Why do many religious people believe that you need religious upbringing to ensure good morals?

Question

Case in point: many years ago I was at a Christian friend's house. Her parents didn't know my religious affiliation (or lack thereof) and preached about how imperative a good Christian background is for good morals. I didn't have the heart to tell them that their daughter (who considered herself a devout Christain as well) had divulged to me that she had stolen cars for fun, done all sorts of street drugs and lost her virginity toa 26 year old at the age of 13. Suffice it to say, I have done not one of these things and was not brought up in a religious household. I understand the phrase, "Christains are not perfect, just forgiven" but in her case...wow. Yes it's just one example but I have plenty more I don't think you want to be bored with.

Answer 1

There are many people that are non-christians that have excellent morals and as you point out maybe even higher standards than professing christians. Sadly, many christians will act as if they are non-christians. A "good" Christian background will definitely help point the way to good morals, but ultimately it is up to the individual to decide for him or herself if they will do the right thing or not. I know several pastor's kids (PK's) that have fallen into drug abuse, alcohol abuse and promiscuity. No one is free from falling into sin, not even christians. I am a professing christian and nope, I'm not perfect either. Remember that true biblical Christianity is a relationship with God through belief in the work of Jesus Christ. Anything else is simply religion and religion will send a person straight to hell. I commend you for having high standards. We need more people like you.

Answer 2

I like how the religious people are avoiding this.

Personally, I love living in a way where I base my morals on reason and what I see in the world around me. I take a little from here, and a little from there. A lot of it is just by society. But wherever it came from, I love not having to get my morals solely from a book and then feeling guilty and watching my every move out of fear. It's like walking on eggshells 24/7. I don't want to live like that, and thank God I don't have to!

Answer 3

The thing with religion is that the fear of disappointing/disobeying/hurting your creator/God/goddess/saint whatever, is supposed to keep you from sinning, it’s supposed to keep you “safe.”

However, the temptation arises when the outside world is seen as fun and a “good Christian” learns early on that life is meant to serve and please God, not the flesh.

The theory of “loopholes for the youth” has longed led teenagers away from their religious affiliations. Most kids think “Oh, it won’t happen to me,” “I can’t die yet,” so they try and get all their sinning out before they’re forced into being responsible death-prone adults.

Personally, I think that a child will inherently benefit with knowledge of some type of “higher power”. In the end they’ll make up their own decisions, but something valuable has been imparted on them so they’ll at least make decent ones.

Answer 4

All have a sense of good and bad, called empathy. Don't do something to some one if you don't want it done to you. Even animals have a moral compass. Christianity is lake a swarm of insects. They eat their wounded. Christians will say that if one of them does that, then they were never true Christians. Like cutting of a damaged limb. Truth being if god does not want you to kill, and I get a priest family, and harm them, he will kill me to stop me. So then he was not a true christian. That is the story for all of them. They just say that they were not true Christians then, because a true Christan would no do that, but after confession, they are true Christians.

Answer 5

I am a Christian, but I think morals are parental and society imposed, and religion really has no say. You can be non-religious, and still be moral, or ultra religious, and immoral, by society standards.

Answer 6

Well wether you like it or not if you live in europe austrailia america (north and south) your going to have christian morals because of the way your society was shaped by christian europeans.

Answer 7

no longer quite. i'm agnostic and became raised in a truly strict Lutheran living house the position I wasn't allowed to question and church attendance became needed. I actual have a itemizing of different subject matters stemming from that, yet to spare you the lengthy list, it is the concept of what issues I actual have/had with faith. as subsequently of having no determination m'self and the struggles I went by potential of appropriate to my beliefs(as they fluctuate a great deal from my kin's, subsequently the topic matters), i doesn't improve any of my youthful toddlers to be non secular. it isn't any longer significant to me and that i do not pick my youthful toddlers to augment up having the topic matters I did/do. What I plan to do ought to I ever have any youthful toddlers, is to no longer baptize or in the different case indoctrinate them into absolutely everyone faith or yet another. instead, i'd improve them to comprehend all religions, philosophies, and ideology, and may, even as previous adequate, coach them as ideal as i ought to about quite some religions of the international. That way, they improve up understanding about what others believe, no longer purely what they believe, like I did. Then, even as they're adults, they are going to be free to settle on their personal faith, in spite of which could be. I received't worry about them starting to be non secular, because i am going to have raised them to be respectful and accepting. So in the journey that they, say, change into Catholic, it received't difficulty me because i understand that they are going to were taught to "comply with disagree".

Answer 8

If your friend did all these things, then her parents did not their job properly. Kids are like soap, hold them too tight and they'll slip away. Hold them too loose and they'll still slip away. You have to hold on just right.

Answer 9

Agrippina's mother takes a bow.

Answer 10

I think children are like soap, you don't want to bend over to pick them up...