is teaching religion to kids wrong?
@fightingistheonlyway (2658)
Canada
June 30, 2007 10:19am CST
kids are very vulnerable, they believe anything you tell them. santa clause, tooth fairy, easter bunny..etc. when kids are exposed to religion, it seems as if they arent really learning anything.. its more like they are told that something exists.
most kids dont even think about god or existence till they are 8, and many people start teaching them at very younger ages.
if you really think your religion is right, wait till they are at an age where they can question you beliefs, because if they are not asking questions, they are not learning. this age being about 15ish.
i saw the movie jesus camp and it gives me shivers to think that parents are homeschooling their kids, keeping them away from the theory of evolution just so that they wont be corrupted. but think about it, if you are a true believer, you would send your kids to learn about evolution and realize for themselves it is a load of BS. by the way, they teach evolution at that later age, grade 9ish when they are about 15. most teachers avoid teaching it because of the controversy around it anyways, but when kids take biology class its obvious that evolution is eminent because if not, most things around biology would be wrong, everything from cells, reproduction and gens. and when they are taught science, they are taught WHY evolution, or gravity, or anything is true. they are taught the background of it, and all the math for something like gravity, before they come to the theory of gravity through the conclusions they have made.
i personally think that teaching religion to anyone under 15 is a form of brainwashing, many people take that personally.
what is brainwashing?
definition: forcible indoctrination into a new set of attitudes and beliefs.
this is true, because children don't ask questions that refute existence or looking for evidence, they ask questions relating to "why".
like, they dont ask "how do you know that there is a god?" or "how do you know that jesus was gods son?" like many 14,15 + year olds would ask, children under that age ask questions like "would god send someone to hell if they kill someone?" or "what is heaven like?" or "does god listen to my prayers?".
so yea, if you look at it that way, it is brainwashing. but dont take offense, if you disagree, just write down why you dont think it is and we will discuss it.
so what do you think? is teaching religion to kids wrong?
3 people like this
3 responses
@mansha (6298)
• India
30 Jun 07
I think its not a question of right or wrong but how you teach and what you teach. Beleif is essential whether its in self or in some God. It fills one with hope in times of weakness and sorrow. And yes children do ask questions but the thing that is important is how honestly can you answer them and if you curb their questions or encourage their analysis. I am a hindu but I celebrate Id and christmas too with my kids. I am not very religious. My son loves seets of Id and he cherishes santa claus and I have no problems with that. He brought home a locket of jesus on cross which he had found on the road and that he kept on the same shelve where all dieties are kept so its still there and is worshiped the same way other dieties are. He asked me if I have seen God and I told him no and no one has but its a belief and as long as we enjoy the spirit of festival its good to believe. If you think hapiness comes from believing in God believe in him but if you feel trapped by those beliefs drop them and move on.
@fightingistheonlyway (2658)
• Canada
30 Jun 07
lol..i dont think children need "the hope" of belief, their lives are already filled with joy and they are innocent, once they start thinking about "life" and "why am i here?" they start needing a purpose for it, so they invent god as a form of self defense.
belief is not essential because it does not do anything.
i can have purpose without belief.
1 person likes this
@fightingistheonlyway (2658)
• Canada
2 Jul 07
you dont need to believe in god to comfort people.
you can say something like "he has gone to a more peaceful place"
1 person likes this
@eden32 (3973)
• United States
30 Jun 07
Whether we do it intentionally or not, we begin teaching our children our values from birth. Having good manners, telling the truth, being kind; those are all values & opinions of how to live. Religion is an important part of many people's lives & they have the right to share that with their children.
@fightingistheonlyway (2658)
• Canada
30 Jun 07
religion and morals are 2 different things...
if i teach morals without religion:
"how do you think that boy felt when you punched him?"
if i teach religious morals:
"dont punch that boy or else your gonna go to hell!"
thats the difference my friend.
and saying that something is good vs bad is not the same as saying jesus was the son of god or muhamad was the last profit..
2 people like this
@stacyv81 (5903)
• United States
1 Jul 07
no, not all religions teach that way...
I would never tell my child do not hit that kid or you are going to hell.
In my beliefs we are all human and will sin, it is inevitable. However, it is how we learn and grow and ask for forgiveness after the sin. I will teach my son the ways of the bible, as I was taught, laying a foundation for him, for when he is an adult.
I tell him hitting is wrong, but I would never say he would go to hell for it.
@fightingistheonlyway (2658)
• Canada
2 Jul 07
your belief of right does not make something true or just. morals are different from religion. and at the core of every heaven/hell religion there is the idea that the good people go here and the bad people go there. this is wrong, because there is always a gray area.
1 person likes this
@stacyv81 (5903)
• United States
1 Jul 07
I do not think it is brainwashing. I see it as setting a foundation for your child. Giving them something to believe in with a set of moral codes. Forcing them to follow as an adult would be wrong, however we as parents are responsible for these souls, therefore, we teach them what we feel is right. Isnt that what parents are supposed to do? Then when they are adults, they will make their own decisions. =)
@fightingistheonlyway (2658)
• Canada
2 Jul 07
morals are different from religion, and you should never scare your child into following them. religious morals are strictly set to "do this, go here." not, "do this because..."
there is no proof of soul. what is soul? then what is spirit? then what is mind?
just because you think something is right, does not make it true or just. people killing themselves in iraq blowin up americans and other people think that it is right as well.
it is really hard to come out of it once learned before the age of 13-14-15, this is because children believe something that cant be disproved. there is no proof for it in the first place. that is why you need to teach after you feel that your child is smart enough to actually understand and ask reasonable questions, not just accept because you told them so.
1 person likes this




