If a new law came out that prohibited introducing, discussing, or in any way advocating any religious belief to someone below the age of 18, what do you think would happen?
Children lack the critical thinking and perspective of experience needed to examine an idea and form their own opinion. They are much more likely to form the same opinion as those that raise them, care for them, and support them.
So what if religion was banned before the age of 18?
Do you think religion would cease to be in a generation?
Do you think they would come up with their own version of God?
Do you think they would convert to something the second they turn 18?
Please don't quote the Bible in response; tell me what YOU think.
2006-08-10 07:49:23 · 13 answers · asked by Michael 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Look up Marranos they were Spanish Jews who converted to Christianity under threat of death or expulsion. They practiced Judaism in private and could not tell their children about it for fear they might slip and the whole family exposed. Children were not told till they were in their teens. To answer your question the vast majority of them remained Jews.
2006-08-10 07:57:40 · answer #1 · answered by Quantrill 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
i think hardly anyone would believe
maybe a few people would become convinced afterwards, but so few would that if this were to happen, it would probably kill religion within a century.
in the past religion seemed like a logical explanation for the existence of things to most people.
why does a squirrels fur blend perfectly with the bark of a tree? someone must have made it that way.
Though there are many flaws with this thinking, no one really had any better ideas, and so most people would have accepted it even based upon reason
Now with the theory of evolution finding more ears, people have better ideas, and so religion will probably become dependant upon brainwashing. Without brainwashing it will die out.
2006-08-10 08:01:18 · answer #2 · answered by kitty is ANGRY!™ 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Great idea. I think if we were educated as free-thinkers till the age of 18, after that VERY few people would convert. I don't think it would disappear in one generation, but it would become something for a minority. Besides, it would change in nature, it would not be an instrument of manipulation, but a real channel for people's deepest spiritual feelings. And notice I have said "a" real channel, not "the" real channel. There are thousands of ways to be spiritual without being religious.
2006-08-10 07:58:17 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
First of all those of us who believe in our right to worship would rebel and there might be a civil war. I will follow any laws that do not conflict with Gods and that one would. Second of all IF you could make it illegal how would you enforce it? And if you could enforce it then it would be the same as waiting until age 18 to teach a child to read. You would have a frustrated and illiterate adult. But I do not believe religious practice and faith would ever disappear. This has been tried to eradicate many faiths. Never works.
2006-08-10 07:56:47 · answer #4 · answered by Debra M. Wishing Peace To All 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It would be really hard to ban religion until a specific age. I am a Christian and I have an under-aged son. I don’t speak to him for hours about my faith, but he sees the evidence of it as I go throughout my day. I wake up in the morning and pray and he sees me. I listen to Christian music and sermons around the house and he hears it. I study my Bible and he watches me. He sees me helping others through different church ministries. He comes to church with me. He watches me speak to others in various places about my faith. I have a relationship with Jesus Christ and it touches and is shown in every part of my life (but please don’t take that to mean that I am saying that I am perfect, I have a laundry list of faults that would take too long to name) without opening my mouth and telling him that he needs to “come to Jesus”. My point is this: in all these things I am “introducing” my religious beliefs to him. The only way that I could not do this is if I separated myself from my beliefs when I am with him, but if I was able to do that then I wouldn’t really have a true relationship with Christ because it’s not something that I can just pick up and put down willy-nilly, it’s part of what makes me who I am. That’s like a husband deciding that while he’s with his wife he’ll be married, but everywhere else, he’ll live as a single man. It’s not going to work and his relationship would be defined as fake.
But even if religion wasn’t formally introduced to a person before they turned 18, I don’t think it would result in the extinction of religion. There are a few people that I know who weren’t raised in a particular religion but after going away to college or getting out on there own, they found their way to church some way or another. Curiosity of what was kept from them would compel some to look up for themselves what this “God thing” is all about that they can’t know of. I don’t know about you, but I found out how to do a lot of the things that I was legally banned from doing when I was young.
I would love to answer all parts of that question, but I am getting a little too long winded and don’t want to bore anyone.
2006-08-10 08:20:03 · answer #5 · answered by Angela M 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There'd be a big underground market for preaching to kids, sadly. You'd filter out all the moderate religion, and all that would remain would be the extremism.
That's not necessarily such a bad thing, though. It would help people see the crazies for what they are. Moderate religionists are usually just people who don't take religion to its logical extreme. Without them, the crazies wouldn't have anyone to hide behind.
2006-08-10 07:56:48 · answer #6 · answered by Minh 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't think banning religion before the age of 18 would make much difference. Or would it be like banning drinking..........make everyone look forward to going out and getting some booze the minute they turned 18
2006-08-10 07:56:13 · answer #7 · answered by scatcat 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Hardly anyone would believe. I don't think religion would cease to be, but I just think that most people would realize that the bible is a tremendous work of fiction and the theory of "god" makes no sense.
2006-08-10 07:54:32 · answer #8 · answered by evillyn 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Though this is most unlikely...
I think this would invoke people to search and explore their own thoughts and beliefs more...rather than often blindly following what they are brought up on....it's easy to brainwash children.
2006-08-10 07:55:51 · answer #9 · answered by Heather 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There'd be more diversity cause kids won't listen to just what their parents said.
2006-08-10 07:59:56 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