I consider myself Agnostic.  I have been turned off to organized religion for quite some time now.  I grew up in a very fundamentalist Christian household and as I matured I decided organized religion just wasn’t for me.  But that doesn’t mean that it is not for my daughter, Carmen.

We are not going the Hellfire and Brimstone route, but we do take her to church.  I believe church helps instill discipline and respect.  I believe through taking her to church I can help her formulate her own ideas on religion and make an informed, well-constructed decision on her spiritual beliefs later in life.

We do damage control on occasion.  We are very liberal in our ideals.  We teach her that some people are different in one way or another and we do not judge those who are different.  We tell her that we are not in a position to judge anyone.  God is the ultimate judge and we will let him do his job.  We cannot do his job for him.  She seems to grasp the concept about as well as a 2 year old can understand such a thing.

Inside voice: If there is any place that will get your “inside voice” going, it’s church.  Carmen usually does pretty well about not screaming at us.  She seems to understand where the acceptable level for her voice is and why it is necessary to keep it there.  Church helps us expose her to different situations that require different decibel levels.

Personal bubble: The need to sit still for an hour.  We go to a Catholic church, so anything over an hour and even adults are pitching a fits.   (Nothing like a 4 hour marathon at a Pentecostal church.)  It is important that she learn to calm down and be good while we’re in church.  I don’t want her running into the aisles during a Catholic mass aerobic session.  She needs to show respect for the temple and respect for those around her.

Socialize: Before Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, well, there was church.  This was the original social network.  Exposing her to new children, helping connect with those children and develop relationships with those children and their parents, well, it’s very important.  We have a pretty small social circle, so I find it very important she meet with new individuals and interact with them even if it’s just a wave or a handshake.

Informed: Above all, when she grows up I don’t want her to base decisions on her idea of religion through misconceptions and mass media perception.  I want her to be knowledgeable and be able to formulate her own ideas and beliefs.

Religion is a touchy topic and I try to approach it from as neutral a position as possible.  I hope to bring the little one some balance to her belief system.

What are your thoughts on this?  Does religion play a role in your parenting?