Your Child's Religion

[The Sum of Awe]

Do you believe your child should chose their own religion? What will you tell them when they ask philosophical questions? If you want them to be part of a certain religion or lack of belief, which religion, and any specific secular group? (Humanism, Plain Atheism, Nontheism, etc.)

So far, from other sites, my results were that many religious people want their child to be a part of their religion, while the non-religious do not care.

 

[Jordan Robert Wilson]

My belief is that children should be allowed to make their own choices in life, without being forced into a certain belief system. Labelling a child 'Muslim' or 'Hindu' or 'Christian' or 'Jew' because of his/her parents is completely wrong.

 

[ChristineES]

My children are choosing their own paths. My oldest is autistic but the other 2 have chose their own- my next oldest is "seeker" if I was to put a label on it (he doesn't know what he believes) and my daughter is a Christian, but a totally different denomination that mine (I am a Baptist and she is a Lutheran). She chose the Christian path herself, I never pushed her towards it.
Most children choose their own paths, even if their parents do shove religion down their throat. In fact, the ones forced to believe usually protest and change their faiths or leave faith altogether.

 

[Oneatatime]

My children will be raised in a largely secular environment because neither myself nor my partner are religious. I'll also make an effort to ensure that my child is scientifically literate and therefore capable of understanding why science is a powerful means of understanding and consequently why other means of understanding aren't very good.

This does not mean that I want them to be a scientist when they are older because I want them to choose their own path but scientific literacy is important and a means of protecting them from manipulation by peddlers of superstitious and psuedoscience nonsense.

With the benefit scientific literacy and the freedom from religion granted by a secular upbringing it's unlikely that the child will become religious. If as an adult they decide to adopt a religion then I'll respect their decision however this seems to be an unlikely prospect.

I too am uncomfortable with the labelling of children as members of their parents religion just as I would be if we were to label children as member of their parents prefered political party. I am also uncomfortable with the systematic indoctrination of children into religions with the distinct purpose of brainwashing so that as adults they remain adherents of that religion.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

My children will be raised in a largely secular environment because neither myself nor my partner are religious. I'll also make an effort to ensure that my child is scientifically literate and therefore capable of understanding why science is a powerful means of understanding and consequently why other means of understanding aren't very good.

This does not mean that I want them to be a scientist when they are older because I want them to choose their own path but scientific literacy is important and a means of protecting them from manipulation by peddlers of superstitious and psuedoscience nonsense.

With the benefit scientific literacy and the freedom from religion granted by a secular upbringing it's unlikely that the child will become religious. If as an adult they decide to adopt a religion then I'll respect their decision however this seems to be an unlikely prospect.

I too am uncomfortable with the labelling of children as members of their parents religion just as I would be if we were to label children as member of their parents prefered political party. I am also uncomfortable with the systematic indoctrination of children into religions with the distinct purpose of brainwashing so that as adults they remain adherents of that religion.

I agree with this one. Teach them science, mathematics, etc. THEN let them choose.

 

[ChristineES]

I agree with this one. Teach them science, mathematics, etc. THEN let them choose.

Science and mathematics were required when I went to school.

 

[Oneatatime]

I agree with this one. Teach them science, mathematics, etc. THEN let them choose.

I think it would be a good idea to expose them to classical philosophy because when I reflect on my own childhood it was very much dominated by the morality of Christianity which pervades my culture and therefore influenced me. Exposing children from a young age to alternative and secular systems of morality and definitions of good gives them greater freedom in how they choose to live a good life.

 

[Oneatatime]

Science and mathematics were required when I went to school.

Sadly science is often badly taught and most people don't really understand how it works or some of the key theories its developed such as evolution. My experience of science education until graduate level was simply learning facts and equations which I then had to regurgitate in exams. It was quite possible to pass with good marks without really understanding the scientific method and being able to apply it.

 

[sojourner]

My children have all been reared Christian, because that is our culture, and because I believe Xy offers the the most theologically-sound system of spiritual formation. If, at some point, my adult children want to try something else, they are of majority age and are capable of making their own good decisions. Until such time came, I was responsible for their welfare to the best of my ability.

 

[outhouse]

my daughter at 4 is well on her way to becoming christian despite any opinion or prefference that I may have.

Day care at a church of my wifes choosing means I have to teach her the reality of the situation when she can understand but not now. For now all i can say is those are just old storys people made up.


I dont dare get into the Ot and scare her to death lol

 

[Tarheeler]

My kids will choose their own religions or lack thereof.

We are raising them within a fairly liberal religious household, but they're challenged to think and justify decisions. We discuss all types of religions- they were exposed to Christianity through the family, Judaism through my interest in it, Islam when I lived in Kuwait, Hinduism, Buddhism, and several pagan reconstruction religions.

