Based on the question itself, my answer would be 'no'. We are not a religious family. I just want to raise my kids to do what Jesus did--he was (is) the best example of how people should be living out their lives and what their purpose on this Earth truly is. It's as simple as that.

Earth

It seems that only people who are actually Christian feel it’s a hard time to be Christian. Anyone who follows a different faith knows that simply is not true. Yes it does depend some on where you live, but about 80% of the population in America considers itself some form of Christian, so let’s be realistic.

What an interesting topic. I married a man who has the same background/religion as me and one reason is because I thought it would be important should we decide to have kids. Now that we're trying to get pregnant, I'm so glad that we both have the same views - I can't imagine having to deal with that issue in addition to all the other things you deal with. Not to say that we agree on everything, but the basic foundation is the same. Yes, I plan on us raising our children with religion. I grew up as a religious person (Mormon) - attended church every Sunday, participated in church events, and held various positions, all my life. Even though there were times in my life that I didn't attend, it helped develop who I am and I am grateful for it and believe in it strongly. I think it's important to give children that structure and belief system and that it helps them to develop socially as well. They will have to decide as they get older whether they want to continue, of course, but I hope that it will be an important part of their lives. Tabitha http://www.fromsingletomarried.com

great discussion. one thing I wanted to add, given the way the clip ended, is that religion should be thought of as more than "something some people have found helpful." I think that many people who are not part of an organized religion think that it acts primarily as a source of comfort, while those who *are* part of a faith community often find that it acts more as a *prod* -- to living differently, to getting involved, to putting your values into action, to making changes now. that's very valuable, but it can be as uncomfortable as not...

Wow from the intro I was expecting Dana to be a serious atheist... but after watching the video, she's actually a lot like me. I grew up in a brethren church, but not from the Southern US. Just a very relaxed Canadian one... so not too much damage done. LOL So now I do try to raise my family with Christian values and we try to attend church... I'm hoping we'll be more regular once it stops interfering with nap time. One tough issue I have is with teaching little kids about Bible stories. A lot of the stories in the Bible are brutal and I have a tough time reading even the kid versions to my 3 yr old. I mean Noah's Arc??? Not actually a happy story. Jonah? Oh my goodness. It kinda makes me laugh how we put a cute spin on these stories for kids, but seriously... these are not cute stories. But regardless of the details of how often I get my kids to church or what age I'm really going to emphasize Old Testament tales, it is hugely important to me for them to grow up learning about a loving God.

What a great conversation. I was touched by faydean's story. It's amazing how having kids changes our lives. We take our 2 year old son to church every Sunday. He loves interacting with the other kids, and in time, we hope to teach him about Jesus, making it clear that no one is born a Christian and that it is up to him to decide if he wants to have a relationship with God or to choose to not believe that he exists. I used to be a Catholic but now attend a community church. I love how God inspires me to live above myself. My relationship with God inspires me to be a better mom, better wife, better employee and a better friend. He also gives me strength to get through the tough times, especially when I had post partum depression and was dealing with major issues with my own mother.

