Why do you teach your children your belief?

[9Westy9]

How about because parents are OBLIGATED to teach religion to their children--in our case, ALL religions and their validity!--and we teach them this is what WE understand as truth; they then make their own decisions independantly of us.

Bruce

I don't mind if you teach all religions. It becomes a bit more of a problem, in my opinion, when you tell them your views on the religion.

 

[sniper762]

children have not the ability to "make their own decisions". thats where parenting comes in. (and their responsibility)
dont worry. when they become adults, most will choose their own direction.

 

[sniper762]

if you dont share or teach your religious opinion (or lack of), there's no need to have one

 

[Puddle Duck]

Why would anyone teach their children something that wasn't their belief? I don't know about you, but I'm not versed on every religion or every possible path. To teach your children something you know very little to nothing about seems preposterous to me. We teach what we know, what we enjoy and what we love to talk about.

I was raised a Baptist, I am now something different. I don't believe that "teaching" your children your belief hinders their thinking or decision making process in the least as far as choosing their own path later on in life.

Namaste'

Puddle Duck

 

[Tristesse]

children have not the ability to "make their own decisions". thats where parenting comes in. (and their responsibility)
dont worry. when they become adults, most will choose their own direction.

We're not talking about decisions, we're talking about unsubstantiated claims.

 

[Tristesse]

if you dont share or teach your religious opinion (or lack of), there's no need to have one

It's ok to share your belief, but there's a fine line between sharing your belief and indoctrination.

 

[Mister Emu]

But they might be

No, they are not mutually exclusive.

If your truth is so self evident why teach it at all?

When did I say self-evident?

I guess, however, that the least you teach them as true, the more open minded they will be as they grow up?

And that is necessarily a good thing?

However what if you're wrong?

I'm not.

What else do you wish to refrain from unduly influencing your children into? Is it acceptable, to you, to teach morals and ethics?

Or should we just let our children work those out on their own too?

 

[9Westy9]

And that is necessarily a good thing?

I'm not.

What else do you wish to refrain from unduly influencing your children into? Is it acceptable, to you, to teach morals and ethics?

Or should we just let our children work those out on their own too?

Yes it is. Why is being open minded a bad thing?

Bold statement. So you're 100% that you're right? If that was the case then that means your view is as certain as, gravity for example.

It is fine to teach children ethics and morals as these things are accepted throughout our society. If you ask someone if murder is wrong in America or Britain almost all would say yes. However if you ask them whether they believe in God then you get a mixed bag.

We could do. As long as we involve them in society, they will pick up on morals and ethics.

 

[ChristineES]

Oh, I quite agree. I was merely pointing out to ChirtineES that "Just because people teach their children their faith, doesn't mean they are "forcing" it on them. In fact, once a child is able to think for him or herself, they will choose their own path anyway, no matter what we teach them." does not follow. If a child is brought up in a particular faith then it is far and away much more likely to continue in it than deviate away from it.

Au contraire. I was raised by an atheist mother and, as you can see, I became a Christian. I had a best friend in the past who was raised a Catholic but was an agnostic when I knew him (and probably still is), and there are much more examples. Some children grow up and follow the same faith as their parents did, but most of them, as I can tell do question their beliefs, maybe not change them necessarily, but question them. Very few have I known who never questioned or changed their beliefs.

 

[ChristineES]

When people say "you can't teach your children your faith", I hate to say it, but I get kind of angry. That is a ridiculous statement, the way I see it. I teach my children what I know and what I believe. I also teach them to think for themselves. What right does anyone have to dictate to another what they should or shouldn't teach their children? Children don't spend 100% of their time with their parents, at any rate. My children have friends they talk to, teachers, friend's parents, etc. I don't have the time or energy to take my children to every single religious service around the town.

And almost all kids find out on their own that there is no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny, at least in my experience.

 

[Azekual]

I would teach my children Christianity for the morality, when they become old enough to decide for themselves if they want to be Christian or not, I will let them make that decision and respect it.

 

[idav]

UU , actually gives my children a bit of an education/taste
of differing religions, god concepts, and world/life views
including secular humanism.

We have taken the kids to UU the past few weeks and we do enjoy it. I want my oldest to start getting a broader view as friends around here are already indoctrinating him with christian beliefs. The teacher told me that they teach about all the different great religious philosophers. In the sermon they even talked about the importance of the philosophy of jesus rather than the miracles. Real down to earth so it is easy to get along. They seem to match on my perspective also.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

In fact, once a child is able to think for him or herself, they will choose their own path anyway, no matter what we teach them.

Disagree, sometimes they aren't interested enough to know so they just go with what they were raised to believe and once they do become interested they will think what they've known their entire life was wrong, they can't really trust anything beyond that point. Sometimes leads to killing themselves. It does happen, it is a severe case of Nihilistic Crisis.

