interfaith kids

Several months ago now, my pastor called a meeting for all parents to discuss spiritual development in children and how to support it. A topic fraught with pitfalls, and probably three quarters of our little gang came away disturbed or offended in some way or another. Everyone was bothered by something different, but what most disturbed me was that all of the things she wanted us to do to incorporate spirituality into our home lives were explicitly Christian. Well, I’m Christian, and Mr. Froggie Pants has been baptized and comes to church with me. But my beloved amnachaidh is not Christian. He’s not going to make the sign of the cross on Mr. FP’s forehead before he leaves every day, as the pastor suggested and as we in fact did in my family growing up. And while I wanted Mr. FP raised Christian, I don’t want him raised thinking that other religions are evil or that his daddy is going to hell for not coming to church with us. So I mentioned this to my pastor (who is really a good woman, if not a parent herself) and asked for some recommended reading. She said that most books are geared towards two specific faiths, and naturally there is no book for our particular combination of faiths. (I’d be happy to be corrected on this if anyone out there knows of anything.) And she gave me this book, which I dutifully read, even though it was designed more for charles_midair and elaine_alina

If I’m Jewish and You’re Christian, What Are the Kids?: A Parenting Guide for Interfaith Families by Andrea King
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