Shouldn't religious faith come from the individual, rather than through indoctrination?

Question

If a particular religion has legs to stand on, shouldn't joining said religion be something that an individual decides for him/herself? Why do some people/religions indoctrinate their children before those children are even old enough to truly understand what it is?

To clarify a bit -- Of course parents are going to do things like take their children to church, etc... but there's a difference between insisting on only one belief and exposing a child to the fact that there are many beliefs and that what they're learning about now is but ONE of MANY organized religions and that some people don't have any organized religion, etc... What's wrong with raising a child with a larger world view?

Furthermore, if one's religion is so wonderful, wouldn't it speak for itself? In other words... is it truly necessary to indoctrinate rather than simply expose?

In other words -- why do some religions have to basically "scare" children into believing?

Answer 1

I couldn't tell you why some people indoctrinate. My family did that to me and from what it sounded like from them, it's part of their faith to go out and spread the word so that others would believe as well. That's the only explanation I could ever give to why people do it is that it's somehow part of their faith.

But you're right. If any religion was worth its tracts, its believers would believe of free will, not because they "must". I quit believing because it was ground into my head from infancy that I "had" to believe, couldn't question, and that to do otherwise was such a heinous crime that it couldn't even be mentioned or talked about. I quit because I didn't have a choice in the matter, among other reasons that are too many to list and have nothing to do with answering your question anyway. :P

I felt that I should believe something because I truly, honestly believed it, not because I was told that I should or had to. Then I realized I didn't believe what my parents had told me at all and tried to find something I DID believe. Unfortunately, that caused a lot of friction in the family and now, because of this "if you're not with us, you're against us" attitude my family has, it's hard for me to believe in anything.

But that doesn't mean people don't or can't believe. Even if I personally don't believe, I do believe that if a person's going to be part of a religion, they should do it because they honestly believe and mean it, not because they "have" to. True belief comes from the heart, not from intimidation and fear. Belief from the heart flourishes, where belief from fear will cause a person to hate the enforced belief and eventually, that belief will die out.

Religion can't be forced and people will only be controlled for so long. Sooner or later, people will figure out that a belief that is forced is only being used to keep them under control out of fear of punishment if they disobey those in power. Then the belief loses its "power" and people stop believing.

If people honestly believe in something, that belief will flourish and make them happy, and it's been my experience that happiness goes much further than fear towards being a healthy, productive person and society.

Answer 2

Absolutely right. If Christians did not indoctrinate their children their would be hardly any Christians!!! So that is why they insist on religion in schools (only their own of course!!) and in thrusting their opinions on them as the absolute truth.

Sadly when you read the many comments from so called Christians on Yahoo you see the same tired words and phrases used time after time. Rarely do you see any thought out comment. So there you have it - they are so indoctrinated that like the communist elite - they simply cannot believe that it is them and not everyone else who has been indoctrinated.

But interesting to wonder - When parents, and particularly, other adults seek to indoctrinate young children, are they not seeking to force a way of life and belief on them instead of allowing the freedom for them to learn all and then make the choice on how they live their life? Is that then not CHILD ABUSE?

Answer 3

We SHOULD be able to choose our beliefs, but the majority of religions threaten damnation to those who do not "spread the word" or "go forth and prosper" which literally makes them obligted to force their kids to follow their same path.

If the leaders of the world's religions were more tolerant of others' faiths, they might allow their followers' children to make their own choices, but they are so insecure and fearful that they might be overtaken by some other religion that they enforce this "automatic indoctrination" wholeheartedly.

This is probably what bothers me most about organized religions. They are so hyporictical.... they say they teach love and tolerance, but they then turn around and tell their followers that they'll be damned if they chose a different life path. Worship by guilt is no way to live.

We have come so far in our world to allow such backward belief systems to ruin our lives. We need to rethink our religions, take the parts from them which are positive and loving and good, and we need to rewrite these doctrines to make them better fit our lives in contemporary society.

We know this probably won't be happening globally anytime soon, but I am at least doing this with my own life and if everyone made this choice, maybe the world would be one step closer to living in peace and harmony.

