What if it was against the law to teach children religion?

Question

If we weren't allowed to teach kids religion, it would allow them the choice. Most wouldn't choose a religion if they weren't born and raised with it, because they would be smart enough to not just accept their parent telling them it as proof. As less and less became religious, it would undo some of the restraints religion has brought on society. We would be allowed to advance more. But, The idea is unrealistic, for many reasons. I want to hear your opinion on the subject, though.

Questions:

1. What do you think would happen if the government actually decided to make it against the law to teach religion to children?

2. What do you think would happen if everyone followed the law? Do you think society would be better if everyone had the choice to choose religion, rather than having it forced on them as a kid? Do you think we would be more advanced in things that are viewed as wrong (Cloning, Etc).

Remember, all question are hypothetical, please don't answer with 'it wouldn't happen'.

Answer 1

Bad idea.

I want kids to be able to choose but I don't think laws are the way to go. that's almost the same as the Christians putting their beliefs into law.

Answer 2

WHERE do people come up with this stuff?

I'm reminded of a line from Rush's song "Free Will":
"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice."
Why is this relevant? Simple. Even if parents choose to not "push" a religion on their children, they are STILL essentially making a choice for them.

But to answer your question:
1. If it happened in my country, I would either break the law and teach my kids what I believe anyway because they're MY children, or I would move.
2. No, I don't think it would be better. Kids are STILL able to choose their own religion. People who are raised in Christian homes still become atheists, Buddhists, Muslims, Wiccans, or pagans. Conversely, people who are raised in atheist, Buddhist, Muslim, Wiccan or pagan homes can become Christians.

Furthermore, even though I was raised Christian, my mom NEVER forced it on me. Yes, she did make me attend church at least on Sunday mornings until I was eighteen, but that was HER right as a parent. And despite that, she was still quite supportive of me throughout the time I was an atheist (a total of almost eight years, not including the time I was a skeptic, which was from when I was about five until I was thirteen, at which time I became an atheist), AND when I was Wiccan (for almost six years). She debated with me when I brought it up, but she never forced it down my throat. At the time, I thought she did.

And no, I don't think we would become more advanced. I enjoy technology, and I enjoy the advances we've made, but at the same time, I wonder what we're giving up in order to "advance" civilization.

Answer 3

Well first I think that is a good idea. Instead of religion teach honesty, responsibility and awareness. Talk about mind blowing.
1) people would find a way to teach their children and they would have to be sure of their own beliefs for themselves, something that is sadly lacking - people have a tendency to be led instead of question. All people every where should question all things and all things should be debateable. We have lost the art of debate. The presidential debates are not debates they are media driven and have nothing to do with reality.
2) In one generation the whole world would change, maybe not as much hatred, no one insisting on being the only right way, a kind of acceptance of all ways not just one way. As time passes we could find ourselves in the age of Aquarius, a millennium of peace such as human kind has never seen.

Answer 4

There's a difference between teaching children ABOUT religion and teaching them religion itself.

Children should be taught about all the major religions and the differences and similarities between them. This would help greater understanding of different religions. But it should always be emphasised that these are beliefs, not facts and while it is acceptable to believe something, one should never force those beliefs on others.

The teaching of religion itself should be left until the child is old enough to understand the distinction between belief and fact and should be done in such a way that ensures that teaching does not become indoctrination or brainwashing.

Answer 5

No, it's not. Regarding saying grace or not makes no difference to God. Perhaps to the person who feels good about it. So, by all means, do it. The adult who said that God will be angry is wrong. He is displaying a false notion about God, and has broken the law against anthropomorphism. In conclusion, there shouldn't be any law against adults discussing religion with minors.

Answer 6

1. To write such a law would interfere with the parent's rights to execise thier own religion, and the right to educate thier children in the way they see fit, and we don't do that in the US.

2 To write such a law would result in a whole bunch of confused children wondering what the heck is going on when their parents take off to this mysterious place every Sunday that they can't tell the kids about until they are 18. If anything, it would make the idea of going to church even more attractive to them, as a symbol of being an adult, and therefore something they can't wait to do...egads....telling any kid they can't do something until they are grown up is a sure way to make sure it is attractive to them....instead of having beer at parties, they'll invite ministers instead, or try to sneak in to church to get a look at this forbidden activity you have to be an adult to do, instead of sneaking in to R rated movies!

Denying people the right to teach thier children about thier own religion does not give the children a choice, any more than allowing the parents to decide for them does, it only takes it out of the parents hands, and allows the government to decide for them. If the government decides that for them, what will they decide for you?

You don't have to be religious to view the idea of cloning people for spare parts or slaves to be wrong, nor do you have to be religious to have concerns about the long term health effects of eating cloned food, or to have concerns about what the long term effects of cloning would be to other species and the ecology in general, or for alot of other things that people consider "wrong". Religion or no, would you consider it right for someone else to use you for spare parts without your consent, or for slavery?

No matter what our parents teach us, it is still ultimately up to us to make up our own minds. Sometimes children raised in one religion embrace a different religion, or none at all, sometimes children raised with no religion, seek a deeper meaning in thier lives and seek out religion, the idea that a child raised without religion would be an athiest, really doesn't hold water at all, people will choose what they think is right, regardless of what they were raised with. Supression of an idea doesn't magically make the idea go away, if anything, it makes people fight for it. If that weren't the case, the Berlin Wall would still be standing today. No one, adult, child, or otherwise, can make an informed choice about anything if they are not allowed to investigate it. I was brought up Catholic, I managed to survive it just fine, thank you, for the 17 years I spent as a Catholic, I have had 30 more of investigating other ideas on my own, I'm a Universalist / Pagan now, and whether my parents approve of what I think or not, I am my own person.

The idea that society would be more advanced if people were unable to teach thier children about religion is just your opinion, not a fact.

Answer 7

I think it could happen, actually.

If children are not "trained up" as the Bible says, the chances are they will not follow God. Check the statistics. It only takes about two generations to wipe out a belief system in a family.

It would be a great tragedy for an entire generation to not follow God and know His great love for them. Only a small remnant would actually follow Him.

Answer 8

1. I think alot of people would be breaking this law.

2. If everyone followed this law, the future generations would grow more spiritually because religion would not be there to hinder their experiences and questions.

Answer 9

1) Then I move underground. My children will still learn about God.

2) rofl ... yeah right. We've taken religion out of most of society and it has gone progressively down hill. Homosexuality is flaunted as well as gluttony, excess, materialism, promiscuity as well as the butchery of innocent unborn babies and every kind of sin and perversion imaginable all in the name of "progress". And this is good for my children HOW?

Answer 10

Hindus have 30 crores of gods - 300 million deities. At one god/minute 50 minutes/hour, 8 hours/day, 200 school days/year that is 3750 school years of instruction. When would there be time to relay exhortations about being compassionate toward tolerated minorities (e.g., queers, spics, and nigs)?

Answer 11

That's a slippery slope so I would hope it never happens. But I think you can't help but teach your kids your religion. I am adamant about my kids choosing their own path, but my daughter still knows about the Goddess even though I haven't ever sat down and talked to her about it.