Wow kstar. I'm not saying that you're wrong or anything for thinking that way, because this thread is just based on everyones own opinions...but wow. I wasn't expecting a post like this one.

I thought it was a little drastic too, but what might be bad to kstar may not be bad to someone else and vise versa. Some people are just affected by things others aren't.

I wouldn't go quite as far as kstar, but I understand that. I mean, if my daughter grew up to be a Republican or believed W was the greatest, most intelligent president our country ever had...well, I'd wonder what the heck happened but that's hardly the end of the world. Now, if she grew up to be a Satanist, I would probably die a little. If my son became a rapist or a murderer...I'd still love him and he would still be my child but I just don't know how I'd handle it. We want to be the kind of parent who is open and our children can tell us anything, but can you imagine if your child confessed that to you one day?

How old are you kstar? Knowing this might help me understand your position.

I've said it somewhere else but, regardless of values, beliefs, political views, we should embrace the challenge of other people's ideas and debates. It should make one's views stronger or even change if need be. If people dont embrace the challenge of ideas or debate or whatever then perhaps the views of that person arent as strong as they may think.

My husband and I are raising our children with Christian principles and "republican" views. If the children decide neither are for them we will love them no less and treat them no different.

i agree with tippie on this issue.

You can't be friends with a Republican?!

It would be worse to see your child become a Republican than to see your child suffer from a terrible illness or die?! Because, heaven forbid, you should raise a child to think for him- or herself.

I'm speechless, yet somehow not surprised. Count me in with Tippie and ThetaPrincess.

Wow...just wow. Glad to hear you practice intolerance for other viewpoints.

I agree with this one. I wouldnt agree with that lifestyle but I would hope that they wouldnt think they would be unloved or disowned by that. There are much mroe serious issues/situations to worry about than that. :) For example, I'd rather them tell me they were gay instead of telling me they were dying.

Ditto!

I have casual acquaintances, like school/work friends, that don't agree with me, but no, I don't really want to have close friends that don't share my values. Is that really that hard to understand?

It disturbs my mom a LOT that we have such different worldviews (ie, our political and religious views), but I don't think she would classify it as the worst possible thing she could imagine. At least I hope not ... I love my mom :(

You're saying that it wouldn't be utterly devastating for your child to turn their back on every value that you hold dear?

See above. "I have casual acquaintances, like school/work friends, that don't agree with me, but no, I don't really want to have close friends that don't share my values. Is that really that hard to understand?"

I wouldn't expect any one to agree with me on every point, but I think that part of raising a kid would be instilling the values that you hold most dear, such as equal rights for all (how many repubs voted against prop 8?), there is only one G*d (and you have to admit that Scientology started as a bet, and is more of a cult/money scheme than a religion)... It was asked what would be most devastating to you. And grief counseling can do a world of good, but this is something that I don't think I could get over and respect them as a person again.

Again, I ask, "How old are you?"

I want to understand your point of view, but I think (my instinct is) that you have not lived (long) enough to really take a very wide and tolerant view of this issue.

Sorry. I cannot imagine that having a child with a different viewpoint - and I want to take this opportunity to state that Democrats and Republicans can have similar values while having different viewpoints - would be as devastating as some of the other tragedies that fall on families. You are taking an extremely narrow and judgemental stand, imo.

Actually yes it is that hard to understand.

And do you know how many democrats voted "yes" on prop 8? I bet you it's a whole hell of a lot more than you think it is.

Yeah, you have some skewed logic if you think that republicans don't want equal rights for everyone.