"children should be allowed to make up their own minds about whether to believe in god?"?

Question

do you agree with this statement? what are your reasons of agreeing or disagreeing?
can you please refer to Islam in your answer

Answer 1

Since it is IMPOSSIBLE to MAKE anyone believe in God, then not only children but also adults should be allowed to make up their own minds. In my experience, they inevitably do.

However, parents who believe in God have a duty to educate their children and help them to understand why belief in God is important - not just in shaping the way they act towards other people, but in order to allow them to take an informed decision when they reach maturity. God INVITES us to believe in him. God never FORCES anyone.

This is why the Christian Crusades and Islamic Jihads have been and still are a complete and utter waste of life.

I only added that sentence because the asker wanted a reference to Islam. I think that any war fought in God's name is sacrilegious, but Christians as well as Muslims are guilty of trying to force other people to believe in their God. Heaven help them.

Answer 2

I think kids should be able to make their own minds up. I was bought up with kinda Christian parents and when I questioned or referenced to other religions I was always told to practically shut up. Surely kids should be allowed to embrace or even learn about all religions. I am now a Pagan and have been for many years, without the help of my parents, I would never ever tell them this though beacuse I don't need the stress of their answers. The fuuny thing is though, we know a lady going abroad to start a Christian organisation and we logged on to her website, mentions loads of Christian stuff and my parents get the creeps!!! I think lots of people SAY they are a Christian beacuse it's the "right" thing to do, stiff upper lip and all that jazz!! Their "christian" duty, but when they do have to help people it's always such an inconvenience!!!

As regards to Islam, ALL religions have their good and bad points, just talking about Islam on it's own makes it sound like the worst religon in the world, which it isn't. Yeah, the kids should make their own mind up, but I know loads of supposed Christians who are two-faced, back stabbing scum!!

Answer 3

What my children believe or do not believe will ultimately be up to them. It is however my job as a father to "train up my children in the way that they shall go" Then I will trust my God to do as he say, which is, "and when they are old they will not depart from it" I have 3 boys and will soon have a little girl. The three boys have all been raised in church. the oldest is now out of School, and working full time. He still has great respect for his "elders" for the church, for his family for his self and his country. I am not with him much because he now has his own life, but I see the seeds that where planted in him growing. Even without my urging, I see him do right and good. Yes he strays sometimes, but he know were he should be, and without a doubt I believe God will watch, and keep my boys in his will. I am thrilled to be reaping what I have sown, I wonder how many "modern" parents can say that?

Answer 4

i don't have kids yet, but if and when i do and i feel they are old enough i will teach them the basics of as many religions as i can, i will not try to push them in any direction but let them have all the info and make up their own minds. I think that it can do terrible damage to a child to be forced to go to church and then brain washed into thinking that there is no truth other than what is put in one book. This can cause them to become narrow minded and completely closed to new ideas.

And sorry but i know nothing about Islam so cant talk about it

Answer 5

children should make their own mind up between right and wrong.
do you think this statement is correct.
i am a Muslim and my parents were not that strict with my family, well my dad tried to be but my mum said don't. as i was one of the oldest i decided to explore my religion myself as i saw my family in Pakistan who practised Islam properly. Immediately i could see the benefits and the truth. I have had good grades at school, never been in trouble with police or anything like that because i was engaged in religion instead of going out etc. As a result of my mothers lack of guidance for the younger kids they are abusive, getting in trouble with the police, don't go to school, have no respect for anyone etc.
i believe this is due to no guidance as the majority of British kids do the same and i know the don't get any religious guidance. They say they are bored and commit crimes like vandalism and start drinking to make themselves feel better.
For me Islam kept me away from all this and i am thankful. Islam truly teaches only good and those who commit crime in the name of Allah have misinterpreted the beautiful Quran.

Answer 6

Children have not the right cognitive development and mentality to form any sort of judgement on anything that requires deep thoughts and understanding such as religion...Most of us do not come to the right pathway of choosing unless we are about to make that choice. How many christians or muslims do actually think this is the religion i want for myself and actually researched well into it before making any judgement.

How can we expect children to do as such???????

So like most of the important decision in life it is the parents who take care of the child and are responsible for the child well being be it on earth or even beyond there is nothing wrong with them trying to teach or make their children into what they think the right human should be....is there?????

Responsible parents will try to teach their children no matter what or how....what they percieved is wrong and what they perceived is right.....and who are we to argue against them...we are not responsible for their children wellbeing on a whole.

A responsible muslim parent (an educated one) in the correct way of islamic teaching will not teach their children to disrespect other religion....the same goes for other religion....

and by the way from working with children who are growing up there is only so much the parent can do to teach them in the end no matter what they have been taught, children will grow up to be adults with their own mind regardless of what they parents taught. If they felt the teaching of the parents is right and true then you will see them practicing what is taught without anyone having to force them

Answer 7

Sure. I'm all for letting people be who they are. It's not like you can force someone to believe, no matter how hard you try. The best you can do is alienate them by trying to change them.

As for Islam, like most "One Way, One Truth" religions, they do not feel the need to allow the child to develop individually on a religious basis. Same with most Christian paths, where you are indoctrinated from the start and never introduced to anything else. Eventually, you end up feeling that questioning religion will lead to disassociation with your family, withdrawal of approval, etc, so you cannot even imagine changing.

Answer 8

No, I don't agree with this statement!
My reason for disagreeing firstly I don't have to refer to Islam to answer you question, if you asked a question about Islam then I could do that.

Your statement can't work, a child is born into this world without knowledge, taught by the parents hopefully, that there is Good and bad righteous and evil, God and Satan.

If you as a parent leave your child to make up their own minds to believe in god why did you have a child? you should have worn two condoms. I know there are people on yahoo answers who will thumb this down but I don't care.

Your child is going to grow up not knowing what he/she is supposed to know, then they will meet someone who will indoctrinate them into whatever they are into that's very dangerous for your son's/daughter's what will they become?

Hopefully you wont do this because it is wrong and unfair to the child. Just remember these two little words RIGHT & WRONG.

Answer 9

"Children should be allowed to make up their own minds about whether or not to look both ways before crossing the street."

In a word, No. No child should enter into a religion untill they are old enough to understand the concepts. Kids have a certain type of freedom: They can do whatever they want, unless I (playing the part of the parent) say otherwise. There is no such thing as a 5 year old Marxist, so there shouldn't be any indoctrination of children of any type untill they are old enough to understand what is being told to them.

Answer 10

I don't think any belief should be ever pushed onto a child as a child state of mind may not be able to comprehend the apsect of a god. A childs own understanding will develop in their own time and the nature of their own personal experience and belief system will be more personalised regardless of any religion.

I am a christian and my faith is outstreached I believe many paths to god are true but really the efforts of our own lives and the relationship we have should grow slowly and to our own timescale and level of understanding. This allows for more understanding... this is what I think anyway...