Christians and Atheists when is a child reasonably responsible for his or her choices?

Question

The choices I am talking about are religious and political choices. No one thinks that a 6 year old is a bonifide republican or democrat because s/he is too young to understand the concepts.

Why do christians think that the same 6 yr old is old enough to understand the logic of the creationism/evolution debate, or the concept of life after death?

When is a child old enough to be able to make the choice of political and religious affiliation for him/herself?

When you answer please tell us if you are christian, atheist, or agnostic as a point of reference. Thanks!

I did not ask when children know right from wrong. Why do so many people keep discussing this point when it is irrelevant to my question?

Answer 1

Most people don't really settle into the belief structure that they carry fo their lives until they are in their mid-late 20s. Many religions believe that at 13ish a child is an adult-in-training or an adult in the community and the child is then to make a decision. It is my belief that kids in their teens are adults-in-training for many things and should be encouraged to learn and explore lots of different ideas and world views. Most of us change our political views several times over our lives and no declaration by anyone about a party affiliation should be accepted as "who they are". My boys are encouraged to talk with people and learn what other people see, think and believe, and from the actual point of view of the believer, not mine. It is my belief that all children should be allowed to make their own decision always. They should be required to learn about all religions from is own believers and never forced to be one thing or another. No, a six year old cannot understand the why there is debate between creationism and evolution (I frankly can't either, they are not mutually exclusive) but a six year old can be taught what they each are in a neutral and factual way. A child taught at 6 that evolution cannot exist is stifled in their ability to understand and really decide for themselves.

Answer 2

Reasonably responsible would be around 12 or 13. At that age, they should know right from wrong and be able to have a real conversation with you about things. Not in detail but understand enough that you don't have to dumb everything down due to their age.

6 years old IS NOT old enough to understand religion or science. Not even remotely. At that age, they still think magic is possible. My three year old nephew thinks theres a monster under his bed and that "bad wizards are in the dark" for no reason at all.

Honestly, how could you possibly expect a child to understand something as in depth as religion and science?

However, reasonably responsible (responsible for their own actions) is one thing. Responsible enough to make their own religious choices would be when they're an adult.

Before that, they don't have enough information or enough maturity to make those decisions.

At least children are children and can be excused when they do something bad. Teenagers do things that are bad when they should know better (and make me want to throttle them in the process).

An adult is fully in charge of their own senses. Only then are they old enough to make that decision with knowledge and experience.

Edit: You HAVE been answered.

Answer 3

Re evolution etc. 8 to 10 is a magic time in most kids' development when they start to question and explore the world around them. They are just beginning to put together cause and effect so they could follow a simple outline of evolution, but aren't yet sophisticated enough to evaluate the debate.

Especially since adult 'Creationists' have transformed said debate into a monster of absurdity with their increasingly bizarre versions of something they pretend is 'evolution.' It takes all of my mental skill to follow their convoluted arguments, so how we can expect a 6 year old to manage that?

I was raised Catholic and truly believed that I was thinking everything through for myself and I just happened to come up with the same answers as the Church. Then I went to university and learned how to actually think and analyze. Now I'm quite happily atheist.

Answer 4

I'd say around 13 years old give or take a few years depending on the maturity of the child. In the temple I attend, we don't allow anyone under 18 into the temple. They can take the training to convert at the age of 16 and we'll offer teens guidance. But we're firm believers that young people should make their own religious and spiritual choices.

Oh - I practice Daemonolatry.

Answer 5

There is really only one correct answer to this question, and that is that every child develops at a different rate. There is no single age or even age group that possess the same amount of discernment.

Some children will make a decision to follow a certain religion very early on in their lives, and may never break from that decision. Some might not ever choose.

Answer 6

I'm not sure a child can reasonably be expected to understand, much less choose affiliations regarding politics and religion until some time in their teens. Their choices regarding religion are permissable largely upon the extent to which the parents grant them the right to choose such things. As for politics, the choices of children are moot as they do not possess the right to vote.

Answer 7

Judaism says that a child reaches the "age of accountability" at 13 for boys, 12 for girls.. they have a rite of passage known as a bar mitzvah (boys) bat mitzvah (girls).
I can't believe anyone would think a 6 year old would know enough about life, the world or anything else to make an intelligent decision about religious or political choices.

Answer 8

I'm an atheist, but was raised catholic.

I've been an athiest since I was about 14.

I made the decision myself because I woke up and realized that there are much deeper truths that need to be uncovered than any religion could provide. That in and of itself is a problem, that religion "provides" truth, rather than trouth being sought out.

Therefore, I believe there is no set age for someone to be responsible, it kind of depends on the person. I do believe that children, perhaps under the arbitrary age of 16, should not be subjected to the indoctrination into a religion due to the lasting harm it can cause on the psyche.

Answer 9

Regardless of how old it will be for each child, it is STILL a parents obligation to rear the child in the ways of morality with or without religious affiliation as they see fit. The child will ultimately make up their OWN mind when they are of age. I don't know of ANYONE, regardless of whether or not they were raised in a Christian home (which I was NOT, btw), who doesn't question their own set of beliefs at one time in their life. At that time they will either maintain a firmer belief, because now they've made them their own, or they will search for an alternative faith.

Edit:

I am a Born again Christian

Answer 10

For my side, I have on no account voted in an election when you consider that fitting a Christian. I do realise the drawback of citizens regardless that. Do you vote for the Devil you recognize, or the Devil you do not know? Most politics isn't established on good judgment, however feelings. Who ever stirs up probably the most confident feelings and avoids the bad, generally wins. From my factor of view, that's a deficient strategy to run something, permit on my own a nation with hundreds of thousands of lives and households at stake. That is why I have no longer voted. Or extra thoroughly, DID vote for the person who God appointed because the King of the earth, Jesus Christ. This used to be each logical and emotional. Only a Perfect man or woman, with the steering and help of the Ruler of the Universe must be considering that accountability. (Logical part) And the person who has promised the first-rate lifestyle for probably the most of mankind (those who desire him as their king) is the emotional part. So my option used to be no longer among devils, however for the One that has been appointed to defeat the entire devils that experience plagued mankind.