As parents, you'll have to tell the child that although most people in America follow the Judeo-Christian religions and code of ethics, there also exist other religions, and that you willingly chose to follow Buddhism. Understand that you are not forcing the child to accept Buddhism; you are not compelling the child to take refuge In the Three Jewels. You are informing him or her what is out there, what you chose to follow. That is all.

At the age of seven, if the child wishes to receive the Three Refuges, then he or she can do so. This is the tradition, but seven is a young age, and the child may not be clear as to what the Dharma is. There is no problem if the child changes his or her mind later on. You should never make children feel as though they have committed sins because they have chosen not to accept the Dharma, or because they have chosen another religion. In fact, accepting another religion is still good.

As parents, you can tell stories of other religions to your children. Along with Buddhist and Ch'an stories, there is no harm in relating tales from the Bible and other sources. It's also a good idea to bring your children to other churches, to the church of your original faith, so that they are exposed to different beliefs, customs and ideas. As it stands, you will probably be going to a Buddhist temple or monastery most of the time, so your children will be familiar with Buddhism. You don't want your children to grow up with an innate resentment toward other religions. This would be pitiable, especially if it's a result of lack of exposure toward other beliefs.