What do you say to your kids?

[mcdwg]

I do not have kids yet but I do plan on starting a family soon. My wife is christian and she doesn't know that I believe in something beyond religion. What do you say to your kids, do you raise them based on religion so they have an angelic figure to look up to or tell them about what you actually believe based on astral projection?

Just wondering since I might ask myself those questions very soon.

Thank you

[scatterbrain]

My wife is christian and she doesn't know that I believe in something beyond religion.

What do you say to your wife, I wonder?

If I had kids, I would make dreams part of the regular dialogue between parent and child. I'd probably encourage them to explore lucid dreaming, and if they actually are able to do it, well...I wouldn't know what to do next at this point. I only started to think about this when I read this post! 

But I would start with dreaming at the earliest age possible. That seems like a religion-neutral way to approach the subject, doesn't it?

[mcdwg]

What do you say to your wife, I wonder?

If I had kids, I would make dreams part of the regular dialogue between parent and child. I'd probably encourage them to explore lucid dreaming, and if they actually are able to do it, well...I wouldn't know what to do next at this point. I only started to think about this when I read this post! 

But I would start with dreaming at the earliest age possible. That seems like a religion-neutral way to approach the subject, doesn't it?

I don't tell my wife anything yet, she would tell me I shouldn't be messing with things like this or I could invite evil spririts or something.

[CFTraveler]

I would find a religion that suited me better and introduced it to my family (which is what I did- fortunately with very good results.)
My former minister was originally an atheist, because the religion that she grew up with was so contrary to her nature that she thought it would be a good idea, to let her kids  choose what religion they would want to be.  As a result they felt the need for religion, and got nothing at home, so they went to the only church in their smallish community- a religion that was more strict and intolerable than the one she grew up with.  When she got older and felt the 'call', she finally found the religion that suited her spiritual needs, and became a minister (in two religions, actually) and practiced in the one church I ended up going to.
So now her kids are even more intolerant than her family was, and are attempting to raise their children in the religion they believe in, and the grandchildren call her on the phone to get her perspective on many things that don't make sense to them- and the result has been divisive.
So what did I do?  I found a religion that celebrates the innate godliness of all life, and reinforces the self-realization that comes from understanding that God's love and intention is unconditionally beneficial.  I prefer that to a vacuum that will leave him empty and searching for something else-and if after he's grown up he wants to pursue a more 'strict' or orthodox religion, I'll give him my blessing, because I believe that sooner or later everyone finds their own path.
But they gotta have the information.

[Fourthdimension]

as always i agree with cft lol

but just incase you decide that your gonna tell them about astral projection.
about walking though walls and spirits and we dont really die just shed our skin.

or other stuff like dreams can be real


thats all good but....

kids have a habit to talk with out thinking

so they might say i belive i can walk through walls and that deams are real. mabye there teacher would here
so the teacher will mabye think there dilusional or need help
on the other case where the child tells another child mabye then they will bully your child and call her crazy for her belive.

on the other hand if your name got mentioned then you might have the teachers beliving your a nut case.

i mean i belive in this but you just gotta watch what you say to people.

i think it was robert monroe that said "a clever person would soon learn to keep it to himself to avoid unnessary speculation by others"

i mean by all means tell your kid just be care ful what you say

[CFTraveler]

When my son began to have APs and told me about it, I told him that AP is 'real' but only in the sense that they are having an experience, and the experience could be happening in real life or in their minds- that after it happened they could figure out if it was 'real', but that it's ok if it is just a dream, because dreams teach us a lot about ourselves.
Of course this didn't even come up until he had the language skills to describe the thoughts he was having about this kind of thing, and of course, I also told him (something he had figured out by himself by now, lol) is that many people have different beliefs- some believe in things I don't, and some believe in things I don't- so it is better to keep his 'adventures' or experiences between us, and to ask me if he had any questions.  He wouldn't dream of discussing some things with some of his 'fundamentalist' friends, and is good at gauging what people think.  So far so good.
Of course, he doesn't ask me anything- but his Sunday School teacher is very advanced in her knowledge of all things spiritual, so he has someone else to talk to about these things that acknowledges and values what he has to say.  We're very lucky that way.

[mcdwg]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

CFT: What religion did you find if you don't mind telling me.

Well let me tell you I grew up Catholic and my wife grew up between protestant and christian coptic orthodox. I will say I think I learned some good values from my catholic background but of course I questioned many of the practices. Coptic orthodox is very traditional and very long and I don't even understand what they do most of the time, Protestant or non demominational I will say I felt comfortable with it but the notion that God created wars to protect his people just does not make sense to me, that according to the rapture only less than 200,000 will be saved just makes me question it and I don't know that I want my kids to learn that.

