When you adopt a child, are you obligated to raise the child in the birth family's faith? Or is it okay to raise your child in your own faith?

When it comes to issues of faith, it is hard to be objective. When you truly believe in your own religion, it is hard to imagine raising a child to believe in anything else. This is particularly an issue when you practice a religion that believes its way is the "only way." Nobody wants to subject his child to eternal punishment for not embracing the "right" religion.

Also, having the same faith under one roof can lead to... more

I’m not Catholic. I’m quite religious – but of a different religion. Yet, I went to mass yesterday for Ash Wednesday.

Why?

Well, it’s like this. My Abby is Catholic. She is 14. She, and her 13yr old Catholic self arrived to our family a year ago. As interesting as it gets sometimes (for the kid, too, I’m sure!), you don’t have to belong to my religion to be my child. Our family includes children worshipping from four other religions than my own.

Abby and I went to a 5:00 mass at the most beautiful church downtown.... more