I need some advice regarding religion and raising a child. I have a 2 month old girl. My wife is religious (christian- evangelical) and wants to inflict awful christian nonsense on our child, as she grows up. She wants to bring her to church and eventually enroll her in sunday school and bible studies and all that crap. This indoctrination tactic was inflicted on me, as a kid, and I hated it. My thoughts are that I will not steer my daughter toward or away from any religion. I want her to make her own choices but I want those choices to be made when shes and adult. Children are easily manipulated and brainwashed and I don't want her to be indoctrinated into anything. My wife doesn't see it this way. Her and her entire family are very small town religious types. This is going to be a source of conflict as my child gets older. Has anyone else gone through this? Any tips on how to keep the peace among the family without giving into religious brow beating for trying to shield my daughter from religion?
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Your best bet would have been to post this in the hub section located a little lower on the forums page. Unless you wan theist opinions on the matter which perhaps you do but letting you know. however I will say in the past this subject has been brought up and good advise was offered.
Shit, thanks. I'm a newbie to the site.
Brainwashing works only when there is everyone agreeing thus the hammering of repetition becomes fact.
If there is you who will correct and explain every absurdity they will be teaching the kid, the brainwashing would not work at all.
I think that your daughter might need to understand your wife position rather then completely dismiss it because of your choice.
Even though I completely agree with you, coming from a christian background myself, I know the feeling of being forced not to question or doubt some things.
I think that your daughter with your help will understand quite easily why she will find it boring to hear the same things over and over again.
Without both parents convincing her that this is good for her, there is no way that any sane kid will swallow this kind of stupidity.
Kids are smarter then what we think, they are just easily convinced of something that is all.
So my suggestion to you is to let your wife have her way but on some very harsh condition for her :)
But let her keep the boring things that you know that the kid will abandon when she gets old. :)
Like let her go to mass and holy communion and things.
Those are things you can trade.
Church school is not, stay away from priests.
Make your wife & kid listen to atheist shows with you could be a nice trade for it :)
Religion thrives on ignorance, make your wife learn this way.
No religion in the house is an other trade for it.
or just try to get something you want which appears less important that the good of your child's afterlife.(lol)
Keep the wife thinking that she has the better deal :)
Play for the long game not the short one like your wife is.
the trype of brainwashing you surly should avoid is the pictures of a crucified man in the room of your daughter.
Most Christians do not realize that it is one of the most horrible things you can do to a child.
Only if you replace the human being with a crucified dog they might come to their senses and realize the effect that such an image might leave on an innocent kid that is not mature enough for such a complex/contradictory theology.
I had one on my bed and i always wondered when I was a kid:
Why is this guy crucified OK?
Is being crucified a good thing?
YES this is just one of the minor evil things that Christianity does without most people knowing.
Brainwashing has this effect.
I think it will be hard for you to raise your child away from religious craps because her mother is religious and as expected, mothers have the full custody over the child until a certain age where a father can be allowed to share the custody. Anyway, you don't need to separate with your wife just because of opposing beliefs but you ca talk to her and explain you side. Try your best to make her understand why religions for you is a crap. Anyway, in the right time, your child will understand the things around her. Most atheists nowadays were brought up very religiously and why the hell that they changed; it's because in the end it's their decision and understanding.