Why do we still continue to brainwash our kids with religion??

Question

Religion is meant to be a good thing at least that was the intention. Unfortunaltly shortly after most religions were concieved man used it for his own gain. For money or so the people would fight for a cause normally nothing to do with religion. Now dont get 6me wrong if people want to pratice any religion as long as it hurts no one thats fine with me. But to preach to children who are not able to choose for themselves is just wrong. It will effect every decission in their lives. If they want to choose a religion then thats their own choice when their old enough to make it. Its not for any parent to decide. Opinions please. Oh and religious fanatics condem all you want

Answer 1

In the beginning, there was caveman. Caveman didn't know what thunder was. So caveman made up a myth to make himself feel better.

You assert that the above is "meant to be a good thing." Lying to yourself is never a good thing. This is regardless of everything else that got piled atop the original lying impulse (ie, ~other~ people taking the lie, and using it for their own gain at the expense of the one who needed the lie to sleep at night).

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However, if you say a parent shouldn't teach a kid the religion of the parent's choice, you are going to the core of what parenting actually is. By the same logic, a parent shouldn't say ANYTHING to their child, like broccoli will be the vegetable the kid eats instead of brussel sprouts. There is a difference between being a kid, and being an adult. Until the latter, the parents make the decisions unless the parents are, say, dangling the kids out of tenth floor windows; then GovCo intervenes.

If parents aren't allowed to be parents, then ultimately GovCo makes even those of us who don't want kids be the "collective" parent of every kid, which takes us down the slippery slope of all manner of legalized "prohibitions" for adults, in the name of protecting damn children with their own friggen parents.

At the same time, if the kid is smart enough, in their own mind they will be formulating what they believe regardless of what the parent's preference is. We've all been through adolescence, you know what I'm talking about. And if they aren't smart enough to do this independent thinking, it wouldn't matter who was doing whatever brand of brainwashing -- they will be failures as adults no matter what. And invariably those failed adults will impact your freedom directly or indirectly.

And there is no democratic solution for preventing those failed minds from reaching the level of voting adulthood. Any preventive measure (eugenics or whatnot) would be another slippery slope to erode other freedoms of an already rational minority.

It's quite the Catch 22. And since it is so, if that is the best life has to offer, and if life is directed by a deity, then that deity is a vicious psychopath, and we are merely fodder for the deity's amusement. There is no other logical explanation if you choose to both A) see the world as it is, in abstract terms and B) you also choose to believe that this mess is of supernatural origin.

Answer 2

There is religion and religion. I agree that brainwashing a kid to believe that his family's faith is the one and only without letting them find out about other beliefs, and passing on dangerous fanaticism is wrong.

But isn't it much better to be brought up within a community with some kind of traditional definite moral limits and goals that letting the child just drift with the wind? Nowadays, so many kids think only of how to spend money, have a good time and get what they can while they can, watch rubbish on the box and listen to a lot of rubbish music.

I was Christened when I was five and remember it, but wasn't taken to church EVER after that! When I was fifteen I started spending a lot of my free time reading up on some different religions and sects, and decided on Jesus, or He decided on me maybe! I remember all the confusion I went through, the doubting, and embarassment at admitting to my mostly religionless friends that I wanted to really be a Christian.

I decided to bring up my kids in the faith from day one. They are glad to be part of the Christian family...we've never forced them or 'brainwashed' them and have had many debates about their teenage years doubts. They have seen that our religion gives us so much strength and satisfaction and I think it's the EXAMPLE of this that made them decide to keep within the Church. At their school they had several 'fanatic' Christian teachers of Religious Studies and were able to talk to us about how misguided these people seem to be...and it's sure that they are as broad minded as any non-religious people.

People who are fanatic are frightened people - if you really believe you're not scared...you are secure in your belief and realise that not everyone is going to believe the same!

Answer 3

A agree. Religion is a really bad thing. Personal spirituality is good. Small groups of people who agree are okay. But large religions that use their power to influence laws and all that- they need to break apart. That's not spirituality. Spirituality is a personal thing, and I'll enchorage my children to find it on their own.

Answer 4

I agree 100%. Our children are not our "property", to indoctrinate as we wish. They are human beings, separate from us, and they have the right to make the choice as adults.

I let my kids decide at the ages of 13 and 14. Before then, no religion, or atheism, or anything like that allowed. Morality, yes. Religion, no. It is possible to be happy, healthy, well-adjusted and socially responsible without religion; in fact, it is easier.

One of them chose to be an atheist, the other Christian. I tell you, I have to really bite my tongue sometimes. To their credit, they don't get into discussions about it with each other or argue about it. They don't have passionate feelings about their beliefs, because neither of them was indoctrinated into anything. The biggest part of my problem is that as a child, I was, and I will never forgive the people who did it. They don't have such hang-ups, and for that, I'm glad.

Answer 5

I agree with you. If/when I ever have kids I will be letting them make up their own minds and start teaching them about all different religions when they are 16.

Answer 6

Because we want them to know about whatever our Religion is, and we don't want them to go through life without them knowing someone is there to help them get through things. And that they are not alone even though it fells like it.

Answer 7

my mum was a Sunday school teacher before she had a family she never once preached us the bible or took us to church she said we would make our own decisions about religion when we were old enough to understand it
my 2 boys have been brought up the same it should be their choice
I also believe it is up to the child when older if they want to be Christened not up to the parent to pick their child's faith

Answer 8

It is the duty of a parent to guide his/her children with what he/she thinks is the best for them and religion is one of the most important issues in anybody's life. Once they grow and start thinking on their own they can choose whatever they like. If you can not or do not want to do this, better off not have any children.

Answer 9

I was brought up to think for myself & my 2 sons have been brought up the same way none of us have choosen religion.

Answer 10

I'm just waiting for the condemning to come to you. If I have a kid, I'd let him decide when he was 8-10 unless my wife has something to say about that.