I don't know I guess I will see how everything develops.

[Xanth]

I don't intend on ever having children, but if I did I'd certainly allow them their freedom of choice.
I grew up Atheist, my family never went to church and my parents certain didn't believe in the existence of a God, at least not that they told me about. lol
My extended family is mostly Anglican though.

[Asi911]

Funny thing.. Though my family is basically Jewish, the most dominant "religion" in my house (preached by my father) was Mathematics! 

[CFTraveler]

Well, you can't argue with math!  Which is a wonderful example of a principle that can't be argued with, unlike mythology.

[Asi911]

Well, you can't argue with math!  Which is a wonderful example of a principle that can't be argued with, unlike mythology.

Which explains why i could never argue with my dad 

[frozenlime]

I don't see a point binding myself or others to a religion. Even if there is a God, why would I need to praise and be thankful? Meh, if there was a God, why would he want us to praise him and recruit other people to belive and praise him - if he isn't doing anything actively to spread the word himself? If there is a "God" I think he wants us to live life as awesome as you can make it and not dedicate your life to making others believe in him. Sorry for OT or if it's against your beliefs, just had to get it out.

I'm starting to think there's something going on and there might be "something" powerful beyond our awareness, but honestly, I'm never gonna push a religion or any other beliefs on my kids - that's up to them to figure, conclude and experience. I will probably teach them about lucid dreaming, especially if they are interested, and I will likely tell them about my OBEs at a certain point. If they are interested I'll of course tell them more and discuss opinions and experiences and such. I'm just going to be very careful to what I "program" into their subconsciousness at a young age which parents tend to do, unconsciously aware of theirselves doing it. Both religion and whatever.

I want my kids to make their own interpretions of things viewed from multiple angles and try to find a rational reason behind things if they can.

[nickspry]

I don't really understand why you see astral projection as "beyond religion". It's hard to give an opinion until you clarify that point.

[mcdwg]

I don't really understand why you see astral projection as "beyond religion". It's hard to give an opinion until you clarify that point.

In my opinion having read about astral projection and actually experiencing lucid dreams and some conscious OBE's, all these experiences have debunked mostly what i knew about religion giving me a chance to not be stuck in a belief system and so I see it as something beyond religion.

Hope it makes sense.

[nickspry]

Well, I don't think it has to be an "either/or" thing. Astral projection and religious belief aren't mutually exclusive in my opinion. Personally, I would simply give your kids all the relevant information (including your own AP experience), and let them decide for themselves.

[caterpillarwoman]

My wife is christian and she doesn't know that I believe in something beyond religion.

I'd talk to her and sort stuff out before bringing kids into the picture. Seriously.

[T.L.]

I would find a religion best suited to my beliefs

Why find a religion in the first place? I never understood that. I have a wife and a 2 year old daughter. My wife takes her to church, which is fine with me once in a while. One thing I will not let me wife do though is force her religion on my daughter. I want my daughter to make her own choice. As far as when she is old enough to be curious about what I belief and she asks, yes I will tell her what I've seen for myself during my out of body experiences. I will also tell her my unfavorable views on religion as well, if asked. That way she will have both sides and she can see where she stands for herself.

[CFTraveler]

Hi TL.  Maybe I can describe, if not explain-
Some people crave religion more than others.  If they don't get a positive message from religion they will get a negative message, but the fact is, that some people need that 'shot', if you will.  I am one of those.  I can't explain it, since I am well aware of what religion is, but I do need to go to church once in a while and listen to what I already know.  It's a psychological need, but it's a need that has been there even before I was old enough to go to church.

Some people need more 'guidance' than others.  I used what I learned from church, combined it with interest in history, and what I 'know' about life, and it was able to be enough to steer me to a path that was the right path for me (for now, at least.  That may change.)  However, some people need more than 'guidance'.  They need to be told what is right and what is wrong, and how to think.  In this case I feel it's better for them to find a positive religion, because they will find themselves in a religion that teaches them they are miserable sinners doomed to eternal damnation.  And that, IMO is no way to live.

I am very glad that you can balance out any negative programming with information- that is what my parents did to me to avoid me becoming one of those people who are afraid to think for themselves- they also realized I was one of those people who seem to need religion, for some reason.  So I was able to get lots and lots of information, besides the religious teachings (that came from my grandparents and the catholic school I went to).


You see, your children may not be the type of people that 'need' religion- they may take after you- but they may turn out to be like your wife, who is geared towards a belief system, and if they are exposed to different ways of thinking, they indeed will grow up to make choices- and you may find yourself realizing that the choices they make are not to your liking.

I hope you are prepared to accept whatever they decide, when the time comes.