In my newest post over at That Reformed Blog, I am tackling the difficult topic of teaching children about religious beliefs. More specifically, I am questioning whether all religious instruction could be considered indoctrination, and about the role parents play in their children’s religious formation. Here’s an excerpt:
Believe me, as a pastor married to a pastor and a mother to two children, this is on my mind almost every day. How do I do the job I have, live out a faith that is important to me, and bring up my children without making them feel chained to their parents’ religion? How can I answer my children’s questions about life after death and about the senseless violence and suffering in the world without indoctrinating them?
Is it even possible to avoid indoctrinating our children, whether the indoctrination be religious or otherwise?
I hope you’ll come over to That Reformed Blog, and read the rest here. I’d love to hear you ideas on this!