Is it by chance that a person is brought up to believe a certain thing. I was brought up as a Christian but I just could have easily been brought in a country such as India and brought up as a Hindu(conceptually). Those ideals would be etched in my character and I would accept it as true and anything to differ wrong.Many people preach that if you don't believe in God and sin you are going to hell. Young kids and many others are frightened of the consequences of not believing and are scared into believing. And accept all of it as true. It's like brainwashing. People take it too seriously. Is any religon. really true. 100% Why can't scientific facts be accepted? Not many seem to question the religion they were brought up to believe so may be getting a false sense of reality. and the overall creation of the universe. Not saying religion is wrong or God does not exist. I don't know. It can't be proven wrong. But in the end, on the flip side it can't be proven right.
2006-10-27 08:13:52 · 16 answers · asked by ElDarado05 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
People are a product of their environment.
I am agnostic/atheist, but if I have kids I hope to not enforce my beliefs on them, but present all the ideas to them and let them make up their own ideas and belief systems.
Those who were brought up in forced religious environments should open their minds, start with a clean slate, and make up their own minds.
Don't be sheep!
2006-10-27 08:31:27 · answer #1 · answered by KryptonOne 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A number of different questions there.
I think most children who are brought up in a Christian home end up reexaminig their faith at one point. They can't become automatically children of God by being children of their Christian parents.
However Christian parents must be honest with their children. They give their side of the story - what we Evangelical Christians tend to call our "testimony". Could you imagine a Christian parent saying to their child: "Well, this might be true, I'm not really sure though. It's just my favourite idea" when in reality they are convinced that it is the truth? That would not be honest.
If a Christian parent has had a genuine experience with God, then it is normal and right that he share that with his (her) child.
When the children are small they will take everything their parents say for granted. When they are teenagers, they will question everything. They will compare what they have learned from their parents with the ideas that are "out there". Some will drift away from their parents' faith. Some will become stronger than ever, and it will be their own faith. Others will drift away and come back. Every individual eventually has to come into their own relationship with God.
A child who has a background of Christian faith in their home, however, is tremendously advantaged.
Is that fair? Well, I ask you if it is fair for a child to grow up in a country where he learns from both teaching and living conditions that you can't go about cold bloodedly killing people, while in another land children are being kidnapped and drafted into armies, then trained to become among the most cold-blooded killers on earth. Or a child to grow up with a constantly full stomach in North America, while others never know what it's like not to be desperately hungry.
Life is not fair, and that is the way humanity has made it. Not God's fault at all.
2006-10-27 15:25:04 · answer #2 · answered by Mr Ed 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I'm not so sure I'd quite say they were forced into it. Not given a choice, maybe, but perhaps more like not given a chance. I'd be more apt to say that children being raised to believe this religion or that are indoctrinated, rather than "forced". They learn what they're taught and believe what they're taught as truth until another school of thought is taught to them, if it ever is.
But you're right. Any of us could have easily been born into another religion other than the one we were. Genetic luck of the draw we are where we are and not someplace else.
2006-10-28 21:49:45 · answer #3 · answered by Ophelia 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree, it is totally dependant upon where you were born and raised as to what ficticious 'holy' book you will be forcilbly indoctorated in to.
At last in the XXI century the masses are finally waking up to the facts that religion is inherently evil and the cause division of communites, causes conflict the world over.
The top answer on a BBC debate today says, "Isn't it about time we stopped fawning over these imaginary gods and their "laws"
It seems that in the UK religious people are a laughing stock.
2006-10-27 15:19:56 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
i do feel that kids are brainwashed into a religion from the age of 3 on up to believe it is the truth but most people are starting to realize that this inst a good thing to do since telling a child that he must believe in some thing is child abuse on a emotional level. i know some one who was raised without a religion and he found spirituality all by himself when he got older.
2006-10-27 15:18:05 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
According to the Vedas (Knowledge) Which are scientific. What ever level of spirituality one attains they bring that with them into their next life until they reach their highest consciousness then they return To the spiritual world. So if one is born into a Christian family that is where they left off in their last life. I was brought up Christian and I continued to seek out the truth go to until I found Krishna Consciousness. It is not as easy as the fundamentalists teach. The truth is always there you just have to deeply seek it out using your intelligence faith and pray like anything for the truth not excepting blindly. Spirituality is science. You have to go deep.. As far as Christian teachings The Essenes have the original teachings of Christ www.essene.org Krishna Consciousness has the most information on God that I have found in all my studies. It teaches all aspects of the Unlimited Supreme God Keep seeking Absolute Truth and you will find it (God wants us to know but we have to weed through the nonsense. Go to www.stephen-knapp.com
2006-10-27 15:30:50 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Hooray! Another person who can think for themselves. I was also raised christian, and have become an atheist in the last several years. I wish more people would come to this same understanding about being brainwashed as a child. Kudos.
2006-10-27 15:22:12 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
What would you expect parents to do? Go to church with out there kids? Tell their kids, oh yes, I love this, I know it's right, but I'm too scared to force this on you that I don't want you to come with me.
I think parents can teach their children what they believe AND teach their kids to be free thinkers. My parents always told me to study our religion out for myself, and decide for myself if it was true or not...at the same time, they took me to church every Sunday. Maybe that wasn't the perfect thing to do, but I thought it was a pretty good balance.
2006-10-27 15:36:48 · answer #8 · answered by daisyk 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is very rare that someone raised in such an environment changes their mind about it when they reach the age where they can make their own decisions about it. It does happen, just not often enough.
2006-10-27 15:30:24 · answer #9 · answered by Deus Maxwell 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A child can be brought up into a certain religion but once that child becomes a adult its up to him to decide whether or not to stick with that religion or leave it and join a diffrent religion! its just like when your brought up to always keep your room clean never smoke cuz its bad and do not drink because that is also bad...but when u get older do u really listen to that advice??? just because thats what your parents taught u??? NO instead u make your own choices and mistakes ......live and learn...
2006-10-27 15:20:35 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