Answer 4

If it has to come from anywhere, then yeah it's better if the person makes their own choice. It's horrible that parents teach their religion to their children as though it were fact. It's also completely contrary to freedom of religion, since many of those children will never be willing or able to make an objective decision later in life.

Answer 5

If this question is in regard to my previous question, I will agree with you, it should. I myself am not a religious person, I was forced to go to church as a child, and as soon as I reached an age to decide for myself I stopped going. My husband, however is the son of a preacher, and church is all that he has ever known. Both of our children attend church every other sunday and once on Wednesday for Mission friends. I do not think that I am forcing my children to go or to believe in christianity. Instead, I think I am giving them options. Right now my children enjoy Mission Friends, they have activities, and get to sing songs, and be with their friends. But, if they ever express the desire to not go and to try other alternatives, I am completely for it. At the same time, if both would like to live in a convent and become nuns, that's equally as acceptable to me. I want them to live a live that is a happy and healthy. If they choose to believe in god, why would I attempt to stop it? I think that everyone out there needs SOMETHING to believe in. Whether it be god or the lack there of, atleast you have a belief that is all your own.

Answer 6

From the beginning of man kind I believe we have been communicating thru doctrine to maybe enforce our own beliefs and control an others thinking processes of perhaps their own reasonable and logical conclusions of what they may have discovered for themselves.
We can`t let someone else think how they want we must control the minds of those apposing our ideas and way of thinking!
Especially the young how easy is that?
I make myself sick sometimes because of what has come out of my mouth in leading an others way of thinking and it came from nothing.

I love talking about nothing its the only thing I know anything about.

Yes.

Answer 7

If you truly believe you have found the Truth, you share it with all that you love -particularly your own children.

If there is a Truth, than not all religions have this Truth. They are radically different in their understanding of God or even the gods. Some faiths are particulary exclusive - like the Christian religion. If I am a Christian, and I am, then I have to exclude Islam, Hinduism, Mormonism, etcs as being true as well - not that some of their living advice isn't good stuff, but the theology is false. Either 1+1=2 or it isn't. There is but one Truth.

Certainly, at some point in their own lives, they will need to choose for themselves. But that doens't mean I'm not going to try to share the truth as I see it. To me, the sharing the Christian faith is the most critical thing I can do. I want them to know God as well, if not better, than I know God.

As adults, we become accountable for knowing God as He has revealed Himself. As adults - we need to know why we believe what we believe and do our homework

God Bless -

Answer 8

It seems to me that the schools are indoctrinating young children with the theory of evolution before they are old enough to truly understand what it is. Shouldn't learning said theory be something that an individual decides for him/herself?
Teaching evolution in the schools goes against what I believe. Therefore, I taught my children that God is the Creator. They now had two alternatives - God or evolution. The choice was theirs to make. Without any pressure from me,but a great deal of pressure from school, they both decided that God was the logical choice,despite what seemed like overwhelming "evidence" for evolution,and they continue to believe today that God is our Creator.
It is all in how one views religion. You see it as indoctrination, just as I see evolution being taught to the children of believers in God indoctrination. Evolution is only an opinion on how we all came to be. I don't believe our children should be taught an opinion. That is indoctrination. You seem to believe our children shouldnt be taught about God,since He seems to be just an opinion to many people. To you,that is indoctrination. Two conflicting opinions with our children caught in the middle. When did it become acceptable for people to tell others how to raise their children,and what to teach them about the origins of life? Where do we draw the line?

Answer 9

By way of that thinking, we shouldn't teach our children anything until their old enough to make up their minds what they want to learn. Of course, by that time, they would be nothing more than blithering idiots who still crap in their diapers and the mental development of a 3 year old.

It is the job of parents to give their children a solid foundation, both educational and moral. When a person reaches the age of consent, then they can decide if the path their parents paved for them is the right one or if they want to take it off-road.

To deny a child this foundation is egregious abuse.

Answer 10

If a religion were the true religion, then people would be able to find it on their own.

Life is my religion, the ultimate goal of everyone is to live a good life, and that's all there is to it.