In This Biography

Passing Down Religious Beliefs

All families (Christians, Muslims, Judaists etcetera.)have a set of beliefs, values, and attitudes that are passed down from generation to generation.

There is a strength about religion that’s not going to go away, especially among youth. Parents modeling their faith by attending their place of worship and practicing their faith in a home is important, however, that influence can be blunted if either parent doesn’t have a close relationship with their children.

Both parents have to work hand in hand in passing down their beliefs.

In many, but not all religious traditions, mothers are typically the keepers of the family faith and are known to take the children to church more often than the father, but in some religious practices, the father maintains the faith.

Parents who gave their adolescent children room to question, doubt, and work out their faith identity were more successful at passing along the family’s religious tradition than those who overreacted to or shut down questioning and doubt.

The question today is how many people are able to still preserve the ability to be multigenerational?

How does religion get passed down from one generation to the next?

A child is actually more likely to remain within the fold than leave it, and even the non-religious are more likely to follow their parents’ example than to rebel. And while outside forces do play a role, the crucial factor in whether a child keeps the faith is the presence of a strong family bond.

Parents saw passing on their faith as an important part of parenting.

Religion’ and ‘being religious was interpreted in different ways by the study participants, from simply holding a belief to belonging to a faith community and engaging in religious activities. For most, however, it meant putting religious beliefs into practice through the way they conducted their lives.

We all know that if you don’t walk the talk or truly live out your faith, children detect hypocrisy and are more likely to walk away.

Uncontested ways parents can pass down generational beliefs.

Set up a habit of doing something together, one-on-one, that your child will look forward to. Like breakfast or interesting activities.
Tell your stories to your kids—about experiences, events, and conversations that have shaped your beliefs through the years.
Talk about dreams—yours and theirs. What is happening in your community or in the world, and how do your beliefs provide hope and meaning even in uncertain times?
Be involved in whatever ways you can. When you’re there through the ups and downs of their life, you’ll become a reliable point of reference for your child.
The most effective parent conversations about faith with children are children-centered rather than parent-centered. In other words, the children are asking the questions and being allowed to talk while parents are staying more on the listening end. You allow the questions about religion to be their questions and related to their life. When parents talk too much, make demands without explanations, force unwanted conversations, and restrict discussions to topics that they control, faith transmission is likely to not only be ineffective, but counterproductive.