Differences of Religion

I was surfing around on the internet and found this 'mommy' blog.

This particular entry made me stop and think.

This weeks topic: If your child wants to study, learn and participate in a religion that is quite a bit different than what you have brought them up in, how do/would you react? What would you say to them and would you allow them to do as they wish in their searching?

My thought is that if Ty wanted to study, learn and participate in a religion quiet different than my own, I would support him as long as he was earnest in his faith. As in, not copy catting someone to fit in. If he really believed, I would do my best to support him, as long as he respects me and my faith.

I was raised in and around the Mormon faith. My dad's family is faithfully Mormon and while I disagree with a lot of what they practice and preach, there is a lot to the Mormon faith that I respect and admire.

I'd like to believe that I am a well rounded person and I believe that everyone has the right to their own religion. I try to respect their decisions and their faith, as long as they give the same respect right back.

However, if someone preaches AT me about how I am wrong in my beliefs and wrong in my decisions about my faith, I shut off.

I would never do that to the boy. Unless maybe he decided that he was an atheist, and I would TRY not to preach at him about God or anything to that effect, but I would question him until I was convinced that he was convinced and then I HOPE that I would be able to accept his decision, try to at least.

And I would tell him that if he truly believes, then to study it and immerse himself in it. If it was Wicca, Hinduism, Mormon, whatever his choice was, I would want for it to be the right decision for HIM.

Of course, you want them to believe as you believe. When you are Christian and accept Jesus as your Savior and acknowledge him as such - like I do - then you would hope that his belief would follow your own so that he may rest in Heaven alongside of me.

But in the end, I want him to do for himself and if that means that I have to quietly turn away while he kneels and prays to Allah, then I shall.