Teaching our Children.

[charityagape]

I read a post in another thread that said we shouldn't be able to expose children to religion.

Should we be able to teach our children what we believe (no matter what it is we believe)? And since they live with us, is there anyway we can actually avoid teaching our children what we believe?

If we should only be able to teach our children some things and not others, who decides what those things are?

Should they be state mandated?

To those who think children shouldn't be exposed to religion, how could this be avoided? And what things should the athiest not be able to teach their children?

Is it at all practical or right to say children should not be exposed to religion? (keeping in mind that children are exposed to things their parents choose to expose them to.)

 

[Thirst_For_Knowledge]

I read a post in another thread that said we shouldn't be able to expose children to religion.

Should we be able to teach our children what we believe (no matter what it is we believe)? And since they live with us, is there anyway we can actually avoid teaching our children what we believe?

We should most certainly be able to teach our children what we believe.

If we should only be able to teach our children some things and not others, who decides what those things are?

You, should be able to teach your children whatever you want.

Should they be state mandated?

What you teach your own children? No.

To those who think children shouldn't be exposed to religion, how could this be avoided? And what things should the athiest not be able to teach their children?

It is the parent's choice to expose their children to religion, I could careless. I think the real issue is that children shouldn't be exposed to any religion by the school. Not at school. If another child exposes my atheist child to religion, I don't care. But if a teacher does, then I have a problem with it.

Is it at all practical or right to say children should not be exposed to religion? (keeping in mind that children are exposed to things their parents choose to expose them to.)

See above.

 

[charityagape]

Wow, that was a quick first post. Thank you for your response.

 

[ebia]

How could you not teach your children what you believe? It simply isn't possible unless you are going to remove them from all adult contact.

 

[charityagape]

I agree. There is no way to keep children from being exposed to religion, when there parents are religious. So those who propose children shouldn't be exposed to religion, propose what? Removing the children from the home?

 

[Magisterium]

This question and others like it really disturb me. The idea that a person would be prohibited from teaching their children something because the state (or some group within it) disagrees with it is absolutely horrifying.

It's disturbing for a couple of reasons. First of all, if history has taught us anything, it has taught us that attempts to suppress ideas and ideologies by force always comes to a violent end. Secondly, the suppression is always unsuccessful.

The fact is, the only real way to eliminate what's bad is by promoting what's good. But people must be given the ability to choose what they will and accept the results.

The formation of our children (for better or for worse) is a basic right of the parent. To remove that right is a dangerous proposition. I find it ironic that among the same circles who discuss the rights of parents to teach their children certain things, the so-called "right" for a parent to kill the same child in the womb is considered untouchable...

 

[""]

Parents should be allowed to instruct their child in any way they deem necessary and important, as long as it's not illegal. Then you get into what is illegal and what is non-illegal.

An example of illegal: instructing your child to smoke pot at 13 years of age as a part of their religious upbringing.

Well.... should we be able to arrest a parent for teaching their child to do this, if they say that it is a part of their religion? An example would be the Native American culture and peyote. Some Native Americans practice smoking peyote as a part of their culture/heritage, and even in religious ceremonies. So if peyote smoking was illegal, would we be allowed to remove a child from the home if this was the practice?

Were do we draw the line? What if reading the Christian bible were suddenly illegal? Could we arrest a parent who reads the bible to their child, and remove the child from the home?

It seems silly now to ponder this, but when you take into consideration that it is our government which deems what is legal and what is illegal EVEN INSIDE OF OUR OWN PRIVATE DOMAIN, then you begin to really get the bigger picture.

Government has no business putting it's nose in the family home, and removing children who are well fed, well clothed, and well educated, and not physically, sexually, or mentally abused.

But there again, we have to look to our government to determine what is "physical abuse?" Is spanking physical abuse? Sometimes I wonder when it will be deemed as physical abuse. I think we're very close to that now.

There are clearly some things that are definitely abusive. I listed some above. Sexual abuse is one, and I think physical abuse that goes beyond normal spanking is another. Neglect (ie: drug addicted parent who cannot be alert enough to care for the child). Most of them are common sense, but we must realize that the line between the norm and the abnorm is getting thinner every year.

Anyway, as I have ran off with this topic in all directions, you can see why the idea of anybody in government determining how I can raise my child sets off the flashing yellow lights for me. In reality that's what we're talking about in this OP. Any person who believes they have the right to say "Your child should (or shouldn't) have religion forced down his/her throat in the home" is attempting to quash parental rights by giving BIG GOVERNMENT a role in the family. It's a huge warning. Government does not belong in the family home. Period.

 

[ebia]

You mention but then ignore the hardest one to quantify - mental abuse.