Here is my two cents based on my own life experiences and this is meant to be read as just one parent to another. I am 47 yrs old and I have two children:16 yr old girl and 13 yr old boy. My husband is a non-practicing Catholic but the idea of going elsewhere is a big no. I was brought up as a Methodist and went through the whole "born again" experience back in 9th grade. In high school I was taught that you must 'save people' and there were answers for everything (lots of finger pointing etc). I never felt comfortable in that way of thinking and although I felt I had a relationship with God I couldn't be that way. I was very confused. Through my twenties and thirties I did a little searching, got married, had children. I think my turning point was watching my mother suffer with Alzheimers (died in 2006) and coming to terms with God in my life and His plan. I went from being vague to being angry. Now I am at peace - this is my background. Parenting - I brought my children (by myself) to a few different churches then my daughter found one she liked in our area. They are very focused on the youth so I went along with it. I had told my children that I wanted them to have a belief in God and how about starting out with Christanity and when they were adults they could do what their heart told them to do. I want my children to feel they are not alone ever, that they can talk to someone (ex. during a test, in gym class, scareds in a peer group). I want them to feel there is a power stronger then my husband and I that love them. I also wanted to be a part of a community that focused on love and caring; that had children and adults together. I feel very fortunate to have found this very casual, nonjudgemental group that tells kids that God is there and wants to talk to them and that it is just that simple. As for me, I have recently had some close friends ask me about my faith who are of a different religion etc. This is bascially what I have told them: I know, based on my experience, that having a relationship with Jesus is a very real thing but I can't say that is the only way (religion) to get to God. I don't think it is my job to decide that. I know I am not alone and I have had too many 'coincidences' in my life to say otherwise. I no longer believe I need to be the 'closer' for God. I just need to be loving, kind and let people see my faith from my life. What an honor it would be for someone to see a part of God through me. Talk to him - he is there. So in closing, I have caught pieces of my daughter's conversations with friends and she is close to where I am now (but at a younger age). She invites kids to activities and if the opportunity arises, she will share a sentence or two of her faith. My son is quiet but he listens, I believe something is moving in him too. Can I mention our church's website - it's interesting: riversidechurch.com Peace - thanks for sharing, Cheryl

Well, as a kid I only went to chruch twice a year and even then, the only good hymns did was to make me want to take a nap. The benefiits of this early experience was to keep me open to all kinds of ideas & to recognize the superficiality that came from my parents' approach. The negative side is that I was a little "at sea," yet I still knew I believed in God - just not in that way b/c it made no sense to me. After all, I reasoned with a 7-year-old's rational distinction, why would we call a church God's house when God made the outdoors, not the church. So, as an adult, I came to find God more by connecting with the earth than in a church. I also never liked rules. So there you go. I do envy those who can conform to religious doctrines and be nurtured by them b/c they really have access to a true community, which seems to me is best grounded in spirit. That said, I've always felt guilty for not raising a religious child. My daughter is free to choose her own way & we celebrate earth-holidays as well as Christian holidays. Unlike Heather, I can't say I'm so open that it would be ok for her to be a Satanist. Personally, I think religions are neutral in and of themselves and they grow into what they are within the hearts of individuals, who are always complex. So, it's like a tool-based model of religion. But Satanism? To follow my metaphor, this seems like a machine gun, as opposed to like, a hammer. That said, cheers to Heather for voicing the unpopular.

This was a really great video. Religion, especially where my kids are concerned, weighs on my heart often. I was raised in and around religion and, until I was grown, I pretty well saw it as something positive. However, as I have become an adult, my feelings have definitely changed. First of all, I met my husband's super religious sister and watched how she uses her good standing in her church to judge others and exclude others. The more I saw it in her, the more I saw it in all organized religion. Gay marriage has really been a subject that has driven me away from the church. I have had many, many discussions with people who are vehemently against it based on the Bible, most of whom are living out of wedlock or are divorced or are doing some other thing really frowned upon by Biblical standards, who can't put together a cohesive argument based on actual passages of the Bible. So, I jumped further into this and have found more and more that I think the Bible and probably most other developed religions have been a means to control the population. Tithe and offering, come on, the Catholic Church was the richest nation on Earth thanks to that shit. But, on the other hand, I have many friends and family members who appear to have really enriched lives through their faiths. While the church of my childhood seems to have as much politics as any state capitol, maybe they all don't. Not only that, I'm still not 100% for sure I don't believe in God. In fact, I really, really WANT to believe. My disenchantment is mostly with those who carry out bad in His name and it is difficult for me to separate my feelings about it. Being a parent is so hard and this is definitely one of the subjects you don't want to be wrong about. No one wants to sentence their kids to eternal damnation. I really enjoyed all the input from these ladies. Keep up the good work. Shonda http://mommalittle.com