the facts of religions, and how people interpret them, to my children, and I have done it without being snide or derogatory. But there is no way I could encourage them to be open to the possibility of a god, and I have told them why. Pretty much exactly as @powder explained.

@powder Apologies, I was loosely referencing the phrasing of the OP and should have been clearer. I do not find logic to be a belief.

@Lauren Well Lauren, you are certainly entitled to parent your children in the way you feel best. And hopefully those choices are made in the best interests of your children at most all times. The fact that you have given thought to it and had these conversations shows that you are already ahead of a large part of people who give it little thought at all. I know I personally struggle with an extreme sense of not being able to reconcile an existant God and all the bad in the world both past and present. I still leave the possibility open, but only to a God that embodies goodness.