Is it correct/proper parrenting to enforce beliefs into children?

Question

Why not just talk about what we know or guess about History and allow them to develop their own ideas overtime? With the flexibility and freedom intended by nature and the concept of free will (witch is supported -not logically- by religious text as well)!!!?

Answer 1

Do exactly as you said in your details, your children will grow well that way, and will learn to base decisions based on knowledge and information around them (in this situation, you). I grew up this way and I turned out perfectly well.

Answer 2

For the same reason we don't talk to 5 year olds about driving and then let them take over the car. They aren't yet equipped to handle it.
Children do need to be taught to question things at the right time, but the idea that a 4 year old should be allowed to negotiate against what parents tell them is right or wrong is not safe, and it is not condusive to growing them into healthy adults.
The same religious texts that support free will also support absolute obedience and respect for parents, and enforce high standards on parents for what their children become. I believe that parents have not only the right, but the responsibility to train their children in what they believe is correct.

Answer 3

Of course you put your beliefs into children. Who else do you want to do it?

If you buy into a completely free will (which many scientists and religious types deny) then what you do has no effect anyway. But in reality you have no choice but to impose on your child and your child has no choice but to accept the imposition. You put in them the belief that you are more trustworthy than the stranger on the street, the belief that touching a hot stove is bad, that sports do or do not matter, that you care about them, etc. The list is endless. Some will stick some will not.

The only way to avoid your imposition on them is to not have them. Even turning them over to some one else will be an impostion by you as you decide who will have further power over them.

Answer 4

I don't think that giving them something to belive in any more than proper parenting. IF we can't teach them religious beliefs because it might be bad parenting because not everyone beleives as we do, than why teach them any morals at all?? Why not just let them decide for them selfs what's right and what's wrong?? Why teach them to eat with forks and knives and spoons?? Why not let them eat with thier fingers? It's done in more than half the world so why not our children? Why should I teach my daughter's to respect people? Not everyone is going to respect them! Why should I teach them anything that would make them good people and good citizens of the world?? Children don't have the maturity to make these desions on their own. It's the same reason that we don't let them drive cars, use guns and vote before they reach a certain age. Before your child is old enough to vote you may have taken them with you to the polls and showed them how you vote. If you take them almost everytime say until they are teens ( when they no longer want to go with you) you have showed them that you uaually vote as certain party and if you're like most people you vote straight down the party line. What's that tellling your children that in this family we adhere to certain political beliefs and going to the voting place and voting is just our way of enforcing what we beleive. The same thing with releigion. We may not always expect our child to follow our beliefs when they grow older but it's our duty to at least exspose them to them so that they can make a choice. You can't make a choice if you don't have one.

Answer 5

I'm a parent who excercises the paradoxical practice of teaching my children to think for themselves, but still adhere to beliefs and practices which have served me well. Starting with religion, I'm not going to cry if they mature as adults and convert to another faith, but I still take them to church and send the to religious instruction. I teach them to eat properly, dress appropriately, be respectful of others, and to strive for success. I am not indoctrinating them into any sort of cult, but I am trying to raise them to be successful, motivated and responsible humans who can make their own decisions if they follow my simple rules. Of course a parent has to force beliefs on their children. If you have beliefs, they are worthless if you cannot teach them to your offspring. This is not wrong, but expected. Parents provide guidance for their kids. Trust me, when they are teenagers, they're going to toss whatever you taught them out the window and do whatever they want to anyway because "parents are stupid." That's nature.

Answer 6

All learning is a form of mimesis, as such there will always be models by which learing is initiated, directed and sustained. Human's do not learn things on their own, they learn through socialization into particular families, groups, and cultures. What you might be identifying as the "enforcement" of beliefs, is merely the process of mimesis, which is inherent to the human condition itself. Further, nature is not free, but determined, and free will is correlated to one's human nature, a reality that is finite and contigent, and is therefore not absolute.

Answer 7

People; and kids alike will come to their own conclusions but this is like asking should we teach children manners and if we do enforce proper equitte and commpassion to a child that is cruel.

People really need to get a grip.

Answer 8

I think it's very important to expose your children to a variety of beliefs and idealogies and give them the freedom to pick their own. For example, my children go to Catholic school and attend church with their father, they are expected to attend, but they don't have to be committed to just that form of worship. My son is Buddhist by his own choice and that's respected in his school and in the family, and I think he is much more stable and has great self-esteem because he is encouraged to think on his own. I believe every religion has commandments in regard to raising children, but I don't recall any of them saying you have to make your children follow any particular path, just to love them and take good care of them and teach them to have good morals and integrity. Those qualities will fit into whatever religion they choose...

Answer 9

Lead ( parent) by example. Allow for flexibility. Tell teenagers what you know to be true, and allow them to draw their own conclusions.

Answer 10

No, I don't believe that we should force our beliefs onto our children. I'm an athiest but my children will choose whether or not they believe in God, and I will love them either way.