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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The only way I've figured out how to do it is to  have my child attend Catholic school.  Honestly.  I did, and I was surrounded by a community who had the same beliefs we did.  It was an every day, 24-7 sort of thing, not some boring thing that we attended for one hour every week, under duress.  Also, in school, they weave all the religious lessons into everything, so again, it's not set aside as one boring hour a week when you have to go to CCD with kids you do not even know, who do not go to your regular school.  So, in sum, religious is just kind of always there, ever present, the rhythm of our lives and the background music, so to speak.  It's not some boring awful thing I have to create all by myself for my kids, b/c I have a community of helpers helping me create it.

Before my DD started K at our parochial, I was where you are, b/c she went to a secular daycare and I was like, "Honestly, we cannot even bring in a dippy little kid's book for Show and Tell that talks about Jesus being born in a manger???" b/c this would offend some people.  I felt like I was raising a wolf-child, haha.  It's been a world of difference once she has been in the parochial school, for only 4 months now, but, whew, what a world of difference, and it's sooo much easier on me b/c I don't have to try to do all of this by myself![/quote]

Keep in mind that many people were brought up with their lives permeated with religion, as you describe, and still they are not religious as adults.  It's not a negatvie reflection on their parents.  Being religious does not come naturally to some people, and they reject it when they have a chance to decide for themselves.

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There has been some research about the "God gene" - it suggests that some have more propensity than others for faith:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/weekinreview/12wade.html?_r=0

I have two boys, 16 and 13, who along with me are regular churchgoers and who participate in our (Lutheran) church congregation activities, e.g. feeding the homeless.  My older son claims to be agnostic but is the most enthusiastic of us vis-a-vis church, in part because of the social draw (I think).  He enjoys youth group and many of the adults in our community (which for the reasons PP cited I think are important in his life).  The younger one OTOH is really very resistant, complains about going, etc. but on the whole is compliant.  Left to his own devices, he would not go whereas my older son would and does go under his own steam.

We are not all that observant/religious at home, truth be told.  DH is Jewish and I forgo things I would not forgo were he not Jewish, e.g. I do not have any crosses in the house and our mealtime grace is ecumenical and not the Catholic one I grew up with.

I would like for my kids to love and find comfort in God, but know I do not control this - that I can only expose/introduce them to Him in various ways.  In raising them as I have (and as I promised at their baptisms), my hope is that they develop enough of a "faith muscle" to enable them to seek out religion and God on their own when they want or need that.  I know from personal experience that faith waxes and wanes, but OTOH for me, the comfort of the liturgy, especially during difficult times, does not.  I hope I have given them enough of a foundation that they seek this out for themselves as adults.[/quote]

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