question about teaching children?

Question

For those who insist that teaching your children about the biblical God as a belief system and/or tennet to live by faith is brainwashing, doesn't it follow that teaching your children NOT to believe in the God of the bible is also brainwashing them?

Answer 1

Actually, I'm very leary of teaching them about there not being a God. I agree with you, there.

Children have a natural spirituality. I instruct in staying open to experiences, and to not define them by belief systems. For we as a family have explored many structures of belief and our conclusions change. My family looks at these questions as a collective where no one knows the most and all in the family have a singular benefit in broadening their understanding of the nature of our Spirit and how to apply physical life affectively to enhance it, so that the Spirit of us shines through.

I'm the least of these. And work hard at staying in, while they come by it more naturally. They propel me forward.
We all question. I teach them to question. Question me, first...Since they do that so well, it shows me that they are wondering, and wondering is good.

Answer 2

You see a lot of altruistic acts from children, so it's probably common. Children also tend to mimic their immediate peers (parents, teachers, friends). Their mimicry ability is far beyond most adults, and it is generally observed that children learn at an accelerated rate while their brain is setting up connections. There are literally entire fields devoted to the conditions of early development and psychology; it's sort of a new frontier in science.

Answer 3

brain*wash v. transitive - make (someone) adopt radically different beliefs by using systematic and often forcible pressure.

There is a difference in teaching a child about God and teaching a child that only one specific God is true. There is a difference between teaching a child about the life of Jesus Christ and teaching a child that they must submit totally to Christ. There is a difference between teaching a child the stories of the Bible and teaching a Child that every single word of the Bible is literally true (eg. the earth is 6,000 years old, dinosaurs existed on the ark, evolution is false).

There is a difference between presenting a child with the information and the evidence and coercing that child into belief via threats of hell, parental disapointment, and possible isolation from family and community. Me? I will not teach my child to believe or disbelieve in God and the Bible. I will teach my child to think and present to him or her the evidence. My child will know that I don't believe in God, but that child will never fear seperation from family or community because he or she decides to believe something different from me. Christian, Muslim, Buddhist -whatever.

44% of Americans believe evolution is false. That is the equivelent of 44% of Americans denying the fact that water is H20. What would you call it if, through religious coercion, 44% of the US refused to believe water was 2 parts hydrogen and 1 part oxygen? This is more than a faliure in education.

Answer 4

You are absolutely right. As a parent and grandparent, I wouldn't think of leaving my child's physical nourishment to chance, or "letting them make up their own mind" about what to eat or not eat every day. I set guidelines, with some choice left to the child to account for different taste, but it is my responsibility to give them healthy meals, and limit junk foods. Why would I watch over their physical bodies, and leave their soul and spirit to chance. I will give them a standard by which to weed out the "spiritual junk food," which may be pleasurable for a season, but it will poison in the end.

Answer 5

Can't all instruction and education be termed "brainwashing"? Is it not the right of the parents to teach their children according to their beliefs? And can't the validity of ones beliefs be measured by time and experience?

If all of this is true; then time will tell which is right, true and worth reproduction!

Answer 6

No. For some reason those who use that term for religious teaching, don't also apply that term to other teachings. Even science is open to interpretation. I don't get the whole "brainwashing" accusation, it's just the current fad argument in Atheism.

Answer 7

Yes and no.

It is absolutely impossible to PROVE or DISPROVE the supernatural, since it 1.) may not need to show itself to us, and 2.) may not even be able to do so. I cannot rule out the possibility of a divine being, but some Gods/gods can be disproven if they contradict themselves. A contradiction cannot exist. I would encourage my child to think rationally, and hopefully he would come to the conclusion that a God who is supposedly benevolent and all-loving does not mix with a God who sends some people to eternal torment. This does not mean that your God is false; there is scriptural support for the position that no one will suffer for eternity, but some will simply cease to live/exist.

Now, let's look at it from another perspective. Most people believe that, apart from God, things unperceived do not exist. This is just the way our world works. I doubt you would teach your child that the FSM might exist, but in reality, it is possible. I do not accept this way of thinking - I would personally teach the child that these things are not impossible - but it does make sense, yes? As far as we are concerned, they do not exist because we cannot perceive them. It is pointless to ponder their existence. In this sense, atheism is a weaker form of brainwashing, but brainwashing nevertheless.

As an agnostic (and an ex-Christian, so I've been there), I would encourage the child to seek answers from a variety of perspectives before making any choice, and to apply logic to it. As I said before, that which contradicts itself or other evidence CANNOT exist. I would, of course, hope that he remains agnostic, but if he truly finds something while working with a neutral perspective, that is his choice.

Lastly, I just want to say that not everything is brainwashing. People like to say that it is the parents' job to teach their children reading, writing, etc, and that these are "brainwashing" in themselves. That is not the case. To function in this society, not to mention getting anywhere in it, one must have these skills. However, one does not require religion to make it, as proven by atheists and agnostics. Furthermore, this is an attempt to compare that which can be perceived with that which cannot.

As a tabula rasa, a child must be raised very carefully, lest it be blinded by its own preconceptions. It is definitely possible for someone to break free of lies/disproven material, but it is much more difficult when one has been RAISED to believe them.

Answer 8

Yes.

This is why my parents told me about all possibilities, told me where they stood, gently nudged me in a direction, but ultimately let me decide for myself. I intend to do the same with my kids. I will not hold my tongue in my own home about where I stand on my beliefs, and I expect that my Christian boyfriend will speak up as well. We have both discussed this already. He asked if we could raise them taking them to church. I said, no, but I'm OK with taking them to a church, a mosque, etc. and letting them decide for themselves when they are old enough.

Answer 9

Is not the same.
When my kid was on kindergarten in a Catholic church, one day he comes with a drawing of Christ on the cross with blood all around. I never forget the face of my 4 year old boy with the drawing on the hand. I can't brainwash my kids in that way. I love my kids.
Sorry Ramjet.

Answer 10

Teaching kids to mock and hate christians (is that brain washing and/or tolerant)