Follow up question on teaching religion to kids?

Question

A day or so ago, I posted a question asking if those who were against teaching religion to kids were against all religions or just Christianity. Thank you for your answers, but it raised another question.

This only pertains to teaching at home, not schools.

I had answers stating to wait until the kid is older. Now, my questions are, how old? And do you show many religions or hold off until the kid reaches that age? And, if it's many religions, what about the parent's primary religion? Should a Christian introduce a kid to Buddism if it goes against what they believe?

I am curious as to your answers since I do not understand your logic behind this. After all, I personally think that not teaching a child until they reach this "enlightened" age only opens the doors to rejecting all religions. Please, explain your views.

Thank you.

This has nothing to do with how I'm going to raise my kids. I was curious about the people who want to hold off teaching kids until a certain age.

Answer 1

I believe a child should be in church from day one.......


For those who will tell you that you would be brainwashing that child, consider this......if YOU don't teach them right from wrong, the world will.
Through video games that teach them to kill, bad movies, bad TV, bad friends, and on and on and on......

Look at society, kids killing kids in school, murder at an all time high...this list can go on for a long time too.....but you get my point I hope.

And as for what church......What do you believe?..Do you believe God thru the Bible? You know, Christianity has the ONLY Savior who arose form the dead. No other religion even makes that claim.
IMO.......The Bible is the final word. Believe me, you children will be exposed to far more than you want them to be exposed to by the time they are older....... If they choose to make another decsion at that time, it would be THEIR decision to do so.

Train 'em right while they are young........

You have a great life.....and good luck

Answer 2

Parents should teach their children about life from the time they are born... or even in the womb. Children love singing songs and going to Sunday School type programs. Practicing your religion should be a family event and if started from the beginning, becomes a comfortable part of the child's life.

When you teach young children, don't get into those debatable issues that adults want to argue about all the time. All they need to know is that you depend on God and they can too.... that Jesus loves them .... and that you love them. Parents are God's representatives in a child's life. To deprive them of that is not doing your job as a parent.

Make it an enjoyable experience to be in church. If you ignore your child while talking to adults all the time, or they are at an age of fearing when you leave them in the nursery, don't do it. Being in "God's House" should be a good thing to a child. If they cry in the nursery, keep them with you in church. If they become too noisy and disruptive, show others courtesy by stepping out with the child until they calm down. They won't be little forever. Eventually, they will learn to enjoy being in church and know that it is a place where they must be quiet during prayer and things.

Parents of all religions have a right to teach their children their own religion. They can be introduced to other views when they are older. In fact, they should be introduced to other views and the parents should explain why they do not believe those things.

Children of parents who practice their religous beliefs with the child are generally able to handle life better. That isn't necessarily with any particular religion. It seems that human beings have a need to be connected to something greater than themselves.

I believe that is God, who loved us so much that he died on the cross so we could be forgiven of our sin. My children have taught me a lot about that.... and all the time I thought I was teaching them! :o)

God Bless,

Sue

Answer 3

When I have kids, I'm going to teach them how I believe... mainly because I feel it's right. We all teach our kids what we feel is right in everything else so why not religion? If I wasn't a believer however I think I would still teach my children ABOUT religion, who people worship and why, because its as much a part of society and culture as anything else is.

My children will probably come to me with questions about other religions and I'll answer them to the best of my knowledge, tell them why I dont follow that religion and encourage them to research. Understanding what other people hold sacred, helps us all understand eachother more.

Answer 4

I think if you want to teach a child religion, you need to teach the child about all religions. Let them look at it from an objective viewpoint. Read your Bible stories with your Dr. Seuss, and let them decide whether the story of Moses or Muhammad is any more true than that of the Cat in the Hat.

If you really believe that not teaching children about religion until their "enlightened" age would cause them to reject religion altogether, maybe that says more about religion than it does about teaching children about God at an early age. If a religion must rely on brainwashing of the innocent, then it is not worth believing. Children are defenseless, and will believe whatever you tell them to until they reach a certain age. Only those who do not believe in intellectual freedom would take advantage of that. Let the next generation choose for themselves if they want to pay the high social costs of religion. It's not our decision, it's theirs.

Answer 5

I think it is perfectly fair to teach your child to believe in what you believe and give the reasons why. If they reject it later on their own, at least you told them what you believe. Knowing that is important to kids.

Now if you wait till the child is past a certain age they will be less likely to believe your religion because they make judgments more on logic than feeling. Under the age of 6 you can plant ideas with them that will resonate at the emotional level and they will also be eager to please you by adopting your beliefs. Not to mention kids are more trusting and will take what you say on faith. After that age they become more skeptical .

Answer 6

I agree that you teach your children through your own actions. You teach them about other people and other cultures by the way you treat other people and talk about other cultures.

Even though I was an agnostic while raising mine, I tried to answer questions about all religions without prejudice, just as factually as I could.

I was raised in a fundamentalist church that emphasized fear of God, fear of hell, fear of people who were different, fear in general. This was one reason I turned away from God. I truly believe that if I had been raised with God’s love emphasized, I would not have turned away. And this is what I hope other Christians will teach their children.

I wish I had known the power of God’s love when mine were young so that I could have shared it then. We all go through difficult times in life: struggles, tragedies and disappointments. But if you truly know Christ’s love, you will never have to go through any difficulty alone. You will have a loving presence with you who understands every type of pain and suffering, because he went through it himself.

I honestly think that sharing God’s love with your child is the best gift you can ever give them.

Answer 7

Proverbs 22:6
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

--I will raise my kids to know the Lord. This is my one desire that they grow to love the Lord God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. I know there is nothing more important- and I pray over them, that the Lord will keep them under the shadow of His wing and teach them and keep them desiring Him- knowing Him. Sometimes those who grew up in a christian home do depart and try "new things" and that is something we as parents cannot control. But God can! And continual prayer and training in teaching them the Bible is what matters now as they are young. To help them keep their minds on Christ Jesus. As God says- above in that verse~

Answer 8

My parents raised me as a Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran. I even attended a Lutheran School. However, they introduced different cultures and beliefs to me as a child. I was exposed to different races, sexual preferences and religions very, very young When I reached about 13 my parents told me that I was free to choose my religion. They never forced me to go to church, this was always my choice. I think that by teaching me this, I grew up to be very respectful of other's beliefs no matter how different they are from my own.

Answer 9

Paul writing to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:14, 15 said Timothy had been taught fron infancy, or young childhood: "You, however, continue in the things that you learned and were persuaded to believe, knowing from what persons you learned them and that from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through the faith in connection with Christ Jesus."

This is in harmony with Deuteronomy 6:6, 7 - "And these words that I am commanding you today must prove to be on your heart; and you must inculcate them in your son and speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up."

See also Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21.

Answer 10

This will never, ever happen but here goes -

I think that a choice of religion and/or philosophy is such an important decision that it can not reasonably be made until a person is old enough and has enough information to make a true choice.

So, in my fantasy world, I would like to see children taught about all kinds of religions and all kinds of philosophies and then, maybe around 18'ish, let them make their choice.

Again, it ain't never gonna happen, but that's my thought.

A