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I talked with my parents about this once. We were a family of atheists, but when I was 5, my parents sent me to a nearby Methodist church -- to give me the choice of what to believe in.

That sounded pretty daft to me. How they expected me to make anything like an informed decision about the difference between atheism and Methodism... it's beyond figuring. But that was what they told me.

Looking at history, there are many stories of Jewish families "converting" to Christianity in Europe in order to have better chances socially and economically -- I think this says as much about the Christians of those days as it does about the families who converted.

This is just another humanist/atheist strategy, among many today, intent on stopping the transmission of Christain Faith from one generation to the next. They know full well that it is the orthodox biblical Faith that stands in the way of implementing thier socio-political agenda of hodge-podge spirituality, abortionism, gay marriage, anti-nationalist world socialism, et al.

It is an imperative of the biblical Judeo-Christain tradition to pass on the truth of God's covenantal self-revelation to the next generation. (Deut. 6 et al.) Since we are dealing with absolute truth, it makes no sense whatsoever to just hang one's kids out there to dabble in this and that, and end up God knows where.

It is the solemn and sacred duty of Christians to nurture their children in the faith "once delivered to the saint;" not, I might add, merely dogmatize them. We taught our home-schooled children to think logically, and freely discussed contemporary issues, religions and philosophies. However, any teaching in these areas was done with the goal of showing why the Christain Faith is the supreme truth revelation of God and the only way of salvation.

Only someone who has no real confidence in their religion or way would thrust thier kids into the wasteland of contemporary "spiritualities." To the intelligent, scripturally-grounded Christian, this is sheer lunacy - and irresponsibility. But such is the nature of the individualistic relatisism rampant in Western culture today. I stand with Joshua: "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24.15)

Nancy, I can see the way this looks to most people; it is a conundrum in a society so imbued with the vocabulary of "faith". Yet, I am personally facing some similar choices: we are expecting and by far the nearest, best daycare is at a church facility. Now, if this country/city had decent subsidized (for middle-incomes) daycare, this wouldn't be an issue.

So, we will be enrolling the child. I was assured they do not "teach dogma", but do say grace before meals and tell Christian and Jewish bible stories. I am entrusting them to nurture my child, however, because I observed the very gentle, sweet women attending the babies, checked on their credentials and noted the operation's cleanliness.

I believe this isn't a major conflict with my atheism, because a) the child will be only a few months old through a year or two years old in this situation; and b) my wife's family is of the same denomination, and this allows the grandmother to have some illusory peace of mind while allowing the young child to recognize there are other people who repeat these incantations and so grandma isn't so strange.

My wife and I, ourselves, do not say them. We don't think it is necessary to have a belief in spiritual entities to live an ethical life. Our child will not need church daycare to be raised as a responsible, compassionate citizen of the world. Before age 4 or so, most kids are not very altruistic, anyway. By that time, I am sure we will have begun to instill the values we do hold.

Once the child is old enough to speak and understand better what the meanings of "spiritual/religious" vocabulary connote, I intend to tell many other stories from many other traditions...but only as stories, examples and fictions...not as singular "Truth".

It does seem small children yearn for some sense of an all-powerful deity-like figure, as an amplification, possibly, of the parents. It will be interesting to discover how my child's little brain evolves as the child deals with ideas about life and death, love and pain. I am sure I will be pained myself to see my child struggle with loss and uncertainty; I can't predict exactly how that will turn out. I do know I am not among those who intend to try to "fake" a belief or kowtow in "supernatural", superstitious rituals in my own home or by attending church, just to assuage the child's (or my own) distress over the hard facts of existence.

I even have some ongoing debates with my wife over Santa.

And I certainly have no "strategy" to overturn the majority's Constitutional right to believe in the aforementioned entities.