Should underaged children be forced to follow their parents' religion?

I might as well start an interesting topic to discuss about. Feel free to share your opinions.

In my opinion, I think that parents should "guide" their children into what they believe is right and moral. Rather than parents forcing their children to follow something, it is better to teach them what they think is right, and as long as the child is living in their parent's house, they should be respectful to their parent's religion. By the time they reach adulthood, the child should know what their parent's religion is like, and can finally decide whether they should stay with it, try another religion, or not follow a religion at all.

Sanosuke wrote:

I might as well start an interesting topic to discuss about. Feel free to share your opinions.

In my opinion, I think that parents should "guide" their children into what they believe is right and moral. Rather than parents forcing their children to follow something, it is better to teach them what they think is right, and as long as the child is living in their parent's house, they should be respectful to their parent's religion. By the time they reach adulthood, the child should know what their parent's religion is like, and can finally decide whether they should stay with it, try another religion, or not follow a religion at all.

I agree 100%
Teach your children to respect other religions, inform them of your own and others, and when they get older allow them to choose.
I believe that kids at a young age can't understand religion in depth/fully unless they study it.
But that conflicts with some people's religions.
In Christianity, you're supposed to convert anyone to it - I know this since I was a christian.
But I can't say having a religion as kid didn't help m e.
I used to go to these after-church kids group things, and I learned a lot of not only my religion, but of the world around me.
I was four and extremely shy, so it helped me with my social skills, my memorization skills, and basically thinking abstractly as a whole. But that could be supplemented if a parent were to raise their child by making them think instead of "Watch T.V."
D:
Well those are my thoughts, heh.

I think much the same way - that children must be allowed the choice. But many parents, and many older people would basically force their children into their religion.

There is a difference, however. Although I was raised Buddhist, I don't consider myself Buddhist now. Growing up with a religion and choosing to believe it are completely different things. Granted, the chances of one leading to the other are stronger if you were brought up a certain way - but there often comes a time (in our Western society) that a person begins to question everything - faith included.

In older cultures, in other countries - there is no choice. Just because our culture is open minded it does not mean that we should enforced our mentality of 'live and let live' on others. So I picked 'I don't know' just because I cannot offer anything concrete.

Religion is often tied to culture, to say an outright 'no' is to say the same to the passage of heritage and family and communal values.



PERSONAL VIEWPOINT:


I strongy disagree with the practice of religion and I believe that moral and good people can be brought up without its existence. I also believe that religion is a hinderment to the overall betterment of society's progress, as wars often arise from irreconilable ideologies pertaining to. Its existence also hinders scientific and social progresses, as old, inefficiant and outdated thinking is often used to decide on matters inapplicable. "This is right or wrong because I said so." (or the book said so, or this religious figure said so) This is an unhealthy habit, as we should all examine WHY this is ultimately bad or good, as opposed to making everything black and white.

However, for the record, I believe that Buddhism is a wonderful spiritual practice and I encourage all the curious to at least learn about it. (I can't consider it a religion as it does not encourage worship of any diety). I choose not to follow it because I believe this this religion is too idealistic for our corporeal existence (much like Communism as a governing system).

I believe parents should instill their morals and values onto their children but not force religion on them.

I grew up in a house where religion was around be not strict. My family participated in some religious activities (e.g. ceremonies and practices) because it is our culture. I have no problem with that, it is a way to preserve any country's heritage.

I'm from the south of the U.S. so religion is forced upon a lot of the children. I remember growing up in elementary school and having classmates tell me I'm going to hell because I wasn't Christian. Ever since then Christianity and other big religions has had a bad connotation with me.

I do believe their is a void within us that needs to be filled. Either through spirituality or finding that purpose in life. I'm sure all of us have felt it some way or another.

Quote :

I remember growing up in elementary school and having classmates tell me I'm going to hell because I wasn't Christian. Ever since then Christianity and other big religions has had a bad connotation with me.

