Christian Children do not Exist

[Pinkitha]

I've gathered this idea from a debate featuring Richard Dawkins (Author of The God Delusion).

My opinion suggests that children are much too young to be "raised Christian" or "raised Muslim" or any religion for that matter. (Christianity is my main example here because that is what I'm most commonly exposed to and affected by, however, this point can be argued for every religion.) Children should rather be educated on all the major religions of the world and be let to choose one for themselves, or choose none when they are old enough.

Growing up in a household where your guardians constantly force upon you, "You are a Christian and MUST act as one!" is simply wicked. It is cruelty to the child, and nothing less than brainwashing. How could a child comprehend even the basics of religion when it is too young even to comprehend the idea of death? The two go hand in hand.

If all people (As Dr. William Lane Craig states in his arguments for the existence of God) have a natural belief inside them, then these children will be educated about all religions and by themselves, because of this innate knowledge that God is with them, accept God and Christianity as their own religion when the appropriate time in their education arrives.

Brainwashing the uneducated persons is a dirty tactic that religion has used since its creation in order to gain power and money for the churches, and when exploited upon children, even more appalling. A child is then not a religious one, but a brainwashed one, unless it has come to the decision of its own volition, and not of its parents'.


Thoughts, comments and counterarguments welcome.

[Majnooni]

I think moderation is in order here. I plan to raise my children (that I may or may not even have) in my own religion because it is a part of my life, just as I intend to make them eat the way I do because that too is a part of my life. I'm not going to threaten them or brainwash them. In fact, I think it's good if they learn about other religions as a part of being educated people. If they decide to pick one other than mine, fine, but I'm not going to go out of my way in a futile attempt to seem not biased toward my own beliefs.

[Pinkitha]

Majnooni

I think moderation is in order here. I plan to raise my children (that I may or may not even have) in my own religion because it is a part of my life, just as I intend to make them eat the way I do because that too is a part of my life. I'm not going to threaten them or brainwash them. In fact, I think it's good if they learn about other religions as a part of being educated people. If they decide to pick one other than mine, fine, but I'm not going to go out of my way in a futile attempt to seem not biased toward my own beliefs.

You have every right to do what you like with your children, however, I find that rather selfish. Instead of educating your child to the best of your abilities so it can progress as an individual thinker, you would instead urge them to follow your own beliefs. As a child, that's all it takes to be convinced.

[Majnooni]

Pinkitha

Majnooni

I think moderation is in order here. I plan to raise my children (that I may or may not even have) in my own religion because it is a part of my life, just as I intend to make them eat the way I do because that too is a part of my life. I'm not going to threaten them or brainwash them. In fact, I think it's good if they learn about other religions as a part of being educated people. If they decide to pick one other than mine, fine, but I'm not going to go out of my way in a futile attempt to seem not biased toward my own beliefs.

You have every right to do what you like with your children, however, I find that rather selfish. Instead of educating your child to the best of your abilities so it can progress as an individual thinker, you would instead urge them to follow your own beliefs. As a child, that's all it takes to be convinced.

So what am I supposed to do, never talk about what I believe? That's just awkward.

[Pinkitha]

Majnooni

Pinkitha

Majnooni

I think moderation is in order here. I plan to raise my children (that I may or may not even have) in my own religion because it is a part of my life, just as I intend to make them eat the way I do because that too is a part of my life. I'm not going to threaten them or brainwash them. In fact, I think it's good if they learn about other religions as a part of being educated people. If they decide to pick one other than mine, fine, but I'm not going to go out of my way in a futile attempt to seem not biased toward my own beliefs.

You have every right to do what you like with your children, however, I find that rather selfish. Instead of educating your child to the best of your abilities so it can progress as an individual thinker, you would instead urge them to follow your own beliefs. As a child, that's all it takes to be convinced.

So what am I supposed to do, never talk about what I believe? That's just awkward.

Oh no, absolutely share your belief. It's just more efficient to let it be known to a child that they can have whichever belief they want. Educating a child about religion and then raising them to be religious are two very different things.

[Aporeia]

Not all parents throatstomp their child and shove religion down their throats.

Also, quoting ol' d**k Dawkins is not a great idea when it comes to describing religion. His parents were right to name him Richard.

