Is forcing religion on your child considered child abuse?

Question

if not I think it should be, who agrees?

Answer 1

It should be, I agree. It is one thing to guide a child, it's another to outright force them. I was forced and now I'm the complete opposite of what I was taught to be. If anything I was turned off so much by religion because of my parents, that I will never belong to a church again or even enter a church. I am glad though that things worked out the way they did, however.

Final thought: If they lie to you about the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and Santa Claus; what else are they lying about?

Answer 2

Is teaching about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny child abuse?

I think that is an equivalent question. Both Santa and religion can be used to control the child.

Where things differ is that children are eventually taught the truth about Santa. They may not be taught the truth about religion…because the parents don't know it either.

If the religion actually harms the child (such as snake handling or going alone on door-to-door missions), then that would be child abuse. Teaching a child that the world was once underwater? Not so much. It may confuse the child, but there are many things adults do that confuse children. This isn't really adding too much more fire.

Answer 3

I think after a certain amount of time if the child has been introduced to a Religion the child should have the right to choose. I don't believe that introducing young people to Religion is wrong, but forcing them would be a form of abuse.

Answer 4

It depends on what you mean by forcing religion on your child. If it means "Believe what I believe or I will believe you", that is child abuse. If it means teaching the child what you believe, then no it is not child abuse. As long as you are responsible for the child's upbringing it is absolutely normal that you bring him to the religious activities you believe in. To do otherwise could be seen as a form of child abuse because you would not be doing the best you can for your child. Some religious practises could be seen as child abuse. For instance forcing your child to marry someone, and claiming that was a religious practise. We have heard of some more grotesque things happening in the name of religion. That is totally different, and I don't think you are referring to that type of thing.
I believe teaching about "Santa Claus" and "The East4er Bunny" and the "tooth fairy" could be considered abusive because you are teaching your child something you do not even believe. You are deliberately misleading your child, so they will not be able to fully trust you later on. And a child needs to be able to trust their parents, even if some day they may decide they don not agree with the parents' beliefs.

Answer 5

What, in your opinion, is the difference between "forcing" and "guiding"?

When a child is little, he/she needs Spiritual guidance. That is a command from God. But, I believe that everyone, no matter how they are raised, has to make the commitment to God on their own. As teenagers, usually, they start questioning and doubting. That is the age of reasoning.

After the child has reached this point, the parents should back off, and if the child doesn't want to continue in their faith, the parents should let them decide for themselves which path they take.

After all, faith is the one-on-one relationship with you and God. You must make the commitment yourself.

Answer 6

No one should force their religion on one's child. Free will should be respected. On the other hand, it is the duty of the parent to educate the child. For example the issue of creation and evolution. Parent should be knowlegeable enough to teach the pros and cons of these oppossing issues.

On the other hand forcing a child to be an aetheist is a great disservice to that kid. It is mental torture.

I think you will agree w/ me on this one.

Answer 7

I wouldn't use the word "force". Teaching morality is part of parenting. But, I think along with it, children should be taught tolerance and how to think independently. It would be child abuse if you hit or otherwise abuse your child for not adhering to your moral standards.

Answer 8

reliable question. As a baby your born right into a lottery of oldsters. except specially circumstances, abuse etc, your stuck with in spite of the moms and dads 'are' for really a lengthy time period reliable or undesirable. Your question looks to me to be about the right of oldsters to rigidity children into their faith. rigidity how/? moms and dads nonetheless beat children except the youngster conforms to the moms and dads particular fantasy yet contained in the longer time period it would probable be counter effective, it surely replaced into in my case. they could attempt to indoctrinate a l. a. Marxist Russia yet that doesn't continually artwork both outward conformity in not attractiveness. The stability of the moms and dads rights and the childs isn't as major arguably because the social and cultural mores that the youngsters are being raised in. My sisters children who stay in Switzerland were approached at an early age through a sect. the youngsters they met were thoroughly brainwashed believing because they did not get the chance to study their moms and dads brainwashing with some thing else. contained in the major I trust you children could not be compelled/brainwashed into 'being' some thing. in fact adequate, ie that is what we've self assurance, that is what they have self assurance, that is what those have self assurance. hassle is, moms and dads have axes to grind they are proper they understand, even as for sure they understand little or no. Their lack is handed onto the youngster that ought to be like them. that's extraordinarly egocentric yet very comprehensible. it is going to replace yet i'm afraid there's a lot extra turning out to be as a lot as do yet.

Answer 9

My parents valued our religion as their greatest gift and wanted to share it with us. When I was 18, I decided that I wanted to have as little to do with that "gift" as possible but I returned to it a few years later and have never been happier. If parents love their children and really feel that their religion has improved their own lives, they will pass it to their children.

I suppose though, that the wording you used was "forcing religion". I suppose that will be defined a million different ways by a million different people. I never felt "forced"...even when I decided it wasn't for me.

Answer 10

Forcing false religion on children is arguably child abuse. It depends on the individual circumstances. For example, forcing a child to take part in devil-oriented ceremonies can be considered child abuse.

Sharing your religion with your child is not child abuse.

Exposing your child to truth is not child abuse.

Threatening your child with harm if he or she does not accept your religion may be considered child abuse. Actually harming your child because he or she won't accept your religion is child abuse.

Again, case-by-case.

But do note that one cannot force anything to happen in another's soul. So even if a parent tries to do what you call "forcing" a religion upon a child, ultimately that child chooses where he or she places his or her faith, or lack thereof, even if he or she never mentions it.

You ascribe way too much power to human beings.