Question for Mixed Faith Couples with Children

Mixed Faith Couples

Any other mixed faithed couples out there with kids? Maybe you were mixed faithed before the kids but not anymore? My wife and I are expecting our first kid in January. She's catholic and I'm not. Is it best to all be under one faith or stay seperate? It seems to me that it would be best for the child to all be on the same plan. The child can choose later in life. Thoughts?

 

My wife is Catholic and I'm Episcopalian, so it's different, but not dramatically so. We generally go to my church, but a lot of that is because she has not found a Catholic church that she likes as much.

We haven't really had any problems about it, but I am just starting to teach my son about that Pope being the anti-Christ thing, so we probably will soon....

 

Thanks for the feedback. I've never been a big church goer so I'll probably just go along with her. I'm thinking we'll go to a catholic church but I just won't go through all the formal stuff or whatever it is they do. I'll probably be looked down upon but as long as the child is OK with everything I'll be cool with whatever. Luckily, the wife isn't into church all that much either but she did mention this topic to me last night which got me thinking about it. Anybody else got any thoughts on this topic?

 

Based on my spiritual background, I say couples who follow differing denominations of Christianity are worrying over nothing, where raising kids is concerned. They tell their kids, "The Bible is God's Word. God is our Lord and Heavenly Father. Jesus is His Son Who saves us. Be good and reject evil." The rest is details. A Baptist marrying a Wiccan or Buddhist might be a different story. However, this problem is fairly particular to monotheistic religions; not every polytheistic model operates on the idea of being the "one true way for everybody."

VA, I believe you answered your own question by saying you "don't go to church much." That leads me to believe you don't spend a lot of time splitting hairs over theology and are happy to indulge your wife her Catholic ways. So I'll further bet that so long as your child grows up to be a good kid/adult who treats others right, obeys the law and makes their own way honorably in society, family conflict over religious practice shouldn't be that big a problem. If I'm overlooking something you may correct me.

 

I echo ECILAM here.

The biggest potential problem with any interfaith marriage with kids is when one or both parents get hung up in the details. If neither of you does that, there should be no major problems.

If you're both fairly open-minded & expose your child/ren to lots of ideas/opinions, the kid will be in great shape to make his/her own way in the world & in faith.

 

I'd try to find a more contemporary Catholic church, were you might be more comfortable, as apposed to the real traditional boring one.

 

I pretty much agree with Ecilam and AK. If you're not really that much into your own faith, then go with the flow. Ultimately it's up to your kids to decide what they believe anyway.

 

Teach the child the 10 commandmants then let the kid decide for themself when they are old enough.

 

i'm catholic and wife is not. all kids are baptised catholic. we tend to do more catholic church activities thru this parish, but we haven't moved the kids thru the communion process. kinda ambivalent to the organization of it all.

 

Catholics have more fun and hardly ever damn others to hell or get bit handling poisonous snakes. Plus, we wear shorts and jeans to mass and have lots of spaghetti dinners and pancake lunches.