[Majnooni]

Pinkitha

Majnooni

Pinkitha

Majnooni

I think moderation is in order here. I plan to raise my children (that I may or may not even have) in my own religion because it is a part of my life, just as I intend to make them eat the way I do because that too is a part of my life. I'm not going to threaten them or brainwash them. In fact, I think it's good if they learn about other religions as a part of being educated people. If they decide to pick one other than mine, fine, but I'm not going to go out of my way in a futile attempt to seem not biased toward my own beliefs.

You have every right to do what you like with your children, however, I find that rather selfish. Instead of educating your child to the best of your abilities so it can progress as an individual thinker, you would instead urge them to follow your own beliefs. As a child, that's all it takes to be convinced.

So what am I supposed to do, never talk about what I believe? That's just awkward.

Oh no, absolutely share your belief. It's just more efficient to let it be known to a child that they can have whichever belief they want. Educating a child about religion and then raising them to be religious are two very different things.

Well, I wouldn't force them to be religious. There would be religious elements in their life, but there's no reason that they should feel coerced into believing anything.

I was raised in a somewhat religious home. I was taken to church. We celebrated certain holidays in certain ways. Religious concepts were explained to me as my family understood them. Nobody ever told me that I was allowed to choose something else (and ultimately I did choose a tradition other than what I was raised in) because kids aren't stupid and as long as you have a good attitude there's no reason to explicitly tell them "you know, you can pick a different religion if you want".

[Jubilant Sunrise]

Pinkitha

Growing up in a household where your guardians constantly force upon you, "You are a Christian and MUST act as one!" is simply wicked. It is cruelty to the child, and nothing less than brainwashing.

I do not see how, but okay.

Pinkitha

How could a child comprehend even the basics of religion when it is too young even to comprehend the idea of death? The two go hand in hand.

You're joking, right? I had a comprehension of death since I was five, and no one in my immediate family has ever died, nor have I ever attended a funeral. I do not see how you can make the assumption that all children are incapable of understanding religion based solely on the idea that they cannot comprehend death, something that can most certainly be comprehended at their age.

[Kiumaru]

Pinkitha

Oh no, absolutely share your belief. It's just more efficient to let it be known to a child that they can have whichever belief they want. Educating a child about religion and then raising them to be religious are two very different things.

If we take your argument seriously, though, what's the difference between raising a child religiously and, say, raising them attempting to have them internalize enlightenment values?

[Kani Jalo]

... Do some research into child psychology, please OP. That's about all I can say without wall-o-texting you to death.

[Zrago]

If you know nothing, stop talking as if you know everything, I'll die, you'll die, we all are gonna die, then we talk about something we don't know before, right know, either you have the faith or not, just try to raise your kids and make them believe that the best place to do your religious activities are on GAIA!
~:p

[Haha Coffee]

The notion that Christians raise there children Christian because of the big bad Church is absolutely retarded.

People raise there children with there religion....because it's there religion.
People always instill there belies and opinions in your children, you have a belife because you think you are correct and no one want's there children to be incorrect.

In fact I am sure that I would love my children so much that I would not want them to go to Hell, on the opposite I want them to completely love God and want them to know his message and his ordinances.

Because I love my children so much, I will teach them Islam.

What a ******** up world we would live in if people "didnt" instill there own beleifs in there children, God help us if every generation had to start from scratch again.

[Erekhar Amnesuor]

My daughter is 3 and she has a pretty good grasp of heathenism.

[VeganIncubus]

Haha Coffee

And what if in the process they turned away from those teachings and decided to either switch to a different faith, or abandon religion and belief entirely? Would you then consider it a bad thing?

Generations certainly have the influence of their parents, as we see today, and in centuries past. However, there are those who break away from those teachings and broaden their world-view. It is important that they have some foundations, but they should not be forced to stick with them.

It is ultimately their choice.

[Haha Coffee]

XxrationalsexybitchxX

Haha Coffee

And what if in the process they turned away from those teachings and decided to either switch to a different faith, or abandon religion and belief entirely? Would you then consider it a bad thing?

Yes I would consider it a very bad thing.
But id let them do it, it's there life and

Quote:

There is no compulsion in Religion
Quran 2:256

Quote: