Do you think children should be encouraged not to pick a religion until they're older? After all children aren't capable of understanding such things properly. They're not allowed to vote or have a public say on anything because they are too young to form an informed opinion, yet it's commonly believed children can make up their minds about religion.
Parents will always try to do what they feel is best for their kids... which in someway will involve expressing their own opinions about something. If they believe in religion, they will surely tell their kids about it.
Should they? yes. Because it's their beliefs. If you don't try and nudge your kids in what you believe is the right direction, you aren't being a parent at all.
I've always been a believer in waiting until a kid is older before bringing up religion. People should chose their religion for themselves when they are ready.
Plenty of kids who go to church and are encouraged to be religious end us atheists later in their lives, so I don't think early exposure to religion affects their mind-making-up in the future.
Parents will always try to do what they feel is best for their kids... which in someway will involve expressing their own opinions about something. If they believe in religion, they will surely tell their kids about it.
Should they? yes. Because it's their beliefs. If you don't try and nudge your kids in what you believe is the right direction, you aren't being a parent at all.
As long as they don't go overboard (some child indoctrination is akin to child abuse) I see few problems with it. Well, I see many problems, but whatev's.
Pushing a child towards a specific sky man is only counterproductive in the end. I went to a school that would make the American right shudder and I would buy Richard Dawkins a beer today.
I fought with my mother about my atheism since elementary school. She just kept telling me to stay with it until I got confirmed so I at least was knowledgeable about it. Forced Church did not do anything to change my mind about the events in the New Testament.
Parents will always try to do what they feel is best for their kids... which in someway will involve expressing their own opinions about something. If they believe in religion, they will surely tell their kids about it.
Should they? yes. Because it's their beliefs. If you don't try and nudge your kids in what you believe is the right direction, you aren't being a parent at all.
Baconbits2004
Christianity was built on nudging people into the beliefs of Christians, although where you say "nudging" the correct term would be that people were slaughtered until the remainers were convinced of the beliefs.
Not convinient for the church, why introduce religion at later ages when they have a better understanding of the universe and logic, when they can start at a point where they cant reason a logic question.
Pushing a child towards a specific sky man is only counterproductive in the end. I went to a school that would make the American right shudder and I would buy Richard Dawkins a beer today.RomanPolanski_
Thanks man. And yes, I'm pretty much with Roman here.
Plenty of kids who go to church and are encouraged to be religious end us atheists later in their lives, so I don't think early exposure to religion affects their mind-making-up in the future.Theokhoth
im a proud atheist, and yeah i agree what you say :)
I went to Bible camp for several summers in a row and I'm Atheist, so I don't believe early exposure is a bad thing, if the kid can think for them selves at all they will decide if they want to keep their faith. But we must remember that most religions think you must join theirs to get into heaven so you can't blame parents for wanting their kids to follow their own religion.
Parents will always try to do what they feel is best for their kids... which in someway will involve expressing their own opinions about something. If they believe in religion, they will surely tell their kids about it.
Should they? yes. Because it's their beliefs. If you don't try and nudge your kids in what you believe is the right direction, you aren't being a parent at all.
UgliestWeen
But why not wait until they're older to do that? If it's something they practice weekly (church) or even daily (praying at meals) are you suggesting they should hide these things from their kids and pretend they don't exist? sorry to answer your question with another question.
they should not be learning religion because they will belive w.e the grown ups will tell them too.
watch this video as proof
GrabTheYayo
I don't agree. I think children should be taught religion so they can respect other people and their beliefs, but I don't think children should be encouraged to pick a religion when they're so young, especially when the parents usually only mention one religion (theirs). You could argue that's not even a choice at all.
Parents will always try to do what they feel is best for their kids... which in someway will involve expressing their own opinions about something. If they believe in religion, they will surely tell their kids about it.
Should they? yes. Because it's their beliefs. If you don't try and nudge your kids in what you believe is the right direction, you aren't being a parent at all.
JohnF111
Christianity was built on nudging people into the beliefs of Christians, although where you say "nudging" the correct term would be that people were slaughtered until the remainers were convinced of the beliefs. Where I say nudging I'm referring to children of today. Which is what this topic is about.
As a religious person you believe your religion is the truth, so why wouldn't you teach your kids about it? There are responsible and irresponsible ways to do it of course, but there's nothing wrong with it on principle.
i think children should definitely be told about religion. i think my problem comes in where people don't get to choose what religion they get to be (as it were) alot of people still grow up in households of "my mom and dad are _________ which means thats how i was raised and what i believe in" i think kids should be told about the virtues of good loving religions but unfortunately thats not always the case. nobody needs to hear about fire and brimstone at age 4 (or any age i think)
[QUOTE="Nagru"]As a religious person you believe your religion is the truth, so why wouldn't you teach your kids about it?]Because you're brainwashing them, and, in the case of your religion, scaring them needlessly with threats of eternal torment.
As a religious person you believe your religion is the truth, so why wouldn't you teach your kids about it? There are responsible and irresponsible ways to do it of course, but there's nothing wrong with it on principle.
Nagru
Exactly; if you believed that people who don't believe in your religion will suffer eternal torment when they die then it would be pretty damn evil of you not to teach it to your kids. Of course, this mindset also leads to some pretty strong views.
As a religious person you believe your religion is the truth, so why wouldn't you teach your kids about it? There are responsible and irresponsible ways to do it of course, but there's nothing wrong with it on principle.
Theokhoth
Exactly; if you believed that people who don't believe in your religion will suffer eternal torment when they die then it would be pretty damn evil of you not to teach it to your kids. Of course, this mindset also leads to some pretty strong views.
that mindset leads to wars and people strapping bombs to their chest in the name of a deity.
As a religious person you believe your religion is the truth, so why wouldn't you teach your kids about it? There are responsible and irresponsible ways to do it of course, but there's nothing wrong with it on principle.
Theokhoth
Exactly; if you believed that people who don't believe in your religion will suffer eternal torment when they die then it would be pretty damn evil of you not to teach it to your kids. Of course, this mindset also leads to some pretty strong views.
IF you KNEW your kids would rot in hell for all eternity if he doesnt accept jesus/allah/buddha/optimus prime into their hearts, then it would be pretty weird not to force them into believing.
i think children should definitely be told about religion. i think my problem comes in where people don't get to choose what religion they get to be (as it were) alot of people still grow up in households of "my mom and dad are _________ which means thats how i was raised and what i believe in" i think kids should be told about the virtues of good loving religions but unfortunately thats not always the case. nobody needs to hear about fire and brimstone at age 4 (or any age i think)
z4twenny
I wonder if anyone would pick a religion at all these days, if it were done like that...
If they weren't conditioned to adopt a religion, few of them would adopt any kind of faith, much less identify with a specific religion. So what you're really asking is "Should religion exist or not?"
No, you should not force anything on them, and let them decide for themselvesLiftedHeadshot
Well you have to force some stuff on them. You can't let them decide everything for themselves or else they would just eat candy all the time and never go to school. :P
I don't see the problem. An atheist parent would more than likely denounce religion when their children brings it up and a religious parent would normally try to introduce them from a young age. Either way both parents are imposing their beliefs on their children.
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