We treat religion like any other subject. Politics, history, philosophy as well as anything else is fair game for discussion and debate in the house.

I'll give them the tools to make decisions and show them how to find the information; the rest is up to them.

So far, my oldest son is declaring himself an atheist, my second son is a Christian, and my youngest two are interested in converting when I do.

 

[Paraprakrti]

Do you believe your child should chose their own religion? What will you tell them when they ask philosophical questions? If you want them to be part of a certain religion or lack of belief, which religion, and any specific secular group? (Humanism, Plain Atheism, Nontheism, etc.)

So far, from other sites, my results were that many religious people want their child to be a part of their religion, while the non-religious do not care.

A child is a person who will ultimately make his or her own decision on religion. However, a child born to religious parents should be expected to be raised in that particular religion.

 

[Father Heathen]

I think it's good to expose children to many different beliefs and points of view while teaching them the importance of critical thinking.

 

[Nooj]

Do you believe your child should chose their own religion? What will you tell them when they ask philosophical questions? If you want them to be part of a certain religion or lack of belief, which religion, and any specific secular group? (Humanism, Plain Atheism, Nontheism, etc.)

So far, from other sites, my results were that many religious people want their child to be a part of their religion, while the non-religious do not care.

If I ever have children, which I sincerely doubt, I'll introduce them to major religions over a period of years, so we can have a basic understanding of their fundamentals. But I'll leave it up to them to choose.

 

[Noaidi]

A child is a person who will ultimately make his or her own decision on religion. However, a child born to religious parents should be expected to be raised in that particular religion.

Expected by whom? The parents? The child? Wider society? Personally, I think the child should be expected to make its own mind up when it is old enough, regardless of its parents religious beliefs. Parents shouldn't be raising children as christian, sikh, wiccan etc any more than they should be raising it as a labour, conservative, republican or democrat child.

 

[Nisou Kitsune]

My belief is that children should be allowed to make their own choices in life, without being forced into a certain belief system. Labelling a child 'Muslim' or 'Hindu' or 'Christian' or 'Jew' because of his/her parents is completely wrong.

I completely agree!!

 

[Paraprakrti]

Expected by whom? The parents? The child? Wider society? Personally, I think the child should be expected to make its own mind up when it is old enough, regardless of its parents religious beliefs.

I don't mean to say that, for instance, Christian parents ought to be obliged to raise their kids in Christianity. I am saying that one should expect that that is what will happen, and the implication is that there is nothing wrong with this.

Parents shouldn't be raising children as christian, sikh, wiccan etc any more than they should be raising it as a labour, conservative, republican or democrat child.

This is really tantamount to saying, "No one should be Christian, Sikh, Wiccan, etc." since to be any of these things is (ideally) to be living a certain sort of lifestyle; One that will certainly flow into how parenting is performed.

 

[Mister Emu]

I will certainly impart my values, of which religious values are a part, to any children I might have.

People influence their children no matter what choices they make, so I'll influence mine, should I be blessed to have them, in the manner which most fits with their best interests.

 

[Breathe]

Do you believe your child should chose their own religion?

Ultimately, they will decide if they wish to be part of my beliefs as they get older or not. But for now, I raise them with my philosophical views. Anyone has a problem, tough.

Naturally, I'd like them to avoid some religions and have a preference towards others.

What will you tell them when they ask philosophical questions?

Answer them depending on the question with my own philosophical bias.

 

[Noaidi]

This is really tantamount to saying, "No one should be Christian, Sikh, Wiccan, etc." since to be any of these things is (ideally) to be living a certain sort of lifestyle; One that will certainly flow into how parenting is performed.

I'm not saying the parents shouldn't be of a particular religious or political persuasion - of course they will be. What I'm saying is that these beliefs shouldn't be imposed on the child. Luckily, most religions do have values which are universal, which should be imparted to the child.

However, what I should have referred to in my previous post are the values that encourage bigotry, intolerance and division which, unfortunately, are a feature of many religions. For example, bringing up a child to view homosexuality as wrong simply because it is in a religious book the parents read is wrong, IMO.

Bringing up a child within certain religious traditions can also have a detrimental effect on their education - think of a child brought up in a creationist household. Will they accept a biological explanation regarding the development of life or will they believe what their parents or church have told them? From experience, it's definitely the latter where I live. An example: There are two medical doctors where I live and both are proponents of ID. Over the years, I have taught biology to all seven of their children. When the topic of evolution arises, can you guess what stance they take? Is it through their own thinking and evaluation that all seven chidren just happen to argue against evolution from an ID standpoint or did they all come to that stance because of what their parents taught them? The answer, of course, is the latter because they told me so. This is just one example I can cite of parental religious beliefs interfering with the education of their children.