Ha ha. That reminds me of my childhood, too. I'm so going to hell. But as I see it, that's where all the cool people go to.

KISS, Elvis, Marylin (?) Manson, Hitler, Bob Sagat, George Carlin etc etc.

I think that too - human spirituality allows for depth, moral compass and makes us better people. So I would venture to think. I'd like to think that my lack of religious belief has in no way hampered my spiritual side.

You think Hitler was a cool person? O-kay...

Anyways, no I do not. Parents can teach their religion to their kids, but not force them if they don't want to. I grow up in a house where our ideals are mixed. I remain neutral on religion. I don't have one, but I'm not Atheist. Who the heck knows what happens anyway when you die? No one, that's who.

Pfft.

Hitler was hateful AND crazy.

However, I don't know him as a person, nor do you. He could have been a very cool character.

I admire his intelligence, and his ability to bring together a war-torn Germany, and his leadership allowed it to become a world superpower in the short span of a few decades.

Now what he DID with this power is a completely different matter. For this reason, I think that he's cool.

Human beings have redeems and faults all the same. Hatred, resent and hopelessness can bend even the noblest of minds. I am not above corruption nor evil - but because I am aware as such, I believe that I will be always be aware and mindful of its presence.

Wakarimas-ka?

Amaterasu wrote:

...
However, for the record, I believe that Buddhism is a wonderful spiritual practice and I encourage all the curious to at least learn about it. (I can't consider it a religion as it does not encourage worship of any diety). ...

I always wondered about this.
People say it's a religion, but wasn;t it never even supposed to be considered one?
As a kid, I would study the big religions and just saw Buddhism as a way to live your life, not a religion.
Glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks this, hah.

And I wouldn't say Hitler was cool, but smart in ONE situation.
He made a country where it was cheaper to use your money as wallpaper instead of spend it become a world power.
That was smart.
[/off-topic]

I'm happy that there's some mature discussion here, but let's keep it on topic please.

I enjoy Buddhism as a philosophy. It's quite peaceful. There are aspects of many religions I enjoy, such as Sikhism's welcoming to all religions and such. Personally, I don't really care what religion anyone is; if you're true to your religion, then you are a good person. It doesn't really matter what the religion is.
If a parent is truly religion, he or she should trust that by coaxing and talking to their children about religion and hearing and considering what the child has to say, no force is needed. If there is force needed, then the parent is not true to his or her faith.

Those are my thoughts anyway. And I've found people without religion are looking for something and they don't know what. Is that true here?

"People who preach the loudest are the most guilty."

Yes... back on topic.



I have heard that some fundamentalist Christian churches (my sister works with one such person) who teach their congregates (is that the correct term?) to go to playgrounds and convert little children who play their to Christianity. Because that's when their minds are open and vulnerable to suggestion.


W. T. F.

Do these people have no morals? I'd be loading my RPG and firing it at any nutjob who tried converting my little 3 year old to whatever religion they followed.

(I don't have children, but the point stands)

Most kids believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny for frag's sake!

See, those are people who aren't following their religion correctly. They're misinterpreting everything. My point is, parents shouldn't HAVE to force their religion on their children; if they are living their life for their religion, then the child should follow.

As for the children in the playground thing (yes, congregation is the correct word), I would be creeped out if any grown up started talking to my kid, converting or not... That's just a little wrong.

Letting a child know of the philosophies that compose religion is a great thing; it instills virtue; but forcing a child into religion itself - and namely, worship, is wrong. That's where the deciding should take place, because that is where the foolery takes place; there is no higher being than yourself - and introducing any other concept to a youth is foul.

DaAmainator wrote:

See, those are people who aren't following their religion correctly. They're misinterpreting everything. ...

Nope.
In the bible it says to spread the word of God and it's a sin not to do so.
So it's not misinterpretation at all if it's for Christianity.
Not that I am a christian, I just know this.

You are supposed to convert people, adults or not, to Christianity when you're Christian.

