Why, I Dont Get It?

Question

Yu say you shouldnt be or be like brain washed by other peoples beliefs. Well this is what christians and other religions say?

But dont all religions convince others, say with muslims parents literally shove it down their throats.

I dont think its fair, if the parents choose to believe then yes that is fine. But why should they expect their children to? Shouldnt they be given the rights to make their own decisions.

My family is catholic yet im an atheist !

My mum and dad gave me the choose.

Shouldnt everyone else have that right to??

Answer 1

We take our children to schools to learn. We don't tell them, It's your choice, you can decide for yourself whether you want to learn to read, write, do maths, learn science, social studies,etc. Why should it be different with spiritual teachings? Baha'u'llah's teaches the independent investigation of reality, but that doesn't mean when it comes to spiritual teachings, we just drop our children's education and let them find their own way unguided and challenged. I guided, trained, and reasoned with my children in the teachings of Baha'u'llah, but never forced, of course. I respect them too much for that. I encouraged them to question and test the efficacy of Baha'u'llah's teachings. They were able to see with their own eyes and experience the potency and efficacy in their own lives as well as in mine and our friends'.

Parents have a right to create a Baha'i home with Baha'i standards, a Christian home, Muslim, Buddhist, etc. Adult chidlren have a right to walk away from it if those teachings don't empower them and give meaning to their lives.

Answer 2

You're right, everyone should have a choice. The problem, as I see it, is that many parents see teaching their religion (as fact) to their children as a duty, rather than as a violation of their child's freedom of religion. Hopefully that will change eventually. Certainly we have all the knowledge required to demonstrate that childhood indoctrination and religious freedom are mutually exclusive concepts, it's just a question of how long it's going to take people to put two and two together.
The distinction people make between teaching their religion to their children and forcing it on them is entirely meaningless. I mean we all know that if you take a kid whose parents teach him Christianity, and another whose parents teach him Islam, the first is more likely to become a Christian and the second is more likely to become a Muslim. If that is true then logically the idea that adults make objective decisions about religion must be false. It's that simple.

Answer 3

Everyone of a mature enough age to choose intellectually and emotionally.
All children are sanctified until this time, usually puberty.
Then the choice is up to you and that is God's way.
If we don't teach our children everything we know and believe in we are poor parents.
Should parents force someone Else's beliefs down their kids throat?
You can't make a value choice until you hear all of the opinions and see all the opportunities available. Trying to make life decisions without any back ground is silly.
I have always wanted to learn all I could about all faiths. After that I made a choice and it as proved to be correct.

Answer 4

Every one ultimately has the right to choose their religion. But children are and should be taught as their parents believe or see fit. Would you feel the same way about culture? Would you ever say that parents should not teach their children about their culture, they should have the right to choose whatever culture they feel most comfortable with? Of course not, you would expect a parent to raise their child to mirror their own culture. Yet we take issue when they impart their religious beliefs to their children. Why is that? Should children be able to choose how they eat, what they watch on television, where they go, etc? If, as you suggest, all children are given the righ to make their own choice about religion from birth, where will they receive a foundation on where to begin searching out those beliefs? I cannot force my child to be a Christian any more than I can force my child to like broccoli. What I can do, however, is encourage him to study and learn about Christianity in hopes that he accepts it, much in the same way I will encourage him to at least try broccoli before he decides he doesn't like it.

Answer 5

Whether our parents shove religion down our throats or not, ultimately we will be the one to decide the faith that will rule the rest of our life.

You were raised Catholic, and you are now Atheist, and somewhere in the future you may be something else. We grow and evolve as individuals. As we grow our values change.

I once heard someone say that when you are young, you are a democrat if you have any kind of heart; but when you grow older you are a republican if you have any kind of brain.

We all change. Years ago I voted for JFK, now I have not met a democrat whose views I could be comfortable with.

The same with religion. I was raised a Presbyterian, when I grew older I became a Baptist, then I abandoned any relationship with God, and now I am a strong believer in God, and in His Son who died for our sins, yours. mine, and everyone else.

Thirty six years ago I began to train for the ministry, and now I am a minister. We all change, sometimes many times. If we do not change what we believe in, we change the intensity of our belief; sometimes stronger and sometimes weaker.

bongernet; The child that believes in Santa Claus does not need indoctrination, he really wants to believe in Santa Claus because it benefits him to do so. To use that analogy as a comparison to religious persuasion is ridiculous.

grace2u

Answer 6

I think it is right and proper that I teach my children the beliefs that I have.But I also think I have an obligation to them to let them know that there are other belief systems out there and that mine is not the only one.I encourage my children to read any and all types of materials so that they can be exposed to a variety of paths from which to choose. Yes, I would be sad if they became atheists but as long as I have taught them what I am held to teach them biblically speaking then I have done what I could. I would still love them and would enjoy debating with them to see if I could understand where they came to their beliefs. I would want them to be as sure of there own beliefs as I am mine. They should know enough about all religions by the time they are done to know at least what they disagree with about each,even if they are unsure of all of the intricacies of them.

Answer 7

I think it is perfectly fine to raise your child a certain way if you want to. When they reach an adult age, that is when they can make their own decision. Even as a child they can make their own decision about it, and how can you force someone to believe in something? That's not possible. My sister said at one point that she was an atheist, even though the rest of our family is Christian, and we children were brought up as Christian. Now she says that she's a Christian again. She has made her own decisions.

Answer 8

totally on the contrary!! Muslim parents expose their kids to all other religions existing on earth. Ok, they don't help them to choose the religion but at least the kids are raised convinced of their own religion...
I lived quiet sometime in Belgium and France, I saw LOTS of catholic families that imposed their opinions on their kids, moreover if their kids choose another religion, they go crazy and do everything you can imagine to stop what they are doing...

Answer 9

I agree with you. I had it crammed down my throat for years, everything I was told was that it was fact. I questioned those "facts" and learned many truths. Because of that brainwashing, it took me years to finally admit that I was an atheist. If I had ever been given the choice, I never would have chosen a religion. And that's why they do it, they need followers somehow...

Answer 10

God gave us that right. Personally, I'll stick with the One who created heaven and earth and you and me and the sea and every crawling thing and flying thing and swimming thing, and the seasons, and the flowers in places we see and places no one sees but God. Personally I love a God that was born in a barn and slept in a feeding trough and had cows ad sheep staring at him.

I love a God who picks adulteresses up out of the dirt and tells them he dsoesn't condemn her, but gives her directions for a new life.

I love a God, who while He was hanging on a cross between two theives, after He had been beaten and tortured so much that He didn't even look like a human being anymore, turned his thorn crowned head to one of the thieves and said "Today you will be with me in paradise".

But, hey, it's still up to you. no one can MAKE you believe anything. That's a choice we all still have. Some may make you ACT like you believe and you do that for many reasons - perhaps self preservation - I don't know.

But give me a God who is so in love with me that he counts the hairs on my head every day, yet is concerned about every living thing at the hour of it's death and their life up to that point. Give me a God who longs to dandle me on his knee.

That kind of God is crazy about me. Mmm mmm mmm mm mm !!

Give me a thumbs up or a hundred thumbs down - you can't take me away from Him!!