Not an easy position to find yourself in Maksutov ... nor is it easy knowing your little lady is going to have her head filled with religious indoctrination like you had when you were young ... and like your wife had when she was young. Although it may be sweet she's thinking of Jehovah snuggling up in bed with her for a nap ... she's not yet at the stage where the religious fear and guilt has kicked in. Her viewpoint of the god she's being raised to believe in ... may change. Luckily for her she has a dad who is willing to accept other ideas in life ... it may give her the courage to do so too.

I would hate to think that my boys at the same age would be exposed to the same religious zeal as the little girl in Michele's post above. It would break my heart to think that my boys could even begin to think that destroying people because they don't believe in the same religion as them ... would be something to be proud about and to crow over. It's sick!

We decided prior to having kids that we wouldn't expose our children to any kind of religion. My JW parents have been asked not to discuss religion with our boys and if something crops up ... they're to refer the kids back to us for answers. We've not had any issues to date and our boys are both fully aware that some people need religion in their lives and believe in a god ... and some don't. They know that their JW grandies don't celebrate birthdays, Christmas, Easter etc ... and they're fine with that. Kids are quite adaptable. In saying that though ... they're also easily led and easily indoctrinated.

You need to sit down with your wife and very calmly and patiently tell her how you're feeling about your little lady being involved with a religious lifestyle that you yourself are having serious doubts about. You don't have to argue the finer points of the religious differences. Let her know that you're concerned your little one hasn't been given the CHOICE of whether or not she wants to become a part of the JW lifestyle. Remind her that she was also not given a choice ... and that you'd feel more comfortable if your daughter was allowed to choose for herself when she was older.

To me ... children see, children do. I used to play 'meetings' with my sister when we were little. We didn't know any differently. We used to line our little chairs up in rows, grab our dolls and prams, our 'book bag' and we'd pretend we were at meetings. With the children see, children do in mind ... I can still remember we'd take turns in having to 'cry' for our babies so that we could quietly walk out the back and cuddle our babies to stop them being upset, then we'd rock them a little while and go back 'in'.

Some people would say that was harmless play ... but to me it's proof that we were indoctrinated to behave a certain way and live a certain lifestyle from birth. That's not choice or free will.