I'm Baptist, which I did take after my parents. Baptist is like a "protestant" of Christianity, but it's existed since Christianity. Baptists have much, much more freedom than Christians.

Quote :

(from Wikipedia)

Soul freedom: the soul is competent before God, and capable of making decisions in matters of faith without coercion or compulsion by any larger religious or civil body

Church freedom: freedom of the local church from outside interference, whether government or civilian (subject only to the law where it does not interfere with the religious teachings and practices of the church)

Bible freedom: the individual is free to interpret the Bible for himself or herself, using the best tools of scholarship and biblical study available to the individual

Religious freedom: the individual is free to choose whether to practice their religion, another religion, or no religion; Separation of church and state is often called the "civil corollary" of religious freedom

My parents never forced me into Baptist. I, personally, do not believe that parents should force their kids into a religion. If a kid sees the world in a different perspective, then let that kid see in that perspective! Just because a parent believes in a God doesn't mean the kid has to. Who knows? That kid might be correct. There's no "sure" answer as to what happens after you die, and religion is pretty much just a faith (not a fact.)

Getting off topic here, but I also want to point out the people who make signs like "God hates fags" or "God hates gays." That is NOT true, at least not in my opinion. God loves everyone has everyone is God's children, so how does he hate them? It's not like he goes, "Oh, this guy is gay, I think I'll hate him. SCREW YOU, GAYS!!!"

Spreading the word of God doesn't mean to go on and convert people. It's not meant to be literal. Live your life as Jesus would (according to Christains) and if someone comes up to you and says "How can I live my life like yours?" or "What is it you're doing that I'm not?" or something like that THEN you are obligated to spread the word of God. Otherwise, forcing it on people and such, it's just not gonna work.

Oh yeah, and I'm Presbyterian, been goin' to church every Sunday since I was younger and choose to. I grew up with it and it's become a natural habit.

I haven't been able to get onto the site for a while so I've missed this interesting debate. No, I don't think anyone should be forced to follow a religion. My sister and I were brought up by Christian parents who taught us about Christianity and to live by the values that come from that. We went to church and sunday school etc. and were taught the beliefs but at no point were we forced to sign up to them. I remember our father talking to us about it and saying they would be pleased if we also believed but made it clear that it was our own choice. As we grew up I decided to become a Christian myself, my sister decided she would not. It is pointless forcing someone to take up a religion as it must be a personal choice involving the heart and will, not just capitulating to a system. The Bible doesn't tell us to convert people, that is God's job, our job is to spread the message.

DaAmainator wrote:

Spreading the word of God doesn't mean to go on and convert people. It's not meant to be literal. Live your life as Jesus would (according to Christains) and if someone comes up to you and says "How can I live my life like yours?" or "What is it you're doing that I'm not?" or something like that THEN you are obligated to spread the word of God. Otherwise, forcing it on people and such, it's just not gonna work.

Oh yeah, and I'm Presbyterian, been goin' to church every Sunday since I was younger and choose to. I grew up with it and it's become a natural habit.

But some people interpret it as such.
I knew a girl who left a note to another girl on her locker who was Wyccan that said, "If you don't stop, you're going to hell." and left a Christian pamphlet.
She was suspended, but her parents didn't see what she did wrong.

It varies with every sect I guess.
Some take it upon themselves to ask anyone "Do you believe in God? If not, please do, he loves you."

Hehe..Nice topic there..well i am half japanese and half chinese..but i am a christian so it is a bit messed up..well do i count underaged? ..I noticed that Utada Hikaru is a christian

Well i think they should follow them..it is a good thing to have a religion..Having a religion will help you understand what is correct and what is wrong..Sano which religion are u in?^.^..

I guess it depends on what the parents want to do...or how they were raised...it also really depends on culture. My mom goes to church with my sisters, while I on the other hand don't..I mean I respect her religion, but I don't think it's something I'd like to do...I guess I have my freedom. So, yeah, it depends on parents and culture ^^