BMD Examines: And When He is older He Shall Not Depart?
Maybe as a result of it being the holiday season and as such, a time when people more openly share their particular spiritual beliefs and practices, discussions abound in which it seems a significant shift is taking place in the belief systems and resulting practices of this generation of parents versus past generations.
Perhaps you are a Buddhist with Baptist parents or make Wud'u where you used to offer Penance.
BMD wants to know whether you are you raising your children in the same religious or spiritual tradition in which your parents r
aised you? And if not, how does the practice of a different religion or spiritual metaphor affect the relationship between your immediate and extended family?
Is there room enough for close family ties that include a variety of spiritual/religious belief systems and practices? Or has it proven too far a curve ball to fetch?
Perhaps you are a Buddhist with Baptist parents or make Wud'u where you used to offer Penance.
BMD wants to know whether you are you raising your children in the same religious or spiritual tradition in which your parents r
aised you? And if not, how does the practice of a different religion or spiritual metaphor affect the relationship between your immediate and extended family?Is there room enough for close family ties that include a variety of spiritual/religious belief systems and practices? Or has it proven too far a curve ball to fetch?
Labels: childrearing, Religion
posted by A Girl Again at 7:12 PM
4 Comments:
I have stopped practicing Catholicism because of the hypocrisy of so many of the practices and the prejudice I encountered in the church while growing up. But I can not help but think my son is losing out on the opportunity to explore God in a community setting and with people who know the importance of observing the part of themselves that can not be sold to or dumbed down.
For now I have taken to helping him cultivate his best qualities through service.
Sherry A.
Welcome Sherry,
It is a wonderful thing you are doing for your son in spending even the smallest amount of time taking his spirit - really, the very essence of him - into consideration. With the present state of our society it seems that many of us - adults and children - have forgotten that we are not human beings having a spiritual experience but spiritual beings having a human experience.
I know I have found myself in a similar dilemma of taking my children away from the church because of the contridictions I felt but as they have grown older and I have grown wiser, I know that the relationship with Spirit is personal and that everything we experience is a part of the divine process; the good the bad and the unholy.
and although my parents and most of my extended family are christian, I would consider myself to be non-affiliated with any organized religion in particular. But I can now say that I see the inherent value of them all.
I wonder what your parents or other family membrs think of your decision to leave the faith (or should I say, church) and how you deal with that.
My father left the church when my parents split and my mother takes the children whenever she wishes. If she was the meddling kind i'm sure she would express her concern but she's not, so she doesn't.
BTW, service to ones fellow man is divine. love and service was the entire life of Christ.
Both of my parents have passed on. This probably made it less of a conflicting decision as they we both very religious.
Sherry A.
I was raised Catholic, but I converted to Paganism about 8 years ago and my husband is a non-practicing Christian. I am very liberal when it comes to freedom of choice - especially in regards to religion. I don't hide my practices from my children and allow them to participate IF THEY CHOOSE. I have been very open about it ever since I converted.
I allow my middle son to attend church with friends and have no problems with it. But I will always leave the door open for them to discover what works best for them as they grow into young men.
My mother didn't agree with me converting, but I was an adult making adult decisions that had nothing to do with her. I think above all my family respects me for making decisions for myself that fit MY lifestyle.
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