How to Raise a Secular or a Religious Child

7/10/2021--I am shopping around an article about how to raise a secular or a religious child. The basic idea goes to consistency and commitment. That is, if you believe in the God of a religious tradition, you owe it to your child to deepen that commitment and to affiliate with the institutions of that faith. You help your child form an identity in that faith tradition, which as Father Carl Chudy writes, is extremely important.

Conversely, if you don't believe in God or the supernatural, and do not see your beliefs reflected in the teachings of any religious tradition, you need to communicate early and consistently with your child--a young child can perfectly well understand the circle of life from The Lion King.

What we are seeing today is drift, both in adults and in the raising of children. That is not surprising: we are in the midst of an extremely rapid social transition to a secular society.

But it is not good for children. What is the story of the meaning of life you hope to convey to your child? 

The irony is that one way to raise a secular child is with a meaningless religious upbringing. And one way to raise a religious child--a return to a more orthodox life or some cult--is for a secular parent never to address fundamental questions that every child has.

I would like to set forth some of these ideas, but am having trouble finding an outlet--any ideas from a reader are welcome.