Raise him up religious

I avoided this topic to avoid hurt feelings, but I feel rascally today, so if you're easily offended, please avoid this post.

Cole has no religion. At least not yet. This is mostly because his father and I don't attend church.

Levi and I stem from different religions, but that isn't the trouble. The trouble is Levi was raised mostly without religion and I was raised in a religion I later abandoned. I hesitate to rejoin mine, and Levi is mostly apathetic toward his.

We want to raise Cole religious though, because we want him to have choice. We want him to learn the difference between Santa and St. Nicholas and Easter and the Easter bunny because it's easier to learn and then ignore rather than not know and learn later. The choice is entirely his, but raising him sans-religion takes some of his options away.

If I were qualified, I'd teach him about all religions and not limit him to the Christian ones. I don't anticipate Cole facing Mecca when he prays, but if he did, I'd be happy he found faith. Mostly, I just want him to understand and respect other religions. My biggest fear is he'll interchange words like "Muslim" and "terrorist." I want religion to teach him about the world, not teach him to fear it.

So, in choosing a church, this is what I seek:
* proximity: driving 45 minutes to- and from services isn't likely on Sunday mornings. Attendance is more likely if the church is nearby.
* camaraderie: with any hope, our friends will attend the same church or we'll find people there with whom we can make acquaintance
* openness: a church that uses Jesus to judge others is not appropriate for my family. The church we join will stand firm in its beliefs, but also respects the beliefs of others.
* interactive: if I join a church, I want involvement. I want to take my son to pancake fundraisers and Vacation Bible School. I want him to feel he belongs there.
* knowledge: Cole should feel comfortable asking ministers, pastors, priests, etc., tough questions and when he does, I want him to receive age-appropriate, reasonable answers.

So, anyone have suggestions? Anyone have this dilemma in their own families?