What would you do if your kid changed his religion?

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Depends how old the child is. If he/she is an adult, there isn’t much you can do, except ask them why. Try to counter their reasons, but responding with anger is certainly not the answer.

Yes, and pray on it.
 
Love them and pray for them and love them some more, discuss, love, pray, discuss some more, pray more, etc.
 
Many people change religions, currently I am. I started in october (will be baptized at the easter vigil) and I still haven’t told my parents because I don’t want to deal with the “why” issue. For parents who are struggeling with this, raise your child in your faith untill they are an adult, if by then they want to change let them, don’t question them and have it escalate to a fight. You may not be able to support their decision but don’t make it harder either. They may “come home” in the end, if you read some of the posts it is obvious that many people do. From the point of view of the person it is hard enough to make the change never mind face ridicule for it. But, becacuse i am in the process of converting I may be biased.
 
Depends also on what he changed his religion to. For example, I would be much more concerned with a change to atheism or secularism, or to Islam, than a change to the Baptist, Presybterian or Catholic faiths.
 
Well, first of all… They would not leave the Church as a minor or while still living in my house, so I am going to assume that they are over 18 and not living in my house… I would ask why and pray a whole lot! Really, as long as they are an adult there isn’t much more you can do. I also stipulated about living in my house because my kids all know as long as they are living in my house they go to mass every Sunday and Holy Days…
 
I did this to my folks (I’m the only Catholic in the family). They were loving and supportive (though my grandfather would and still occasionally does ask me somewhat worried questions).

If my child did it, frankly, I’d tell them how it worried me. But I’d love them unconditionally and pray for them and leave it in God’s Hands
 
Assuming this is an emancipated child (because under my roof you’re staying Catholic) …

It’s one thing to switch churches. It’s another matter to entirely deny Jesus Christ our Lord and convert to a non-Christian religion. What would I do? I suppose I’d spend the next six months sitting with my head in my hands trying to figure out where I went wrong.
 
To those of you saying ‘not under my roof!’ – it’s not something you can control. You can make your child go to Church; you can even make him or her receive communion (forcing them into mortal sin, by the way) but you can’t make them Catholic. All you’re doing is encouraging them to lie to you and draw more distant and resentful.

I speak from experience.
 
Mirdath said:
To those of you saying ‘not under my roof!’ – it’s not something you can control. You can make your child go to Church; you can even make him or her receive communion (forcing them into mortal sin, by the way) but you can’t make them Catholic. All you’re doing is encouraging them to lie to you and draw more distant and resentful.

I speak from experience.
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I speak from experience, too. As a teenager I rejected my faith entirely, yet my parents still had me attend Mass and CCD as required. My parents were correct not to let me skip Mass. I didn’t see it then, but now at age 41 I see that they did the right thing.

I’m not sure how you jump to the conclusion that I would “force my child to commit a mortal sin.” I never would encourage my child to receive the Eucharist in a state of sin. Why would I encourage my child to sin by unworthily receiving the Eucharist? My children will be WELL aware that the Eucharist is only for those in a state of grace.
 
Gamera said:
I’m not sure how you jump to the conclusion that I would “force my child to commit a mortal sin.” I never would encourage my child to receive the Eucharist in a state of sin. Why would I encourage my child to sin by unworthily receiving the Eucharist? My children will be WELL aware that the Eucharist is only for those in a state of grace.
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I’m not accusing anyone, just saying I could see an overzealous parent try to drive a kid who doesn’t believe in the religion at all to receive the eucharist.
 
I told my boys that if they leave the Church as adults they can expect to receive a monthly invoice for all the money I spent on their Catholic schooling 😃
 
Being a Catholic is a profound commitment which must be freely chosen and not one to which everyone is called. If I observed my adult child living his/her life in a morally upright way and seeking a relationship with God, I would be grateful. If they should choose to remain in and pass on the Catholic faith to their own families, I would feel blessed with, though not entitled to this outcome.
 
Island_Oak said:
Being a Catholic is a profound commitment which must be freely chosen and not one to which everyone is called. If I observed my adult child living his/her life in a morally upright way and seeking a relationship with God, I would be grateful. If they should choose to remain in and pass on the Catholic faith to their own families, I would feel blessed with, though not entitled to this outcome.
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But…if you reject the fullness of the truth (of the Catholic Church) in which you have been raised and taught, is that not a grave matter? I don’t know the answer…that is how I have always viewed it! What does the catechism say?
 
lukefan said:
But…if you reject the fullness of the truth (of the Catholic Church) in which you have been raised and taught, is that not a grave matter? I don’t know the answer…that is how I have always viewed it! What does the catechism say?
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Not everyone is able or wants to see the truth in the catholic church, even those who have been raised in it. It’s like the saying you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. As a parent all you can do is raise your child in the faith, after that it is their choice what to do with it. trying to force them to be something they are not will only make the situation worse and make them dislike that faith even more. Plus some people do leave but come back later.
 
If it was to another christian religion tehen I would hope that someday they would see the Truth of the Catholic Church. But if they would reject Jesus or His teachings I would be concerned for thier immortal soul as they new the Truth but rejected it.
 
lukefan said:
But…if you reject the fullness of the truth (of the Catholic Church) in which you have been raised and taught, is that not a grave matter? I don’t know the answer…that is how I have always viewed it! What does the catechism say?
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IMO, if you never “bought into it”, but simply went to Church because your parents made you, I’m not sure it’s a grave matter. However, I could be wrong.
 
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