Potentially far more damaging than physical abuse, but much, much harder to define.

 

[""]

You mention but then ignore the hardest one to quantify - mental abuse.

I didn't ignore mental abuse. It was mentioned, therefore it was not ignored. Mental abuse is difficult to define, but my point was not to define abuse. It seems that you missed it altogether. I have to wonder why.

 

[ebia]

I didn't ignore mental abuse. It was mentioned, therefore it was not ignored. Mental abuse is difficult to define, but my point was not to define abuse. It seems that you missed it altogether. I have to wonder why.

Apologies. "Ignored" was the wrong word, and my post wasn't meant as an attack on yours but to support and extend it slightly.

Sorry.

 

[""]

Accepted. Thank you.

 

[peepnklown]

I don’t think people have a problem with parents teaching their children their beliefs; the problem comes from teaching religion at the public schools.

 

[MikeMcK]

..

 

[Corran]

I belive one should never force a religion on a child. Meaning that instead of saying that there is a god belive in him tell the child that ppl belive in differant things and you belive in god and belive that it true but have no way of proving it. You should allow the child to form his own oppinions based on facts instead of brainwashing him from a young age up.

 

[ChristianCenturion]

I read a post in another thread that said we shouldn't be able to expose children to religion.

Should we be able to teach our children what we believe (no matter what it is we believe)? And since they live with us, is there anyway we can actually avoid teaching our children what we believe?

If we should only be able to teach our children some things and not others, who decides what those things are?

Should they be state mandated?

To those who think children shouldn't be exposed to religion, how could this be avoided? And what things should the athiest not be able to teach their children?

Is it at all practical or right to say children should not be exposed to religion? (keeping in mind that children are exposed to things their parents choose to expose them to.)

I had to consider this in another thread some time ago about a judge ordering the child's parents not to teach the child their Pagan religion while having the child attend a Catholic school. When playing devil's advocate in that OP, I had to consider that it may be possible for parents to set up a conflicting and harmful environment for the child during development. It is, however, dark waters and I am 99% against anyone or any group superseding a parental right. I know personally that there will be a hefty price to pay if the government, group, or person ever tried trumping our parental authority.

 

[LittleNipper]

The problem is that we as a nation (United States) have gone way beyond "religion" and have endorsed the expulsion of GOD as being a possibility in public education. You may wish to consider the age of your child and the simple fact that your child maybe misquoting this lady. He may even be doing this as a means to have your attention or approval.

The reality is that even your child will one day grow to be an adult in a society that has many different ideologies. Part of a GOOD education is to allow a child the opportunity to face the reality that his thoughts may not always be accepted everywhere and that he may just sometimes hear things he either does not understand or even wish to. Your job as a parent is not to shield him or her from everything, but to enlighten him or her as to why you feel the way YOU do. If everything that bothered one person was removed from education, we would soon have NOTHING to consider or learn. I feel strongly that your child needs to do some of his own soul searching. You will be a better parent IF YOU HELP HIM consider the possibilities and not try to simply shield him from what YOU choose not to accept.

 

[Cassandra]

Well, my parents raised me Christian. Then, as I got older and did some searching both inside and outside, I decided to take my own path....then that didn't work for me, so I explored other religions until I finally became agnostic.


I don't know of anyone who is against children being exposed to religion altogether. Just schools endorsing religion. You can't avoid religion in school. When you talk about the myths of different cultures, you get into religion. I think the problem is ENDSORSING a religion.

 

[MikeMcK]

I belive one should never force a religion on a child. Meaning that instead of saying that there is a god belive in him tell the child that ppl belive in differant things and you belive in god and belive that it true but have no way of proving it. You should allow the child to form his own oppinions based on facts instead of brainwashing him from a young age up.

Would you tell a child, "Some people like to play in traffic. Some people don't. I can't tell you which you should do. That's just a decision you're going to have to make on your own"?

 

[Corran]

Would you tell a child, "Some people like to play in traffic. Some people don't. I can't tell you which you should do. That's just a decision you're going to have to make on your own"?

No as i know for a fact that minimizing the rist of a accident is beneficial to ones sefl. Your example has nothing to do with what i posted as you can give an answer about how you should behave in the example you gave. However when talking about something so abstract as religion we cannot prove nor disprove it meaning it is not fair to make some one think that it is 100% true when the truth is that it isnt as we cannot prove it.

 

[LittleNipper]

Historic interpretations devoid of Spiritual perspectives are just as invalid as historic interpretations that neglect the secular. The very same could be applied to abstract thought, theoretical considerations, and social studies. One ends up with a lopsided incomplete view of the study and a very incomplete education of a limited value.