Religion and children?

**sturmwalkure** · 11-12-2009, 08:49 PM

I've been thinking about this a lot recently. I was raised Roman-Catholic, and was forced to go to mass throughout my childhood. I only began really taking my faith seriously this summer, after years of questioning time. I wouldn't have called myself Atheist, maybe Agnostic. I think a lot of my reluctance to take the teachings of the Catholic church seriously was due to the fact that my mother particularly forced me to go to mass, to get confirmation, etc. It may have just been regular youthful rebellion but I felt as if was forced on me. I obviously had no choice to be baptized since I was just a baby at the time. But this brings up what I thought would be an interesting topic for discussion.

Assuming my spouse would be Catholic, I would have my children baptized into the Catholic church. But I would let them choose whether they want to go to a Catholic school, or not, maybe the time they're thirteen. That was about the age I really began to rebel against my mother particularly. My father is Catholic too, but the kind that only goes to mass on Easter and Christmas. I'd went to a Catholic school all throughout middle school. I didn't have much of a choice in that though. I have no problem with religion obviously, but looking at my own experiences as a teenager and as a young adult and how my childhood of experience of having no choice but to go to mass and to receive my baptism [obviously], first holy communion, and confirmation and how that drove me away from the faith for so long makes me consider giving my children a choice to go to church or not, or to receive the sacraments or not at some point. I mentioned earlier that thirteen seems like a good age, but what does anyone else think?

I know my post centers around Christianity a lot, as I am Christian and was raised in a fairly Christian environment. But this can apply to any religion, I think. I don't see myself having children in the next six to eight years though, but as I said, I believe this to be an interesting discussion topic.

**Lutiferre** · 11-13-2009, 03:42 PM

It seems forcing anything on anyone without them understanding it, can easily led to a reaction of resentment.

Making them understand it should be of primary significance, at least to avoid that kind of reaction..

**Liffrea** · 11-13-2009, 04:16 PM

I don’t have children myself (I may have to think of having some, with my pension plans I can’t afford a nurse to wipe my arse and dribble up…) so my opinion is purely theoretical and probably a load of bollocks.

I think it’s important to raise a child with two principles, one a decent set of ethical standards (at least decent enough to function in society as a plus rather than a minus) and the ability to think critically. I’m not sure you can teach the later, some people are just born credulous….

Would I teach them Odinism…….well I know what Odinism means to me and what I have got from it but my child wouldn’t be me, the Mrs would have to have broadly the same values as me (opposites attract is a reasonable principle for sex, sometimes, but pants as a basis for a stable relationship) I would probably be tempted to leave it at ethics and nurturing thought, bring Odinism in if/when he/she/it developed an interest in my shrine or books. Bed time stories would probably be Beowulf, Sigurd Volsung etc, none of that Goldilocks cobblers the boy must grow to be a warrior!

Of course that's my ill thought out idea.......but we all know women do what they want anyway so anything I say would be discarded out of hand.....

**Tabiti** · 11-13-2009, 06:24 PM

If I have children I will teach them in my views, but telling that there are other religions and believes in the world, so they can choose which path to follow when mature enough.
Anyway, Bulgarian believes will be preferable

**Hrolf Kraki** · 11-13-2009, 06:32 PM

I believe that exposing children to religion is seriously detrimental to their mental well-being. I personally consider it to be a form of child abuse. Allowing children to explore religion freely without a parent enforcing one particular religion upon the child is more healthy. That way, they are free to choose and make up their own mind. If you raise a child, for example Catholic, and instill in them Catholic values for 13 years, their mind will be too warped to be able to give other religions a fair chance.

Has anyone religious noted that people born to Christian parents are Christian, people born to Muslim parents are Muslim, people born to Hindu parents are Hindu, et. al. Yes quite obvious, I know; and not surprising. But really think about this.

**Trencavel** · 11-13-2009, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by Liffrea

I think it’s important to raise a child with two principles, one a decent set of ethical standards (at least decent enough to function in society as a plus rather than a minus) and the ability to think critically. I’m not sure you can teach the later, some people are just born credulous….

I completely agree on this...

It's interesting how you realize that Forcing children to do something will give you the complete opposite result ! he he

Soild ethical and moral values are essential... They'll realize what to believe later on...

**anonymaus** · 11-13-2009, 07:48 PM

I will do for my children what was done for me: raise them with common rational morality and leave the superfluous mystical bits for them to embrace or reject once their minds are capable of understanding it.

They will also receive a particularly thorough education in comparative religion.

**sturmwalkure** · 11-13-2009, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by Hrolf Kraki

I believe that exposing children to religion is seriously detrimental to their mental well-being. I personally consider it to be a form of child abuse. Allowing children to explore religion freely without a parent enforcing one particular religion upon the child is more healthy. That way, they are free to choose and make up their own mind. If you raise a child, for example Catholic, and instill in them Catholic values for 13 years, their mind will be too warped to be able to give other religions a fair chance.

Has anyone religious noted that people born to Christian parents are Christian, people born to Muslim parents are Muslim, people born to Hindu parents are Hindu, et. al. Yes quite obvious, I know; and not surprising. But really think about this.

I just find it disturbing to expose children to religion, especially when they're not interested in it. I would probably introduce my future children to Catholicism but I will not force them to participate in the sacraments, in the celebration of mass etcetera. This may just be due to my personal experiences and the resentment that I had toward the Catholic church and religion in general for so long. Now that I am an adult I've made my own decision to be Catholic.

**Óttar** · 11-13-2009, 08:52 PM

I would read my kids some Classical and Germanic Mythology. Other than that, I would take them to museums and explain some things to them, but I would let them come to their own conclusions on their own time. Forcing religion on kids is a form of child abuse like Hrolf Kraki said.