So, I've done a bit more reflection on this issue since I posted this, and I think I'm really butting up against the larger issue of not raising my daughter to believe in God/Jesus. I grew into my disbelief very gradually, and still sort of cherish my Catholic upbringing. There's a lot of nostalgia involved, particularly around holidays. What is bugging me most is the idea of having Jesus come up at Christmas and Easter and disappear for the time in between. Like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. I am aware of the various pagan origins of the holiday, but I don't see myself being able to abandon the Jesus element of Christmas entirely. Part of the issue is that I have a particularly detail-oriented and inquisitive 2 year old. She can find a loophole in ANY thing, and I find myself having to muddle through explanations of very complicated concepts with her, even though she cannot possible understand. She demands that I explain why they're still talking about Hurricane Sandy on the radio; wants to know what Mitt Romney will do now that he's not going to be president; what Santa wears when he's not wearing his funny outfit; and don't the reindeer's hooves get cold??? Introducing God to her is just opening up a HUGE can of detailed questioning that I'm not sure I'm ready for...
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