Hey, is it true that there are some Christian parents who force their children to be religious?

Question

Now I've often been defensive of my religion and sometimes even on the offensive but that doesn't mean that there are some things about it that bother me.

One the things that concern are the stories I keep hearing (and reading) from my fellow teens on how 'uncool' their religious parents are. Example could be one girl being criticized for wearing 'secular' clothes (e.g. mini skirt sleeveless) or another girl for 'dancing like a harlot' (hip-hop). Another is one is me, who loves anime, playing video games, and basically any work of fiction that features magic. Enter this...'preacher'... who comes and says why do you indulge yourself in the works of the devil ! Ooooh Jesus! you must repent and burn all that demonic garbage oooh Jesus!" ANd he quotes a lot boring bible verses. Also, there's the guy who loves listening to rock music and that he just enjoys singing and playing to the tune, but nooo his parents say their words of eeevil oooh!

Is this true? Are there parents like this?

If it is true then I can't blame the youth nowadays for not being religious (myself included).

Also please note, the people I mentioned above are non-conformists. So all the stuff they do, they do it cuz they want 2.

Ok, hey fellow Christians and Catholics, whats ur say in all this?

Answer 1

My mom used to be pretty judgemental when I was younger. She thought that all secular music was evil, she censored what I was able to wear (which I NEVER dressed provocatively, she just didn't want me wearing baggy pants and rock t-shirts), and I wasn't allowed to watch MTV, Comedy Central, or any movies that were rated more than PG-13.
She's loosened up considerably. Now she actually LIKES most of the music I listen to, she quit caring about what people wear (though, like me, she doesn't approve of super short skirts or ultra-revealing tops), and she has watched almost as many R-rated movies as I have!
Yet, she's still a Christian. She started to loosen up when I was sixteen, and now...she's awesome. But she never condemned me for anything, she just disapproved, and told me to leave that stuff out of her house. When I was Wiccan, she had issues with it, but she only told me to leave my ritual stuff somewhere else. Which I can respect, especially now. It was her house, after all.

I'm babbling. But altogether, my mom wasn't that bad, especially as far as religious parents go. At least she always encouraged me to keep learning, reading, and asking questions. She supported and understood the fact that I needed answers before I could believe in her religion. I think it's because of this that I'm a Christian now.

Answer 2

Yes of course there are parents that strongly enforce religion in their household.

As for the preacher, there are some people out there like that and worse, but I think every child will have similar issues over things like that with parents.

If you're a teen then you will just have to get used to your parents telling you what to do til you leave home and even after you do leave they will still object to things you do in your life.

It doesn't really matter the religion, people for the most part will raise their children the way they live.

The blame does not soley lay with "Christian parents." I think its the "Not my fault-its all about me" attitude in society.

Answer 3

There is no such thing as a Christian child or a Muslim child, Jewish child etc, there are only children whose parents are Christian, Muslim or Jewish etc. and these parents think nothing of indoctrinating their own children into religion in the most abusive way...it should be a criminal offense to deny children the right to religious freedom in this way or freedom from religion, it's an abuse of a childs human rights to impose religious beliefs on them under duress.

Answer 4

You know, when you're old and the hedonistic lifestyle is beyond your reach because our superficial society has lost interest in you, maybe then you'll start to tell yourself that there has to be more to life than the flash in the pan you had when you were young and desireable. Then you might understand what's important in life and you'll realise that when you were a kid you didn't know everything and some of the people in this world that have been around longer than you actually did know some stuff.

When you do I hope it works for you and everyone like you.

Answer 5

Friend as a Christian for 37 yrs. yes there was a time I try to force my children to do right things, But I stopped & realized that they have not repented yet, so those thing is still part of their life. The things I did to correct them was done out of love for my children, I wised up & let them do what they wanted too, as long it did not bring in the Law in-forcement Now My kids are grown & to this day they both remember what daddy taught them, If you make them change their clothes, they may change their cothes, But it did not change their heart, Only God can do that.

Answer 6

some parents do. you can't generalize and say ''all these people do this and that'' though.

in regards to your ''guy who loves listening to rock music'', there's a huge misconception among both christians and non-christians alike that once you convert, you have to walk around with your hands folded and your head bowed; you are no longer allowed to be yourself. this is far from the truth. Jesus came to give us abundant life (john 10:10). the preachers who go around condemning everyone (and there are quite a few of them), are wrong for doing that(2 corinthians 3:4-16). i can easily compare them to the pharisees spoken of in the Gospel. christianity isn't about a bunch of rules and regulations. it's about the love of Christ.

Answer 7

I was around 13 when I decided to reject the Church in favour of Witchcraft. I still had to attend mass, and I lived in a tiny town so word spread about me and every sermon was about the evil of witchcraft and so on and so forth.

My mother would tell me of how she 'dabbled' in Witchcraft and then found her way back. She told me I would do the same. I never did, and I resented the oppression for a long long time. I still love my mother, and this fight has resulted in a truce, but this kind of bullying into her ways has happened again and again and again. I refuse to conform and I don't feel like going back to Christianity any time soon.

Answer 8

Heck yeah, there are parents who force religion on children.
My parents did. They are born again Christians and belong to a Southern Baptist Church, and we HAD to go with them.

Now as an adult I look back and think "Wow, they (the Church) taught some REALLY crazy stuff." Also as an adult I want nothing to do with it. They basically teach FEAR. I am not living like that. My Dad tries preaching to me....I used to argue, but now I just smile and leave.
How can they believe in a God that would send them into eternal damnation?
sad.

Answer 9

Your parents obviously have some issues! They should let you hang out with whoever you want! I really never understood that religion and why people choose that religion... To me it seems like a cult! Jehovah's Witnesses are just very wierd!

Answer 10

I agree with the first answer, it's quite a majority. Parents in 90%of cases try to force their children to be exactly like them, to adopt their 1950's morals and to behave like they had to when they were young, often forgetting completely that this is the 2000s.
With oppression like that, children do the only logical thing: they turn to a belief system that allows them to be themselves, or to atheism.