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I am Methodist and Dh is catholic. We are Jesus lovers and hope ds finds his faith too as it is a big part of our lives both individually and as a couple.

I don't know. And it is something I feel like I need to figure out sooner rather than later. I think I'm moderately personally religious (i.e. I have strong beliefs and am Christian but am not a fan of church really so I don't go), but DH is not at all. I'd like LO to make her own decision when she is old enough, but I also feel like it is harder for people to have faith if it wasn't a part of their upbringing. So I sort of wonder if we should join a church and put her in sunday school, and whether I should make an effort to teach her my beliefs, sooner rather than later. But I don't make a habit of talking about my religious beliefs with anyone really (not even family) so it would feel weird to me to start being all evangelical with her (but if I don't, who will?). Obviously I'm torn.

We both grew up Baptist. It's very important to me that my children know & love Jesus. I feel like both of our parents went about religion the wrong way though & it definitely inhibited us (in different ways) in our spiritual journeys. I want to start implanting a prayer time with LO (13 months) but I really don't know how to start that at this age.

I'd actually prefer if my son chose not to follow a religious path.

I want her to find peace and personal happiness - her path to that is up to her.

It is very important to me.

Not important.

Very important, HOWEVER, I think it is even more important that it is something he chooses for himself.

Very important. I hope to teach them about the things we hold most dear - loving God, loving other people, and helping to build a world in which the dignity of all people is respected. Most importantly, I want them to internalize it for themselves, not just because it was something we wanted them to do.

I've had very positive experiences with growing up in a Christian church and hope to give my kids the same. As our family got busier as we grew we didn't go to church as much. As a teenager I found a lot of peace through taking time to pray and a way to analyze what type of person I was and wanted to be by reading scriptures. Church is an organized way of meditation and even if my kids go a different path I want them to at least be encouraged to regularly take time to pray or meditate and be self reflective of their pas,t current and future self.

Very important to me.

Not important at all, but I wouldn't be surprised or try to steer him away if that was the life he chose for himself.

It is very important to us. We are Presbyterian, and attend a lovely small church out in the country, with a great church family that is like extended family. And faith in Jesus is central to both our lives. However, I don't believe in forcing it on my child - meaning, I would never disown them or not love them if they chose not to believe, or be angry at them for asking questions (my parents were this way, sadly )

I hope in all things, not just faith, to have the wisdom and graciousness to realize once my child is grown, I have to step aside and let them make their own choices.

I think we're probably going to be "spiritual lite" in our household. We're also an interfaith marriage (Dh is hindu. I'm agnostic with a very conservative Christian upbringing). In spite of my agnosticism, I kinda of want LO to know some cultural things from Christianity, like the kids' songs, bible stories.

Same with DH---he wants LO to know about certain Hindu holidays and traditions, but honestly he isn't good at actually DOING anything to expose her to them. I think the last time he went to a temple was to meet the priest before our wedding. It was their first time meeting--and their last.

To me, it is very important that my child have a spiritual practice. But I'm very concerned that it develop to be personal and spiritual, not group-think and judgemental. As a result, I did a lot of searching myself and changed to a much more open denomination that lacks the heavy dogma burden I disliked elsewhere. They are very open and accepting of a variety of journeys and practices, which I think will be a healthy place for my child to grow and explore.

It's not important to me but I know it is somewhat to DH and is VERY important to his family. I think my MIL is offended that we didn't do a baby dedication at church.

DH is southern Baptist, born & raised. My beliefs are complicated and I don't know if they're in line with any religion? Probably Christianity..loosely. We've had a lot of disagreements about LO's religion. I want LO to find his own way and his own thing. Some old men say that instead of going to church they go to the lake & fish because that's where they find their peace. I want LO to have that. DH doesn't understand/agree so thankfully we don't have to deal with it yet.

@DillonLion: interesting! same with us - jewish and methodist. tell me, how did you find the methodist chruch when you started going??

It's not important to me so long as they are both happy and good kind people. If its important to them I am supportive of whatever they choose.

@mrsjyw: We are the same combo!

We currently attend a Methodist church since DH has been a non-practicing for awhile now even though he hasn't officially given it up (I think he's scared to tell his mom!) It's important to us that they follow a faith/practice, even if she chooses a different path than we did, in our family having a relationship with God is important. It would be a BIG deal in our families if she went away from Christianity, her grandparents would not be happy with it.

It is not important to me. I'm honestly not sure how DH feels, he's kind of a lapsed Catholic. We've talked about going to a UU church because he misses church, but he doesn't agree with a lot about Catholicism. I want DS to learn about world religions and to find his own way. But TBH a lot about Christianity/Catholicism doesn't sit well with me. So if DS ends up atheist/humanist like me I'd be just fine with it.