Is it brainwashing to teach your children about your faith?

Question

I'm a Christian. I believe that Christ died for my sins. I also believe if you do not accept Christ as Lord and Savior, you will die in your sins. The only way to have eternal life is through Christ. So if I truely believe this, why is telling this to my children brainwashing? If I tell my children don't run out into traffic, a car can kill you, no one would call this brainwashing. I told my children don't take candy from strangers. Was that brainwashing? If I thought something could save my children's lives, and I ignored telling them about it, what does that make me?
I not only taught my children about God, but I brought them to church and Sunday school every week. They grew up with a love for Jesus, and I know they are going to spend an eternity with Him.
I could have done what some here have said, but then my children would have the security of living forever with Christ.
Is it brainwashing to want to save your children? Is it brainwashing to want to give them the best?

I come here to make posting a couple of times a week. The reason is the same reason I taught my children about God. Maybe someone will read what I wrote and look differently upon his beliefs. If I can lead someone away from Hell to life with God in Heaven, it's worth it. How many here if they saw someone walking into a harmful situation, wouldn't yell out to warm them.

Answer 1

No it's not.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

We have a responsibility as Christian parents to teach our children right. This includes telling them about Jesus.

I know a woman who let her children make their own choices, her and her husband were preachers. All her children live a wild lifestyle now drugs and alcohol. One of her daughters was killed driving drunk last year. This has caused the parent great agony knowing their daughter died unsaved. Daily this woman is saying she let her daughter go to hell.

We don't know the choices our children will make in life but we know we can do the best we can from birth to make sure they know what is right and what is wrong.

Answer 2

Well... warning your children about running in front of a car is completely different something like that has tangible results and can result in physical injury so we all know that it would be for the best.

But worries about spiritual or religious safety is intangible and does not effect us in the here and now in any really significant way. Except making people "feel" good and give them a crutch in times of need.

Since there are many religions out there children should at least be educated about these as well. Since the fact that there are other religions imply that some or all of them including Christianity may not be absolutely true. Share your faith with your children and tell them why you believe as you do. What your reasons are etc. But allow them to learn and study other things and approaches as well so that way they can make informed decisions when older.

My parents forced me to go to church and Sunday school now THAT was attempted brain washing which I rebelled against early on.

Answer 3

Faith is believing in something without seeing physical evidence or using reasoned logic. Therefore their statement is absolutely true.(the teaching a child to have faith part) It is brainwashing just as the belief in God is for the vast majority of believers. Creationism has no evidence and is against logic, just as religion is. Faith is the basis of ignorance, yet most of the faithful do not even realize this. Most don't even know the definition of faith.

Answer 4

Brainwashing is typically done when the other person is unaware of it happening or has little or no control of it , I'm agnostic and even thought i don't believe in organized religion if you wish to pass on your beliefs to your own blood what harm is there in that , people don't consider it brainwashing when they tell their children that there is no god that because there's no proof there's no reason for them to believe it , so teach your child as you wish I'm sure there's going to be plenty of time for them to make their own decisions

Answer 5

Some may consider it brainwashing--I might even agree, in certain extreme circumstances, as you probably would, too,--but it is also the parents' natural right to rear a child in their own religious and cultural traditions, if they so choose. I may not like what the parents are teaching, but I would not interfere with that natural right unless the parents were placing the child in actual danger or encouraging him to break the law. This is one of those situations in which we have to remember that not everyone thinks and acts alike. What may not matter to me as a nontheist might matter very much to a Christian, Jew, or Muslim, and vice versa. Living in a diverse society requires that we be tolerant and respectful of differences, so long as no one is endangered.

Answer 6

Tricky question.
Telling your child not to run into traffic is universally accepted as good. You are saving them from literal death.
Saving your child from what you view as hell isn't always universally accepted. Therefor it will be criticized.
I personally don't think its brainwashing IF you admit to other faiths out there, answer questions about other faith honestly and as unbiased as you possible can and if you can accept that they may or may not follow your choices in religion. It doesn't make them bad people, it makes them have a mind of their own. Now if you force it down their throats and disown them if they choose to leave the church and tell them constantly how they are going to hell...then yeah that is brainwashing.

Answer 7

Don't listen to satan's lies. You said yourself that you are a Christian, and you know that you have a responsiblity to teach your child about God and raise them up to be good God fearing people.

You are not brainwashing your children! Erase that from your thoughts.

Leviticus 10:11 And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.

Make sure that your children understand what it means to be born again by accepting Jesus as their personal savior. That is the only thing that guarantees their salvation and their place in God's kingdom once they reached the age of accountability. Which is them knowing right from wrong and what it means to commit a sin.

God bless you!

Answer 8

I'm a non-Christian, but here's my take on this one. I don't think it's brainwashing to teach your children about YOUR faith. I think, though, that too many people teach their children that it is THEIR faith - the childrens. As in "WE believe abc." and "you are a member of x religion." I think the spiritually responsible thing to do is to say "I believe abc. I hope you will believe abc too, but that is something you will have to decide for yourself." Then you can give the child all the knowledge you want - bring him to Sunday school, teach the Bible, whatever. But then if the child wants to go to Temple orlearn about Buddhism, you have to be ready for that. They may come back to your religion or they may not, but for all the talk about free will, it often seems to be categorically denied to children born into religious households.

Answer 9

No, it's not brainwashing. That's a favorite term of non-believers or dissenters who don't want to listen to the truth. It's no more brainwashing then it is to share your morals and values with your children. We make them wear clothing, send them to school, no candy before dinner....all these things and more are for their best. So is teaching them that Jesus is the Savior.

Atheists could be accused of brainwashing for teaching their children that there is no God.

Answer 10

It is imperative that Christian parents teach their children the Word of God from a young age, showing them how to incorporate it into their daily lives, trusting continually in God. "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NAS). Spiritual training is even more important than academic training, and it doesn't happen by accident; it must be purposeful and habitual.