In some ways, bad news can motivate people to work towards improvements that lead to good news. I just have a brief thought for today about young parents who want no part of church. Many of them have had some exposure to church, and they are themselves non-believers in a sense that they just can't seem to align themselves with a faith. They might have a certain amount of belief that has not worn away, but it was going to be a hassle so they checked out. People leave their religion for hundreds of reasons, so I don't want to simplify the notion as leaving for lazy reasons. Certainly, many people may be leaving because of the commitment that comes with association with a church, but the "hassle" that keeps them away might be about having to align themselves with a group they are not proud of associating with today (some churches have PR problems today). It might be their faith is not really looked on as contemporary with lots of people--it has lots of "old" ideas. It might be that they have never gotten too deep with the faith business so the exit was quick and painless. It might be one of their parents was always criticizing the church or even making fun of it when they were growing up. [A lot of bad news today is often mad PR, not bad faith.]
My generation was one that grew up looking at everything with cynicism and questioning things that had been accepted for generations or even millenniums. For many people there is a period of total unbelief that takes place as they reach adulthood and then they circle back--not all of them, but some come back. If you think that is not true, go read about some of the most noteworthy Christians today and you will find many "conversion" stories. In some churches they have various names for the experience. But getting back to the point of raising children, the one thing that comes to mind for me is that if you raise your kids without faith because your may be a low point yourself, they might have a conversion experience later in their lives, but it might not be one that you are comfortable with. Maybe you are one of those open minded parents, that want your kids to find their peace without you, but you might just be abandoning generations of trials and tribulations that meant everything to your ancestors. Again, that might not be important to you.
I just think when you have kids, what you pass down to them is very important. And what you don't pass down to them might be very important as well. If you think that all religions foster hate, I'd have to disagree with you, but some of them do. Just as some forms of non-belief can lead to acceptance of other "haters." It all starts with you and your spouse.
