Do you think it's right to label children "Christian babies", or "Muslim babies", etc...

Question

... before they are old enough to understand what religion is? And do you see why calling an infant a "Jewish baby" may be an exception to this rule?

The reason a Jewish baby is an exception is that a baby is considered Jewish by virtue of his heritage, not his religious affiliation. I was/am.

Answer 1

It's wrong to label children as Christians or Muslims because they simply aren't. They also shouldn't be allowed to be bought up as religious, thus no baptism or circumcision (unless there is a *good* medical reason and there very rarely is) and the child should not be allowed in church, mosque, temple whatever until they are older at which point they become allowed to decide what religion, if any, they want to follow.

Though the fact that without compulsion in religion, atheism wins might make it hard to get the religious to agree to such a plan.

Jewish though is an ethnicity and as such it is quite correct for babies to be labelled Jewish (there are a lot of atheist Jews out there anyway but you probably won't find many atheist Christians).

Answer 2

Of course its wrong. The problem is I wouldn't want to live in a society that forces parents to raise their children a certain way (within reason - obviously abuse should not be tolerated) because it seriously undermines personal freedoms.

I don't like the idea that such labels can even be applied and are done so, without thought. Its like the notion that you can bring a child within the church through something like baptism. God saying 'tag, you're it.' I just don't see it, somehow. The thing is you really can have christian and muslim children of quite a young age. Religion offers easy answers (they're all wrong but never mind) to big questions children will be asking like who made the world, why are we here, what are birds for etc. Not answering questions like that is a form of mental abuse but its pretty mild, hopefully the child will find its own answers.

I don't think there's anything in wrong with telling a child 'I don't know the answer to that, nobody does - maybe when you grow up you'll be the first person to figure it out.'

**Dawkins famously raised this problem in 'The God Delusion' but I think he goes too far. You can't really expect a religious parent to refrain from sharing their views about the world - especially when they think the soul of the child they love is at stake.

***Well you do get people who call themselves Jewish atheists (somewhat paradoxically) - people who are non-religious but wish to show solidarity with their heritage but its pretty obvious that if a family is properly jewish with those religious beliefs, that they will certainly want to impart them to their child.

Answer 3

No, it's wrong. As for "Jewish babies", you know, this is actually the first time I've thought of it like that. This is strange to me, because I think a lot. Judaism is both a religion and a distinct racial group. But people can convert to Judaism, that's not very common but it's not unheard of.

But now you guys have your own country, you can use the term 'Israeli' to identify your racial group and 'Jew' to identify your religion. But of course, that only applies to babies born in Israel.

Don't you think this is being kind of racist? I mean, babies born in America to parents who practice Judaism are American babies first, Jewish babies second. If you apply the term 'Jewish baby' to a child regardless of its country of birth, you are applying a racial label to the child, which has nothing to do with religion.

Jews are a really unique bunch of people. I mean, Jews believe that their god which is the only god in existence, thinks that the Jewish people are more special than any other race. So Jews believe that God is racist, has favorites and that they are his favorites. This, to me, is bloody terrible! What hope is there of unity amongst people with ridiculous beliefs such as this?

Sorry, that turned into a rant.

Answer 4

NO! I hate it! It's ridiculous. You are a child born to Christian/Muslim (and I think Jewish is the same, unless you don't mean by the religious name) parents, you are not like that.

I love how Dawkins in his book says how ridiculous it would sound if you called four-year-olds atheists, agnostics and secular humanists. That was funny.

Also I'm against circumcision on religious grounds too.

Answer 5

sturdy factor. someone needs to be sufficiently old to comprehend AND make their own selection. they should be delivered up contained in the religion of their mom and father...at the same time as they're older, they're going to understand sufficient and performance seen sufficient to understand in the journey that they favor to proceed (make their selection) contained in the religion or not. human beings question, at each and all ages they have questions. each and each and every technology that has ever come and lengthy gone has questions. Indoctrination takes position in public college also...they practice issues opposite to what the Bible says about advent. it truly is exceptionally a lot run and operated lower than the philosophy of humanism.

Answer 6

My wife and I are both Christians,So I would say yes my baby would be a Christian baby because he/she would be raised by Christian parents with Christian morals, beliefs, and values. Although in order for the baby to be a true Christian he/she would first have to reach the age of understanding, at that point the child would have to make his/her own decision on what they truly believe.

Answer 7

Often those poor kids never get a choice, and I've seen three year olds babbling about Jesus. So yes - Its ok.

This goes mostly for Christian babaies though. You're wrong about the jews and the muslims.

Answer 8

No, it is not right. We in America have a choice, When I saw my husbands' birth certificate I was shocked to see he was born into Islam...no choice.

Answer 9

Better than converting with a Sword in one hand and bribe in another hand.

Answer 10

I think it is a monstrous thing to do.