forms asking for baby's religion

[crazybutterfly]

Just completing more forms for ds 10 mths nursery which have asked for mine and dh religions (chrisitan and athiest respectively) which is fair enough nit the forn then gies onto ask for ds's religion. Wibu to put unknown since I have no idea what if any religon he will be and since he cannot understand the concept at present he seems wrong to say he has one ifyswim?

So essentially the question comes from a tradition of regarding religion as cultural, not as based in belief. Hence implying 'in what religion, if any, is the child being brought up?', not 'what does this child believe?'.

If the latter, no-one could really accept the answer until the child is old enough to hold an informed and consistent opinion, perhaps at the same age as legal responsibility applies.

I don't think anyone doubts that the question makes sense from a cultural perspective. For those of us who see religion as a personal choice, based in belief, not something one is necessarily brought up in, or sticks with if one is, it does sound very funny.

I was very amused when the NHS told me my baby had no religion, on one of their forms. They had extrapolated from a question about our religion. I was relieved she hadn't come out Shinto, Zoroastrian or something else we know little about...