Pagans and Atheists around my kids

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My ex wife’s marrying an atheist and his best friend is a pagan couple. The fiancé is living with her and my seven year old boys who’ve recently been baptized Lutheran. What do you all think I should do?
 
Oh man, quite a quagmire. Atheism, Lutheranism, and paganism? Teach the children the Faith the best you can, I suppose.
 
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Growing up my best friend was being raised atheist. Her parents were raised atheist. Religion was not part of the conversation. She did come with me to VBS every year and really liked it. Moved away, so don’t know if she is any religion today.

But life is not all about you. Your kids will have many atheist friends. They may do them some good.

Be respectful and engage in appropriate conversations only. Work with a professional councilor who knows the nuances of the situation. Make sure you and your ex seek help navigating this time.
 
Your ex wife recently had your 7-year-old boys baptised Lutheran? Presumably you’re a practicing Catholic, so why weren’t they baptised as babies in either faith?
 
What to do - what to do ?
Pray.
That’s all you can do now.
It’s out of your hands.

Sorry about your scenario.
 
Continue to set a good example for your kids and teach them how you believe.

You can explain to them that other people believe differently and that you don’t agree with their beliefs and pray for them. Just stop short of telling the kids that so-and-so is going to Hell if they don’t convert, etc. I’ve seen families where some zealous Christian or Catholic relative told kids with a non-Christian parent (such as Buddhist) that people who didn’t accept Jesus as Savior were going to Hell. What a mess.

Kids learn much more from example set than they do by anything you say. If they see you praying Rosary, reading Scripture, going to church etc they remember that.
 
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SnowRose said:
Your ex wife recently had your 7-year-old boys baptised Lutheran? Presumably you’re a practicing Catholic, so why weren’t they baptised as babies in either faith?
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The OP might answer this, but it’s entirely possible he is a recent convert to the faith and perhaps even converted after he and his wife had split up.
 
Of course that’s a possibility. Or from a faith that doesn’t practice infant baptism.

(I find it funny to be scandalously 😱 lumped in with pagans, when it comes to the religious instruction of children that young but that’s fine. Laughter is a good thing.)
 
Yes, I am a recent convert. I came into the Church Easter 2016 and the divorce finalized in October of 2015. My ex wife is a devout Protestant who’s trying to reach these people in her life.
 
I think you should state your concerns about this to your ex wife. You only want what’s best for your sons. I’d also talk to your priest or a spiritual advisor about this see if they can offer any advice. This is a really complex matter and I don’t want to say too much with out knowing all the fact. I’ll pray for you and your family.
 
  1. Have a better relationship with your kids so that they feel comfortable coming to you with their questions about these issues.
  2. This man knows what family dynamic he is stepping into. He is choosing to also be a father to your children as well. He is not just going to be your ex-wife’s husband. He is choosing to become a parent to a broken home. You chose to have children and become a parent and so is he. You need to establish a bond with this man and thank him for being there for his and your children. They are going to be as much his as they are yours since he is choosing to be there in this home for them and to be their parent. Biological relation to your offspring does not make you a dad. Being there for your children makes you a father and he is choosing to do this. This is not to dismiss what you are doing for your children as well, but he deserves to be call father as much as you do. It’s not weird to have two dads. Children of gay couple have dealt with this since adoption became legal.
  3. Teach your kids how to think instead of what to think.
  4. Learn about atheist and pagan from those people, not from your pulpit. Don’t let bigotry and ignorance continue to spread. As a parent, you should already have this skill down.
  5. You children are too young and ignorant to understand what religion they should agree to adopt. Just like how distasteful it is to introduce your children as republican or socialist, it’s just as distasteful to identify them as christian or pagan. They are too ignorant to have an world view of their own at this point.
  6. If your reasons for your belief and what you’ve taught your children to believe is unreasonable, then it should not be held until it is reasonable. So if they have a reasonable justification for their beliefs then it should withstand outside criticism. Otherwise you are more concerned with your own cultural indoctrination and echo chamber than the truth of reality and how to live the good life. How to live the good life can be found in many world views.
 
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Just curious-- when did Lutherans become okay with shacking up before marriage? Assuming that your ex is the Lutheran in the scenario.
 
Traditional Lutherans aren’t. But things have changed since the sixties. As for me; I used to be a pagan and I don’t want to be an ignorant pulpit bigot. I know paganism from their side. But good points have been made. The only thing I can do is be the best Dad and Catholic that I can be.
 
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I would just be more concerned about lthem living together before they are married, even aside from the religious beliefs.
 
Yeah, I am concerned from the standpoint of what kind of Christian example is my ex wife showing my kids.
 
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