ooh, did this stem partly from my response to the santa thing??? lol
Yep, stemmed from that response LOL. I thought it deserved it's own thread .

i believe in the freedom of choice, and the respect for all people, whether they are religious or not. i don't know what's in the here-after, if there's a heaven or not, but i figure if i treat people with love and respect, that they'll let me through the gates.
This is what you believe and it will come through in the way you raise your child. You are raising your child and instilling in them your own beliefs, just like us. You believe that love and respect is enough to get you through the gates, others believe that Jesus is what gets them through the gates, others believe there is no gates and no heaven. But we all transmit our beliefs to our children, even unintentionally and unconsciously at times.