Mixed Religious Upbringing
Day to day, I am confronted with various questions from my twin daughters. They are from a mixed marriage—my husband is Catholic, and I am an ECKist.
They sometimes sing HU and participate in ECK activities. My problem is that my eleven-year-old girls are going to their third year of catechism and will take their First Communion this year. At the same time, they want to enroll in Satsang class. What do I do?
After several tries, they came up with a solution: “Mom, in the morning we will go to the ECK Center with you, and in the evening we will go to church.”
I would like to know, is this all right?
We study the ECK discourses together, but I never leave the youth discourse books within their reach. They would like to keep their discourses themselves and study them without my supervision. My concern is that there are non-ECKists in the home. Is it OK for family members who are not ECKists to read the youth discourses?
—Jonami D., Benin
Dear Jonami,
Do your best to give your daughters the soundest guidance you can, drawn from your experience and that of others.
Their suggestion is worth a try. Namely, in the morning they go to the ECK Center with you, and in the evening they attend church with their father. They will ultimately have to make their own decision about which path to follow.
Your girls may have the discourses in their keeping, yet they should be willing to accept your help if you see a need for it. They are still young and can profit greatly from your experience.
Also, no spiritual harm will come to non-ECKist family members who read your daughters’ discourses.
