Hi J.,
I am agnostic and asked this question before. I did not want to say anything like they went to sleep, because I did not want my son to be afraid to go to sleep.
Somewhere along the way, my son learned about angels. I mean lets be real, to have our kids completely avoid the topic of religion - well you can just see by the answers to your question that everyone will tell you what they think on it regardless of if you ask for it or not. Or, they'll see thing like Christmas decorations, etc.
Anyways, he knows what angels are - at least the concept of what one looks like. So, what we've told him is that there comes a time in people's lives where they become angels and you can't always seem them, but they are always around.
My son is almost 4 and that answer seems to pacify his curiousity for now, though, like you - I will support whatever way my son chooses to go in the faith department.
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I'm glad you are comfortable with your beliefs in your religion. A basic concept of religion and America, is the RESPECT of other people's rights to believe and practice what they want.
J., know that you are not alone in your beliefs - no matter what people say about it on here. Kudos to you for discovering your belief and being comfortable with it and raising your kids with the freedom to CHOOSE what they believe. I believe this will make them more tolerant and educated about other people and ALL relgions in the world.
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Further edit after actually reading some of these responses to your question.
Really, I went to Catholic school for 12 years. And it's some of these answers that made me "convert" to my own personal belief/way of life.
I'd like to remind people that religion is not the law of the land. So to say, "Would you let your child grow up and choose which laws to follow" is not a valid argument. Relgious views, whlie you can raise your child a certain way - the way you feel is right, like everything else you do as you raise them ultimately becomes their individual choice.
If you want to believe that the Bible is the word of your god and your life, then I respect your choice.
But not all of us believe that.
And there is nothing wrong with that.