Should I Force My Daughter To Go To Church?

My daughter does not want to go to church and says that she is an atheist.  It has been going on for about 6 months. 

I feel it is my Christian duty to bring my children up in the church, but is there any point in forcing her if she doesn't want to go? 

Will this turn her away from God even more.  She is 13 years old.

Yes we read the bible and pray every night before going to bed.I believe it is the influence of her peer group.I believe that the family that prays together stays together.
I try my best,but as she is growing she is developing her own ideas about the world.I believe that she will come back to God in the end.

I myself am single mother of two children, raising them going to church regularly since they were born. Now they are actively church youth choir as well as active member.

Actually you cannot force your 13 yr old going church with you. Just pray for her in the deliverance of changing her heart back into the right path. Don't worry! God will lead her back into path at his own time, not yours. Only way if whole family gathering go church together, so your daughter won't be alone at home,  stuck no choice have to go with you.

It sounds like your daughter is rebellious and got bad influences from peer pressure of wrong crowds. Pray for her!!

shallom my brother. We are very active within our church and the children have been attending from a very young age. I work in a school so that I can spend holidays off with my children.
The church that we go to has lots of young people and they are encouraged to take part in the worship.
I ask my daughter to pray with us at home, and even if she doesn't want to say the words to at least be with us as a family member and to listen to what is being said out of respect for our faith.

I can sense that she is very intelligent.

You need to sit down with her and discuss this atheism of hers deeply. You need to show her the pitfalls and the lies contained in the yarns of atheists. You need to show her that God exists.

Her faith response seems not to be a blind one, but an enlightened one.

@ poster:

since she seems to be an intelligent child, let her know you respect her views. However, you probably need to brush up on your own knowledge base in order to discuss with her in intelligent language she understands, rather than "commanding" her to do stuff. In short, surprise her with your own intelligence too. Let her see you through different eyes. Not as an "oldie' who's out of touch with real life. Need I ask if your church is culturally Nigerian.

Then you might want to try getting her interested in a different youth ministry. One where she'll meet youths her age who can show her being smart isnt limited to certain circles.

Besides, what will she be doing alone at home on Sundays or whatever days, after the rest of the family have gone to church? Entertaining her friends? Who's keeping an eye on her? Of course you can't watch her 24/7, but still.

@topic,No you can't force your daughter to church,its too late !
@poster,you need to get closer to God yourself,commit your daughter to him.initiate and have talks with your daughter,see what made her believe in what she believes in now.my sister,you need to pray harder ooooo.

she definitely can't force her daughter to believe in God, but maybe she should carry her along to church anyway. Teen pregnancy is a very real possibility here.

that's why I asked what the daughter would be doing at home by herself when everyone else is in church.



Kids sometimes forget that adults used to be kids too. Reminds me of my own teenage years. My mom was very religious and often left me/us alone at home while she went to church. Of course we had friends over. Or went visiting friends who were also home alone.

We watched movies, and did regular teen stuff, but I don't doubt there were some who were getting it on as well. Maybe my mom's fervent prayers saved me from teenage pregnancy. A classmate of mine wasnt so lucky.

Buhahaha.  Atheist kids don't get pregnant that easily.  They use contraceptives.
It's the church kids who get knocked up because they can't be seen buying contraceptives.

Children these days scare me.  At 13 already living their own lives what next?

@D-reloaded

I've missed you jare.  _{that's if you know who this is}

there is nothing wrong in exercising her God given freewill but at what age? is she the one catering for herself? if you talk about free will, it means i would have started making love at age four, you will think its stupid but that the truth, you don't grant freedom to a child all of a sudden, if you must it got to be gradual. what kind of freedom are we talkin about?

Send her back to Nigeria to a boarding school run by missionaries.

There is a Rev. King in Naija that can help o
Even in the prison He's still performing Signs and wonders
He has various effective methods of Performing Deliverance o!

Yes you can make her. Why not. Will you force her to go to school if she says she does not want to. Yes you will. You cannot force her to accept Jesus but you can make her go to church with the rest of the family. She does not get to make her own rules.