My girlfriend and I have the same relationship, albeit not as far along as you.

I'm not an expert by any means, but I know of a lot of people who have similar issues as this, so I'll relay some of the advice I've heard.

Your family might have their ideas on how to raise children, but in the end you're the kid's parent, not them. You and your boyfriend are the ones who should decide how to raise your children. How do YOU want to bring them up?

You and he can set a great example to your children about religious tolerance. If they grow up seeing Mommy and Daddy the way you are, they'll not only see that it's ok to be an atheist, or a Christian, or whatever they choose to believe, and they'll also see that people aren't any different, just because they hold different beliefs.

This is close to how my husband and I are right now. I have been raised in church my entire life but my husband has not. He is not exactly Arheist but he doesn't "believe" either. I go to church every Sunday and Wednesday and take my kids with me. We decided through our dating stages that future kids would have my religious upbringing because he had none. We decided we would allow me to teach the about God and when they are old enough they can choose for themselves. As a christian it is YOUR duty to raise your children up knowing Jesus. IF you are honestly considering NOT raising them up in Christian teachings then there is an issue some where with your relationship with God. Hope this was helpful. Was not meant to be mean or harsh at all.

As Concernedboyfriend stated, they are YOUR children, and you must raise them the way YOU want to. This is something I am deeply concerned about, because I am not Christian and many of the people I've dated are.

All you can really do is talk to your boyfriend and see where his views are in this whole thing and find a compromise. You may get resistance from your family, but by having children you are building Your Own Family. What happens in your household is your business. You can't live to please everyone in your family your whole life. If you do, you'll never have learning experiences or figure out things for yourself.

My parents raised me without religion and I am incredibly grateful for it. They believed that I should chose what is right for me when I am old enough to understand religion. That is a gift so few parents give to their children.

The point of view of a real Christian is that there is a Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and that this is True and the reality. A Christian can be tolerant of people who don't know or believe that, but they know the Truth is that Jesus is the Son of the Living God. Children are not toys that we can play with in whateveer way we want. We are obligated to raise our children in the BEST way we can, to teach them wisdom, truth and love them so that when we have to let them go they will have a good foundation for their own lives as adults.

So, to say we can teach "our" kid whatever we want to is a whole different attitude that a Christian, Muslim, Jew, or person who has a cultural set of values would find unconscienable. That would be like not caring to teach them personal hygiene, or daily living skills.

It sometimes works, as with the poster who said her husband respects that she is raising the kids as Christians. Some atheist partners would purposely try to undermne the Christian partner's beliefs and not want the kids to be raised as Christians, which is problematic.

I'm so grateful for this tread. I am a Christian dating an agnostic and have often wondered the same thing about any someday children we might have (though we aren't talking about marriage at this time.)

I think part of what I struggle with is my desire for him to know the peace I've found in God. I also believe that everyone has to find God in their own way and God's timing is never late. I would certainly hope that my faith and love for the Lord is visible to him and has an impact on the way he views his life. With that said, I know it is God, not I, who is the gardener but my job is plant seeds.

I think, when considering your future children, it is important that you share with them the ways in which God and faith have influenced your life and love. I think, especially with a father who may have dissenting beliefs, it is equally important to teach tolerance and acceptance of people who have yet to find that faith. If we teach our children that those people are wrong, we would be condemning the people we love and teaching our children to do the same. I don't think this is fair to the child nor to your partner.

I'm a Christian dating an Agnostic (though to be honest, I'm questioning my beliefs right now and completely unsure of what I believe in exactly).

We don't intend on having children - that part we agreed on - so deciding on what to do with the children's religious beliefs will never be a problem for us down the road.

I hope you find a common ground for you two to decide upon, and that you continue to love each other in the midst of this trial.