Do you agree?

Question

Someone earlier said that if a person's parents have a religion or faith belief and tell their kids and raise them with that, that they are brainwashing them. Do you agree with this?
If you do then do you also believe that a vegetarian who raises their kids as vegetarians is also brainwashing their children?
If not then what is the difference?

I myself do not consider either of these to be brainwashing as i think a person who is raised a certain way can make a choice how they live when they are old enough to decide for themselves.

My son is 3 and when he is older I will tell him my beliefs and also tell him about other beliefs. I will allow him to investigate any religion he chooses, as I believe it is a personal choice.
I will also though raise him with knowledge of the beliefs that I have.

Answer 1

I will raise my children as Christians. This is not because of any reason other then I'm the parent and they are the child. The live with me. They eat what I cook for dinner. They wear the clothes that I buy them. They watch shows that our family watches. They will continue doing this until they show interest in making their own choices. [They are only five years and fifteen months now.] So, why would it be considered brainwashing if I choose to take them to church with me? I don't understand it either. They will be raised as Christians. If they choose to venture out then so be it. I will not mind but until then I will bring them up learning about God and His Son.

I should also add that they will learn about other religions too when they are old enough to 'get' it and understand that it's just another religion and that they are not intertwined.

Answer 2

If you do not teach your children what you believe is the truth, then are you not lying to them?

I have heard this argument from all angles, and have to state that a person teaches their children their own religion, no matter what the religion. Even if the religion taught is "no religion".

Every parent everywhere has this responsibility, yet you find others who are trying to decide what is right for another person's child, and that is completely wrong. This is almost always due to a conflicting viewpoint as well. Consider the Darwinist approach used by atheists.

They are trying to force it upon whom, reasoning, discerning adults, capable of an educated decision? No, but through children in the public schools.

This is a targeted religious attack, upon helpless victims with little defense, by people whose desire is more directed toward gaining future acolytes than any sense of welfare or love for the child. THIS IS "BRAINWASHING", as they have declared their own parental rights to be superior to another's. Love is the difference, as a parent lovingly teaching the child what they believe to be true is concerned about that specific child's welfare.

However, this is getting more and more common, from many religions, and is completely immoral. As a Christian, for instance, I will not try to subvert an atheists child, nor an Islamist's. Though I am in disagreement with both, they have the same rights as I.

However, if anyone ASKS a question, I am more than happy to answer to the best of my knowledge. As will be true of my own children.

Answer 3

I don't agree with the statement that kids are brainwashed when parents teach them about religion. I believe that it is the duty of a parent to teach them about religion so that they would learn how one should be. Religion teaches a kid to become punctual, respectful, loving, caring etc. They should know what your beliefs are, and when they do grow up, it's up to them if they want to continue with the same belief or not.

Answer 4

A study in the UK found that about 1 in 12 people deviate from their parents' religion. Obviously the religion one is taught as a child has a huge effect on the religion they follow in later life. You're kidding yourself if you think your son will be able to make an objective choice.

If people made an objective choice about religion, then you'd expect the majority of people to either convert to a specific faith or to abandon faith. For example, if everyone converted to Sikhism, regardless of what they were taught growing up, then one might assume that they were making an objective choice. Similarly, if everyone made an objective choice then it may result in widespread atheism. But that doesn't happen. Most people remain in the religion they are brought up in, not because it presents a better argument but because they were brought up in it.

If you tell your intellectually immature son that God created the earth, or that Jesus died for his sins, then you are removing his freedom of religion.

Answer 5

I don't agree with that at all.

People who raise their children with religion and faith belief have raised a much more intelligent and moral child. Atheists seem to have been brainwashed into their way of thinking.
They typically use insults such as stupid, brainwashed, delusional, not realizing that believers are not stupid,brainwashed nor delusional, they have made the wise choice.Atheists are stupidly deluding their own selves.

Answer 6

Not necessarily brainwashing, more-so indoctrinating. But it is really no different than being indoctrinated into anything, you don't know a chair is a chair or a tree is a tree until you can successfully identify the objects as your "teacher" describes them to you, so it is with religion and repeating the teachings . Some people learn to question ambiguities and contradictions in their religious upbringing, others just blindly accept and move on.

Answer 7

I will raise my children by giving them a choice. They can learn about religion, or they can be an atheist like me. They can be a vegetarian, or they can be an omnivore. As long as my children are happy and healthy and safe, I won't care. But I think it's wrong to just show children one side of the story.

Answer 8

actually during childhood itself parents induce a haste on other religions ,so the child get induced with thoughts that other religions are worse later when they grow up they aren"t interested in knowing about other religions . And they teach the same things to their wards too.

Answer 9

I think parents should teach their children. It's called being a parent. I think teaching children concerning their eternal life is a responsibility. We all can choose what we believe and do make choices in our adulthood but it is a parent's responsibility to instruct their children.

Answer 10

Telling you NOT to raise your children with your faith is tyrannical, brainwashing, bullying.