Do you raise your children in a non-religious way?
Absolutely. I am a big Christmas fan, but to me Christmas is all about the tree, the food and the presents. The religion part is, to me, just something that is an interesting little facet that I acknowledge but don't really participate in. I love Christmas carols though, and ironically, one of my faves is "O Come all ye Faithful".

Now, on to my point - I have always believed I would show the boys about the religious side of Christmas as an historical/other people thing (as in "this is what some people believe, we don't, but some do"). And I am big on introducing the boys to the wonders of Christmas, so I bought them a Wiggles Christmas DVD.

But when it actually came down to the religious parts of it (and boy, there is a lot of religion in that DVD!) I found I felt really uncomfortable in showing it to Flynn. I just couldn't let him watch "Away in a Manger"!

I realised that I am all for my boys being exposed to other firm ideas on religion once they are already atheists like me and their dad. (On that point their dad is definately atheist, I sway slightly towards agnosticism, though not much). But I do not feel comfortable with the boys having any exposure to religious stuff aimed at them, as children, because I don't want them sucked in to it before I can get a chance to show them how their dad and I chose to live.

And funnily, in typing this, I have realised I now completely understand religious types wanting to send their kids to religious schools. Its the same thing, isn't it? We want our children to share our beliefs. I guess the religious parents want their children to believe in god so they can be "saved" and all, or get into a better level of heaven or whatever, but essentially we want the same thing.

I suppose i am reluctant to denounce anything unproven just because it is. Once the world was flat.
Hoobley, I am a bit like you on this one, but my staunch-atheist husband would come out with he wouldn't believe anything without proof. Sounds like its arguing in circles, huh? My DH generaly says he would completely believe, support and accept a person who says they went out into a field and met an angel who gave them the word of god in a book, but has little time for someone who professess to have "faith". I gotta say that my shaky agnosticism gets even shakier, and usually after a long discussion I end up more towards atheism.

I hope you got some benefit from the info, and if not, I'm sure someone else will find it useful
I did Suse. IMO definitions and positions in this debate are quite important, because you are essentially arguing from a position of rationality and "proof" rather than more vague notions like faith and belief. I think it is only when someone has really defined their position that they have any hope of defending themselves against a fully worked out theological argument.

Atheism, on the other hand, is either non-belief in a higher power (known as 'weak' atheism) or denial of the existence of a higher power (known as 'strong' atheism).
I hadn't actually thought much about this before now. I guess, despite all my ramblings previously, I am actually a strong atheist? Cause I sure as hell don't think that there is an intelligent "design" or grand plan for all of life. I am open to the idea of connections between things and people that we can't current see or recognise, but not in a higher power.

I cheekily have a back up plan. I was very religious as a child as a result og being preyed upon by my religious ed teacher when my father was dying of lung cancer. The whole class used to pray for my dad, and I started going to Sunday school and learning bible verses. But my RE teacher stupidly gave me the baby-down version of Christianity - it was all "Jesus loves little children", pray and you shall receive, if you are good god will protect you. Well, that all was quashed when my dad actually died. I remember standing outside, when I was about 12, crying at the sky syaing god if you are there show me and I will believe. Well, there was nothing, so that was my "awakening" just as religious people often talk of that moment when they believed.

But back to my back-up plan. I was once religious. If the apocalypse comes, and god shows him/her/itself, I will repent and believe. Then I will be the prodigal daughter! I will be welcomed into the fold. And if I remember my bible story correctly, the prodigal son got to sit at the head of the table, while the son who had been good all along got the leftovers....

My atheist DH says I am a fraud for even thinking about a back-up plan LOL!!!