The issue of religion

Whether it's Christianity, Islam or Buddhism, religion is always a tough topic to tackle.

At one point or another, religion is something that enters all of our lives. As a parent, it will be even harder for you when your kidlet comes home with a Bible tucked under his arm wanting answers. From you.

Here's some of what our Parent24 community has said on the subject. Click on the links for more.

Practice what you preach

A parent on our forums was faced with this problem when her son came home one day with something to say. 'My five-year-old son declared that he was no longer interested in our general coverage on the matter but that he now wants to go to church to learn about God and Jesus.'

Another user gave her opinions on the matter by asking, 'You made your own decision to be agnostic, surely you can not ram your philosophy down your children's throats?'

It may sound harsh but many agree. You cannot force religion onto a child or make them believe in what you do.

Should children fast?
In Islam, fasting is something that is done as part of the faith. Zayaan Schroeder Mollagee discusses the question of whether or not children should fast. Is fasting another case of 'practice as you preach' or leading by example?

When Marlon Abrahams is asked by his daughter what she should do regarding choosing a religion he takes the broad-stroke approach of explaining that 'we're all probably praying to the same God'.

Living pure
Religion can be used as a form of keeping your children 'pure'. Organisations like The Silver Ring Thing use the Bible as a source for children to not have sex until married. Some may feel this is a bit like blackmail or by placing guilt on your child. Others have argued that if it works then is it such a bad thing?

In the end, your child will always look to you as the parent first for teaching on all things religious. It's up to you what you teach them.

What route did you take when teaching your child about religion? Share with us below.