Does religion play a role in your family life and in how you raise of your children?
It looks like more than half of the people who answered this poll said that religion plays a major role in how they raise their children, and another 35% said that it played a minor role. I would have to conclude that the people who visit The Parentsroom Page are a fairly religious bunch (or at least those that answer the polls!). Here are the results in more detail:
54% Said that Religion plays a major role
35% Said Religion plays a minor role
8% Said Religion plays NO role
2% Said something other than the above answers
The following are some comments we received:
My personal quest for a spiritual foundation is becoming more pronounced as I raise my daughter. I have been actively visiting churches in the last couple of months looking for a place where I feel comfortable. I hope to bring my daughter along with me as she grows up and has questions about "this God guy," as my nieces both did when they were younger. My sister took both of my nieces to church when they were younger but didn't accompany them. As a result, they 'outgrew' the desire to attend/take part. (This is what happened to both of us when we were younger so it comes as no surprise.) I hope I can give my daughter more of a sense of family/foundation, as I find a place in an "as yet undetermined" religious home. There are some things we just need help and support with.
I'm Catholic and try to get to church every Sunday. I twist my son's arm and
so far have been successful in getting him to CCD every week, but it's a
struggle since he's 15. I don't force everyone to go to church every week, but
I require their presence there at least on major Holy Days. More than going to
church I work religion in on a daily basis. To me it's more important to
behave and treat others kindly and to live God on a daily basis that to go to
a building every Sunday to pray. How many of us have narrowly been run over
in the parking lot after mass by the God-Fearing, love thy neighbor church-
goers?
Religion plays an important role in laying a basic foundation of good. It gives all of us, but especially children a higher power to look up to - the ultimate role model if you will. They learn about basic kindness, moral values, etc. While parents alone can teach these characteristics to their children, a little help never hurts!
Religion definately plays a big role in how I raise my children. I send the kids to both Sunday School and Church at our local Baptist Church. I have noticed that foster children who have never been to church in their lives show a big improvement on behavior after getting some church experience. Whether we believe in God, Jesus Christ, The Jewish Religion, Mohammed, or others,I feel the children are greatly helped by the idea of a superior being.
The triune God is why we live and breath and have our being. We depend on Him for all things. Without Him nothing is possible, with Him all things are possible. We try to teach our children to "love God and to enjoy Him forever."
Gives them something substantial in their lives. A moral base.
I was raised Episcopalian and have practiced this faith all my life, but my ex and now significant other do not have any specific religion, nor do they have any regular comment about such ... thus I am free to expose my young son to the world at large, free from prejudice and hopefully he will choose what is right for him from ALL the information he has received. The Episcopal church was/is right for me, but Christianity can be bottled any way you like, it may not be right for him, but God can fit on anyone!
When I was growing up, religion was something that my parents left up to the Sunday school teachers. When I got passed Jr. High that was it for me and religion. Then I got married and moved away. When I got pregnant I started to wonder how I was going to teach my children about God and religon. I went back to my church, spent a few years learning about "my religion". At that point I decided that I was going to teach my children about religion. I teach Sunday School, my children are involved in AWANA's, we attend church every week and pray as family at least 2 times a day.
Although religion doesn't have a large role in our house, we all are aware of it.
It helps install all of the important qualities of being a good person. Faith, Love, Respect, Morals, etc. It is of the MOST IMPORTANCE!
Even though my husband is not a "religious" person and does not attend church with my son and I, we do share in teaching our son how to be a good Christian and the difference between right and wrong. My son and I are Catholic, and we attend Mass just about every Sunday. We don't go to Mass on all the Holy Days and we don't make it to church every Sunday, but I do try to live my life as a good, caring Christian. And I teach my son the same. He is a sensitive, loving human being, who considers people's feelings and does not hurt anyone intentionally. He has a conscience, and I believe that if you follow your conscience, you will live a good Christian life.
We are beliverer's in God and Jesus Christ our Saviour. While we believe in Him we do not really follow a formal religion as such. We attend a non denominationl place of worship that centers on Jesus and His love for us. We feel that lables or denominations tend to argue over the man made issues and overlook the real reason for attending church, that is to praise God and try to be pleasing to Him (which we could never do without His love for us).
Yes, religion plays a major role. I am a Christian and bring my kids up in the church. The Bible gives us a lot of guidelines for living, and I try to demonstrate these as well as teach them. In the end, I know each child must make their own decision.
My husband and I are both practicing Catholics who firmly believe that religion forms a person's existence in all areas of their life. If we teach our child that Christianity is the root of all happiness, he will in turn treat others the way he would like to be treated. Of course, we are no fools, and know that life is hard and cruel at times. But, religion also is a "bouncing-back" board of sorts...a reassurance that there is a reason for everything.
From the start of our relationship, our wedding day and two troubled pregnancies, our faith has maintained our family. It will be the rock we raise our family upon.
religion plays a small role for my family, i think it should play a bigger role than it does but for now it will have to do. i feel that it teachs children (or ppl in general) things that are right and wrong and morals in general-- something more kids of todays generation could use a little more of!!!
My daughter will be free to choose any religion she wants when she is old enough to decide for herself. I don't think it is my place to shove my religion on her.
My family is catholic and my husband and I have just returned to practicing weekly again. It does and will influence our daughter as she grows and we hope that she too will be an active participant.
Our faith is the foundation of everything we do. We believe very strongly in God and his divine providence. In todays world there's so many problems one can face in life and at times those problems can be overwhelming. That's when we usually need to rely on a close friend or loved one for support and help but our friends are only human, just like us. They also have their own problems to deal with. Sometimes they may need more help than we do. Then what? We all need that solid something to hang on to. That hope of the future the says everything will be ok. Only God can provide that 24 hour, 7 day a week dialogue for us. At 3pm or 3am he is always there, ready to listen.
We go to church--do devotionals--keys for kids we pray at meals & make prayer a part of each day. we talk about forgivness salvation we read the Bible & we understand Jesus died for us.
I wouldn't say that religion plays the big part. The big part is teaching my child about God and what Jesus did for us and connect the teachings of Christ into my teaching as a parent.
We are Catholic and my son attends a Catholic school, my daughter attends a Christian school. We value the morals of the Catholic religion to an extent. We pray before meals and attend church regularly. We try to teach our children to be kind to others regardless fo who they are or where they come from. We teach them that life is not fair and that a lot of people do without. I was not raised in a very religious home so I have trouble teaching my kids about the bible. I rely on the school for that.
Teaching my children about Jesus Christ and saving message of grace, is my highest calling. Everything else in life takes second place.
My child was raised to tell the true story, and not to hurt others. But then again I taught him to protect himself physiacally, and mind what was going on around him.
I don't believe in religion, so it plays no role in how I raise my family. Contrary to what many people think, it is possible to raise good, moral kids without religion.