Should parents force religion onto their children?

[MrDawn]

Should parents force their religion and or religious beliefs onto their children? Why or why not?

 

[DrLeftover]

Ask that question in a country that observes Sharia and let me know how it works out for you.

 

[MamaFrankie]

No because religion is the cause of most of the world's problems.

 

[DrLeftover]

No because religion is the cause of most of the world's problems.

So in a country that is officially atheist everything should be peaches and cream and everybody stands in the sunshine and recites poetry.

Or not.

 

[riseabovethis]

The only time parents have to force their religious beliefs on a child is when the child is old enough to question it.

 

[MrDawn]

I'm glad you brought up North Korea. I've always found that country to be an interesting topic of it's own. What I do find interesting is that before religion was completely eradicated in that country in favor of Communism, some of them were a mixture of Buddhism, Shamanism and Cheondoism, which was about the worship of Hanul.

 

[Juneberry]

I'm personally against forcing religion on children or on anyone in general. I was forced into Judaism as a child myself and hated it. My father was more open-minded and fine with me exploring other religions, but his parents were vehemently against it at least for a time. I was forced to go to Hebrew school and follow Judaism until I was old enough to have my bat mitzvah by my grandparents. Incidentally, they stopped pushing it on me after that though. When I told my dad I wasn't interested in it, he made it clear he never minded that- in fact, he's not really religious either. I was just forced to by my grandparents because they wanted to push it on me, but once I was old enough, they decided to let me decide- though my grandmother still kinda pushes Judaism in general, she's not forcing me to go to synagogue or anything anymore since I was like 13/14. I just keep an eye on the calendar to tell her and a few doctors who I am close to that are Jewish "happy holidays" and stuff.

I personally am since areligious and spiritually inclined. My father is perfectly fine with it and will talk openly with me about it, since he is actually pretty similar in viewpoint. It's just his mom that still assumes we're Jewish... Which I mean, genetically speaking, we still are. It's partially a race it seems like and not just a religion...

I've always had a general interest in world religions though. I was really happy when I got to go with my friend to her Hindi temple for a holiday celebration, and similarly, she came to my synagogue a couple times for Hannukah (she wanted free latkas, to be fair).

 

[Crys]

If I had children, which I don't, I would not force anything on them. There's a difference between explaining about one's beliefs and then basically forcing another person to think and feel the same way. It's going to be harmful in the long especially when the person/kids/etc grow older and want to make decisions for themselves about religion, if they want to practice or even believe in anything. It should be their choice. Forcing something on someone is going to do the exact opposite.

 

[Nebulous]

I have a child (who is an adult now) and I have never forced her to believe anything. She is free to think how she wants.

 

[riseabovethis]

Children aren't forced into learning a religion, they grow up into one. I grew up Catholic because my mom was Catholic and probably all of my ancestors. If my mom had been a devil worshiper I'd be a devil worshiper. If a baby's parents aren't religious it will grow up to be a Pagan or heathen. That video you had up there was a Catholic kid turning away from his religion. When I turned away from my religion no one noticed because we weren't that religious.

 

[Nebulous]

When I turned away from my religion no one noticed because we weren't that religious.

What made you want to do that?

 

[riseabovethis]

What made you want to do that?

I read about what the Spanish did in the name of God when they came to the Americas. I stopped believing in God.

 

[Nebulous]

I read about what the Spanish did in the name of God when they came to the Americas. I stopped believing in God.

Lots of cruelty in history.

 

[MrDawn]

So in a country that is officially atheist everything should be peaches and cream and everybody stands in the sunshine and recites poetry.

I do have to disagree with this statement. There's been several studies that show France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand having one of the largest Atheist populations combined in the world and they're getting along just fine without those beliefs. Definitely not like North Korea. You don't have to be a Theist to be moral. Morality is not exclusive to religion. I do remember the Nazi's having their own Christian religion and they ravaged Europe and murdered millions of people.

 

[DrLeftover]

I do have to disagree with this statement. There's been several studies that show France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand having one of the largest Atheist populations combined in the world and they're getting along just fine without those beliefs. Definitely not like North Korea. You don't have to be a theist to be moral. Morality is not exclusive to religion. I do remember the Nazi's having their own Christian religion and they ravaged Europe and murdered millions of people.

Are those "officially atheist"?

 

[MrDawn]

Are those "officially atheist"?

No, I did not use an atheist news site for this information. But here's just one source.

In 2021, 58 percent of the Dutch population aged 15 years and over stated they did not belong to any religious denomination or ideological group. This was 55 percent in the previous year and still 45 percent in 2010. The share of Catholics fell in particular. The decline among Protestant churches and groups remained limited. The group describing themselves as Islamic has remained stable in recent years. This is evident from new figures released by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) as part of a survey on social cohesion and well-being.

Almost 6 in 10 Dutch people do not have a religious affiliation

In 2021, 58 percent of the Dutch population aged 15 years and over stated they did not belong to a religious or ideological group.

www.cbs.nl

 

[DrLeftover]

No, I did not use an atheist news site for this information. But here's just one source.

Almost 6 in 10 Dutch people do not have a religious affiliation

In 2021, 58 percent of the Dutch population aged 15 years and over stated they did not belong to a religious or ideological group.

www.cbs.nl

I'm sorry sir, but you missed something in my original statement.

North Korea bills itself as officially atheist, as does Communist China.

As yet, no European country has that in their constitution.

Even Cuba has backed it down a step and says, according to their own document, that they have religious freedom.

Cuba 1976 (rev. 2002) Constitution - Constitute

Cuba's Constitution of 1976 with Amendments through 2002

www.constituteproject.org

 

[ElegantAura]

There's no harm in them growing up in a religious household. Trying to steer them away from religion is pretty much the same as trying to push it on them.

 

[MrDawn]

North Korea bills itself as officially atheist, as does Communist China.

That is factually correct and no argument there.

 

[Nebulous]

There's no harm in them growing up in a religious household. Trying to steer them away from religion is pretty much the same as trying to push it on them.

Indeed. I know people who actively try to push away anything religious from their kids and tell them its bad. I suppose that is the same thing.