It is like raising your children to believe Santa exists until they are twelve, and wonder 'what else is false'? They wont believe you as much, they will be scared to set their view of life on cruise.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I take my children to a UU congregation.
(look it up before you spout)

I'm not even UU.

What they know of me,
they know because they love me,
and are interested in me
and what I do
and how I view life,
and they ask.

This is a good idea

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I really dislike religious pushing religion unto their children:

Like the Religion is Like a Penis quote:


"Religion is like a penis.
It is fine to have one.
But please do not wave it around in public,
and please don't shove it down children's throats."

 

[ChristineES]

Disagree, sometimes they aren't interested enough to know so they just go with what they were raised to believe and once they do become interested they will think what they've known their entire life was wrong, they can't really trust anything beyond that point. Sometimes leads to killing themselves. It does happen, it is a severe case of Nihilistic Crisis.

It is like raising your children to believe Santa exists until they are twelve, and wonder 'what else is false'? They wont believe you as much, they will be scared to set their view of life on cruise.

I don't know of any 12 year old who's normal who still believes in Santa. I don't think I have heard any stories about some kid killing him or herself because she decided that her parents religion wasn't right. I am not saying it would not happen, but it would be rare.
I don't know about anyone else, but learning that Santa wasn't real when I was five didn't have any bad effects on me or my brother and sister. It didn't have much of an effect on my husband, if I go by what he says. It didn't have much effect on any of my friends as most of them said "I already had figured it out". They still trusted their parents.
If someone decides to leave their faith or loses their faith, I don't see how it could have any detrimental effect most of the time.
I don't think you are giving children much credit to their emotional health. Nor are you giving the parents much credit when it comes to raising their children to have their own minds. I teach my children how to have their own mind and to make their own decisions because that is what my mom did. And most of my friends and family also say that there parents taught them to think for themselves. And I do know that there are some parents who don't, but most do.

 

[Breathe]

When people say "you can't teach your children your faith", I hate to say it, but I get kind of angry. That is a ridiculous statement, the way I see it. I teach my children what I know and what I believe. I also teach them to think for themselves. What right does anyone have to dictate to another what they should or shouldn't teach their children? Children don't spend 100% of their time with their parents, at any rate. My children have friends they talk to, teachers, friend's parents, etc. I don't have the time or energy to take my children to every single religious service around the town.

And almost all kids find out on their own that there is no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny, at least in my experience.

Spot on, ChristineEs. :bow:


I see no difference between people forcing religion down their children's throats and people attempting to prohibit theists from passing on your religious beliefs to their children.

If someone doesn't want to teach his or her kid's religion, he or she doesn't have to do so - but what gives someone who has no belief, or a different belief, to dictate what I can and cannot teach my children religiously, simply because a few people misuse it, or to tell me I'm brainwashing my children?

That's the very definition of an *******, as far as I care. People should stop sticking their noses in other's private lives.

 

[DinChild]

I would teach my children Christianity for the morality, when they become old enough to decide for themselves if they want to be Christian or not, I will let them make that decision and respect it.

Last I checked, Christianity has a shaky reputation with morality. Better morality could be taught from just being a good human being. Or you could just read your kids The Three Little Pigs, or Humpty Dumpty (to quote George Carlin.)

 

[BruceDLimber]

Bruce you know how rare it is for me to agree with you.

Fear not: you may yet get into the habit!

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I don't know of any 12 year old who's normal who still believes in Santa. I don't think I have heard any stories about some kid killing him or herself because she decided that her parents religion wasn't right. I am not saying it would not happen, but it would be rare.

More like older, in adulthood, having depression (sometimes suicide) because they don't know what else they have been lied to about.

I don't know about anyone else, but learning that Santa wasn't real when I was five didn't have any bad effects on me or my brother and sister. It didn't have much of an effect on my husband, if I go by what he says. It didn't have much effect on any of my friends as most of them said "I already had figured it out". They still trusted their parents.
If someone decides to leave their faith or loses their faith, I don't see how it could have any detrimental effect most of the time.

I don't think you are giving children much credit to their emotional health.

I'm not saying lose trust a lot in their parents, but most, or at least I was, are a bit curious, wanting to figure out what else is fake that their parents told them stories of.

Nor are you giving the parents much credit when it comes to raising their children to have their own minds. I teach my children how to have their own mind and to make their own decisions because that is what my mom did. And most of my friends and family also say that there parents taught them to think for themselves. And I do know that there are some parents who don't, but most do.

Maybe Santa was a bad example, the affects of Santa are no match for the affects of what you watch millions of people went to a building for every sunday.

Although, sometimes Nihilistic Crisis's don't happen. Either they are not too interested in religious beliefs, haven't switched, or sometimes it is cured for studying religions before learning the one you've followed were wrong.

Sometimes people do go into a Nihilistic Crisis at a young age, but it is more common when the human is more mature.