I'm a strongly atheist parent (and my wife as well), but we send our daughter to religious instruction (liberal protestant) for we think that, firstly, a background of ethics does her well (I find close to nothing wrong with a liberal Christian ethic) and, secondly, that the stories of the Bible are a part of our cultural heritage like the brothers Grimm tales. When she asked me if there is a God, I told her the truth, namely that there are people who believe there is one and that there are people who don't believe there is one and that her parents don't believe there is one. She quickly said that she also does not believe in God and I told her that she should wait with such a pronouncement until she will be much older.

I don't know what is so bad about Jehova's witnesses for they never come to my door, I also don't know how (or if) they indoctrinate their children, but at the first glance I cannot see much wrong with taking children to adult activities like watching football or going to a folk festival or going from door to door.

But I do strongly object to any permanent scars and mutilations done in the name of the parents' religion to childrens' bodies. If they want to do that as adults I don't mind.

Wolfgang