What are your thoughts on children being indoctrinated by their parent’s religion?

Question

Personally this is one that I disagree with other Atheists. Although I do think that religion is generally counterproductive to society, I don’t think religion in children has shown to psychologically damaging except to minor cases. I’m also strong in favor of our first amendment that guarantees freedom of religion. Also, I don’t pretend to think I have all the answers in life and that my way is the only correct way, and I think most parents would never teach religion if they thought it would hinder their kids. Given this, I think the only rational conclusion is to let parents indoctrinate their kids. I think that we should still fight against ignorance and immorality due to religion, but that doesn’t mean we have to destroy religion all-together and that some people can’t benefit from it.

Please share your thoughts on this. Theists please share your thoughts on parents of other religions or atheists their belief system.

Answer 1

It tell me that those parents love their children and want to teach them right from wrong so they can make an educated choice when they get older

The parents that say, " I'm not taking them to church because I don't want to forse any religion on them and they can mkae their own choice when they get older....IMO, these parents are clueless, they turn their children over to world to be trained with NO right or wrong moral code upbringing. How can they make a choice like this? they don't know both sides.
This is a cop-out by the parents

These children that do make it are few and far between

that is so sad

and our culture is reflecting this attitude these days too.....:-(

Answer 2

I don't necessarily believe that religion causes any serious mental problems or anything. My reason for objecting to indoctrinating children is, funnily enough, your reason for supporting it; freedom of religion. In my opinion you can't really have freedom of religion if your parents indoctrinate you as a child.
Think about this, if you were get a thousand adults, 500 with Muslim parents and 500 with Christian parents, which group would have the most Christians? Of course it would be the latter, just as the former would have more Muslims. This may seem stupidly obvious, but it makes an important point. The religion of most people is affected by their parents. If these people truly had freedom of religion, you'd expect roughly equal numbers of christians and muslims in each group.

Answer 3

We as parents teach our kids what is important to us whether it is religion or the things of this world. I can tell you that by teaching kids that God is more important than the things of this world is a crucial lesson we all need to learn. Because if we believe the things of this world are the most important thing, that leads to materialism and the denial of our responsiblilty toward God and our fellow man.

How is religion counterproductive to society? Churches donate tons of money and gifts to the poor each year. We send missionaries abroad to teach the Gospel and help those in need in poor countries. We build things like hospitals, orphangages, drug rehab centers. I tell you the truth the church cares more about this world than the world does.

Are there any atheist groups that lift a finger to help humanity or spread Gods truth? Likewise, what good is having a "good" society if God doesnt approve of it?

Answer 4

Parents make important decisions for their children out of love for their children. Parents decide for them the language they grow up speaking, relationships with extended family members, family customs, where they live, what school they go to, what food they eat, etc. When that child become an adult, he/she may then decides to change any of the above.
Parents also want to share with their children their relationship with God as expressed in their particular Religious beliefs. When the child become an adult, she/he can freely choose whether to continue with these beliefs. For some, this is when they are Confirmed.

Answer 5

If parents did not think it was best they would not teach their children their religion. It often provides the children with a set of morals that seem founded in something. Some people say that they want their children to have a "choice" and so they never allow them to be exposed to religion. That is not a choice at all because they are only exposing them to having no religion at all!

Overall I agree with parents teaching children their religion.

Answer 6

There's no way to prevent people from indoctrinating their children with religion. It's part of the freedoms we enjoy. But I won't be doing that to my kids the way it was done to me because when I became an adult, I really resented it.

Most religions encourage parents to indoctrinate their children so that they accept the teachings long before they are mature enough to critically analyze them. It's a type of programming. Parents who were themselves programmed are certainly going to program their children unless they reject either the substance of the religion or at least the practice of programming their kids.


The programming itself isn't harmful to the children. The harm comes from the cumulative effect on society of having mass believe in magic. It results in things like mass homophobia, racism and antisemitism - all at one time or another defended based solely on religious grounds. To its credit, organized religion can also lead to social advancement (as in fighting slavery and advancing the cause of civil rights). But on the whole, because it is premised in part on a belief in magic, religion tends to stand in the way of reason.

Answer 7

Just a little note,85% or more of serial killers had a strict religious upbringing,usually resulting in a lot of repressed rage or sexual repression and in many ways most likely leading them to some of the anti social attitudes that led to their crimes. Of course most criminals had weak households and therefore most likely weak exposure to religion,so it could go either way. I just always found the first part of this interesting,because if you look into the studies others have done on the psychology of the serial killer there does seem to be an almost cause and effect link involved. Probably because many of the problems people would typically work out in adolescent acting out,when it's least likely to do major harm,are simply not able to be dealt with in a repressively religious environment. That's just my little addition to the debate,have a good day.

Answer 8

I think that parents should NOT dictate to their children as to what religion they should be.Of course, proper upbringing and moral behavior should be taught. As parents, they should give them some spiritual guidance, but when the child has some kind of judgement on matters like this, for themselves, they should be able to make a decision as to whether they want to be in any religion at all. Whether they want to be Christian, and what denomination, whether they want to convert to Judiasm or Muslin, etc... We cannot rightfully chose such an important decision for our children.

Answer 9

In our family, we go by the Proverb "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it"

We do not "indoctrinate" our children, but give them knowledge; when they come to the age of reason, about 8 for most, we give them the option to choose. They make their own choice about which way they want to go and we respect it.

Answer 10

I just think it is tradition.
I wish we could come up with a better way to teach our children ,right from wrong and how to be kind to others ,without lying to them that some great unseen power in the sky is going to send them to a place where they will burn forever .( HELL )
You say that statement is not psychologically damaging to a child ?What about telling stories about 900 year old people ,rivers dividing in half, the dead coming back to life ,a talking burning bush ?
Come on get real!!!!