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I'm creating this topic on a whim, so bear with me here if it's not entirely focused......Well, for those of you who may not have seen the film I'm about to discuss, "Jesus Camp" is a documentary about a Christian bible camp for young children. This particular bible camp is representative of a sort of charismatic evangicalism where you see kids speaking in tongues, crying forcefully during sermons, professing to having the spiritual gift of prophesy, etc. The Christian political movement in the U.S. is major factor in this film, but putting that issue aside, what really struck me was the fact that the parents did not seem to think that they were pressuring their children into believing and reiterating their [the parents'] viewpoints. Personally, I've come to think that subscribing children to a certain religion or certain religious viewpoints before they're fully capable of understanding it really undermines their right to choose. Plus, I think it results in underdeveloped opinions because a clear bias was formed during childhood. (Ex. The kids in "Jesus Camp" prayed for an end to abortion multiple times. As if a child can fully understand the abortion issue in its entirety...)

Basically, I want you to discuss what you think about allowing children to grow up in a religious institution or environment where religious "truths" are administered regularly. ----Though it may be beneficial, do you think it is good to brainwash children into living the in the "right" ways? How will you raise your children in terms of religion, and why? ...Or just discuss whatever comes to mind as long as it pertains somewhat to the topic. smile

Well I just think it's wrong.
I don't have any plans of having children, though I have thought about many things that I would do in bringing up my children should they ever happen, and despite my strong interest in religion (Which is all it is, as I am atheist) I have never really thought about what I would do with my children in the forms of religion.

I think that's because chances are I wouldn't do anything. They would learn about religion through life and school, and I would teach them on religion to avoid ignorance, but past that, it would be entirely their own belief.

I think forcing a religion - or in fact forcing one not to believe a religion - is wrong, and obviously this is worst of all on an impressionable child.

My parents did it with me. My dad is atheist and mum mother is agnostic.
As far as they're concerned, I could well go and follow any religion I like.
Or of course, not follow any religion.

Yes, I agree that it depends on how strong willed or impressionable someone is as to whether they accept spoon-fed beliefs in childhood, but it is also my belief that children have a very strong desire to gain acceptance and approval from their families, and this makes them very susceptible to following the religious or non-religious practices/beliefs of their families. And also, since some Christians actually don't interpret homosexuality or bisexuality as a sin, I think you are a good example of a person who had a certain religious viewpoint imposed upon them during childhood before you were equipped to seriously determine whether you thought it was actually harmful or actually a solid religious argument.....as you spent so many years believing that you would be punished.

I spent most of my past elementary school years in a Christian school... We had Bible lessons near every morning, and church there every Tuesday or so.

I remember asking questions about certain things in the religion they taught us (which, apparently, I wasn't supposed to do), and not being answered directly. It was very frustrating. And then there was a time when they said that the God in another religion was fake--when he was really the exact same God we had, they just decided to form a way of worship differently.

So, now that I'm in a public school, and am exposed to different things, I have a different view of God and my own religion. It really seemed like they were putting certain beliefs upon us, and not wanting us to think for ourselves on the matter.

No, I don't think that parents/other adult figures in a child's life should "brainwash" them into believing in a certain thing. It's wrong to me. They should get to think on their own--of course, a bit of guidance might be needed, but nothing like telling them what they should believe.

As a parent, one makes just about all choices for their young children, and this includes religion. Is it so wrong to "force" a religion on a child who probably doesn't even know what the hell you're talking about when you read him the bible? "Force" would imply that you are making them practice a certain religion against their will. Last I checked, no young child was ever dragged kicking and screaming into church because "The bad man nailed to the cross scares them." They're simply not old enough to make that decision on their own. Thus, it is the parents who must make it for them.

But is it not a good thing after all? Don't Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and the like instill good values and morals into our children from an early age? I would rather have a daughter afraid that God's always going to strike her dead for wearing a skirt that barely covers the knees than have one who's a raging slut and/or whore by the time she's fourteen years old. I'm definitely not saying that I'm a pious person at all, hell, I don't even go to church. But it's partially religion chosen for the children by the parents that helps inspire them to do good deeds in life.

No one's saying that forcing it upon them in a totalitarian manner when they're old enough to make up their own mind about it is alright. But while they're still too young, it never hurts to at least try and make them become good people before pop culture and present-day society inevitably turn them into sluts, gangsters, whatever's popular these days, etc.

I'm fine with saying that when I'm a father, I will teach my children Christianity until they are old enough to decide for themselves what they want to believe. I can only pray that they remain generally good-willed people even after they choose other beliefs.

I'm pretty much like you. (Well, except for the fact that I'm still debating over if I'm completely bisexual or just curious but that's another subject).
Anyway, my family and I didn't go to church for the most part. I would occasionally go with my grandmother but other than that no.
An example of my family seeming to control my preferences in religion:
A few years ago, I was watching the show "Spin City" and there is a character in there who is gay. My mom always tries to make sure that my brother and I aren't around gay people so much so that we won't "suddenly turn into gay Atheists" (that's my mom, not me). Anyway, she asked me if he was gay and I said "Yeah. So?" She didn't say anything but a few hours later she and my dad called me to see something on television. It was a preacher talking about gays, how it's "wrong" to be gay, ect. I took this as offense immediately and just said "So?" yet again. That is the reason why I'm afraid my parents will freak out if I tell them I am bisexual (if I ever come to that conclusion).

Basically, with them doing this (among other things), I'm afraid to voice out my opinions or ask a question on the topic of religion. So, as of now, I don't know what religion I believe at all but I still "keep up appearances" by praying over my food and such.

Oh, a few summers ago, the church that I used to go to had this summer camp. My brother and I really wanted to go since we hadn't been camping before. They were doing everything you, TheCranialSlave, said the children in "Jesus Camp" were doing. When they did this, I felt like a complete outsider. No matter what I did to try to get into it, I couldn't fully say to myself that Christianity was for me. There was always a gnawing question in the back of my mind whether everything people said was true. I only did it because I felt I was supposed to. For my parents.

I will not raise my children to believe whatever it is I believe. I love talking about the good and the bad things about all religion as it is. Of course, I will try to make them into good people who can make decisions on their own. You can scare your children if you tell them that what you believe is right and that if they feel any different, they will be punished one day. I'm still scared but I'm starting to come out of my shell little by little.

sweatdrop I'm sorry that that was somewhat unorganized (that kind of emphasizes my point more about me still not being sure about things, if you noticed).

I'm not sure. I was raised going to a Christian school, but I have many doubts about the religion itself. What many Christians would call evangelism, I would term as zealotry. I do feel that the moral values expressed by Christianity (ie. do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not bear false witness, love your neighbor, etc.) are good, many people who claim to be devout Christians act no differently than anyone else. As long as somebody is raised with enough freedom to learn about different ways of living, it doesn't matter what religion you try to make them follow.

I personally, reiterating what everyone else has pretty much said, think that it's awful to force religion or non-religion on a child. It's brainwashing. Children, by nature, listen to their parents, because their parents are their primary role models.

Right now, I don't really have a religion, I more have an idea. I'm searching for a religion. As a child, I went to church every Sunday, and we went to Sunday School, but we didnt' learn much there. However, my father didn't come to church with us, so I think that showed my siblings and I that you don't have to follow the same religion. Also, my mother told me that from when I was little. She said that I could follow any religion that felt right to me, but she also said she'd be a little upset if I gave up all religion.

Enough about that, I think I would just always let my children know that they can believe what they want.