Oh goodness, I love this post! This is so applicable to me right now and something that I am kind of struggling with. I am married to a wonderful, amazing and very strong Christian man. I...am kind of a heathen, frankly. ;D I believe in God but am not a very normal Christian (and I don't' even identify myself as a Christian anymore because...I'm not, really). I don't believe in Hell. I don't believe in the trinity or the divinity of Jesus. I am very willing to accept that no one religion is THE WAY to worship God. I haven't celebrated Christmas, Easter or any other Christian holiday for over 10 years. My husband has very different views. He is much more traditionally Christian in his viewpoints. We both respect each other's opinions but we definitely differ in them.

We have a beautiful 7 week old daughter and since she's been born the realization of these religious differences has kind of hit me so much harder. What happens when my daughter wants to know what happens to bad people? What do I tell her when she asks me about something that her dad has said that I don't particularly agree with? 

I really, really want my children to learn about lots of different religions and viewpoints. I want them to learn about evolution as well as creation. I don't want them to be solely immersed in a single viewpoint.  I don't want to 'indoctrinate' them and raise them to be intolerant or blinded to other religions. But I also struggle with the question of whether or not it will be confusing to them. 

I also view my husband as the spiritual leader in our household. In my mind, his beliefs take precedent over mine as far as what our children will be taught. I've come to the conclusion that we will probably be celebrating Christian holidays that I am slightly uncomfortable with. And I'm okay with that. As long as I don't have to keep quiet about what *I* believe. But I don't know how to present my viewpoints to my children without either confusing them or seeming like I am trying to belittle or dismiss what their father believes. I do think children benefit initially from more concrete explanation, although perhaps I am underestimating them. Children always seem to be capable of so much more than adults give them credit for.

"I don’t want to raise parrots, but active-questioning-always-learning adults. This means modeling for my children that I value multiple perspectives and lines of reasoning." 

This is my main goal for my children. I could care less if they are Christians or Buddhists when they get older, but I do want them to always be seeking. Always be learning. Always be accepting of what other people have to offer. 

It is so confusing and something that weighs heavily on my mind these days. Ultimately, I think it is one of those bridges that I'll have to wait to cross until I come upon it. I just pray I will have the wisdom to know what to teach my daughter (and our future children) when the time comes.

Thank you so much for this post. I am very glad I am not alone in this struggle!