Should children be exposed to religon?

[atheistdebater96]

When a child is raised in a Catholic family, goes to church every Sunday, reads the Bible, attends Sunday school, all of this from the moment he was born, it seems very reasonable and logical to him. However, if a child is raised without religion at all, no church, no parental influence when it comes to the subject, then does it make as much sense? If you took both of these kids, sat them down and asked them about God and what they believe, what do you think the answers would be? Is this good, bad, what? Personally, I think it's bad. Kids grow up with this in their ears and that's what they believe to be true. The truth is that it can't be proven either way. I think it's all a load of crap, but have no hope of proving it until I'm dead and don't go anywhere. It can't be proven, nor disproven, so should children be exposed to it at a young age from a biased person, or should they be left out of it until they are old enough to decide for themselves?

[Jrosemary]

I teach my children mythology, and I teach it as it should be presented: Myth and legend.

My kids participate in holy days with us at the blot, but they are too young to really understand it.

Basically I include them in my beliefs coupled with a healthy sense of skepticism. When they're old enough to choose their own paths they will, and whatever path they choose is fine by me, as long as they are happy in it.

This seems like a healthy way to raise kids too.

(Um, by too, I mean religion wise--not the JRosemary example of parenting I put in the post just before this one!)

[JoeyKnothead]

Aw, thanks. But I can just picture myself as a parent:

"No! I told you a hundred times--no tattoos until you turn thirteen. Now go play Grand Theft Auto. Mommy's busy."

I love you.

[DeBunkem]

Any system of religion that has anything in it that shocks the mind of a child, cannot be a true system. Thomas Paine

The memory of my own suffering has prevented me from ever shadowing one young soul with the superstitions of the Christian religion. Elizabeth Cady Stanton

[sarabellum]

just answering the blurb "should children be exposed to religion?"
..........
well which ones...?
I like the ones that freak them out about sex....
condoms are a venial sin?
ware a veil....subservient
perhaps A PIERCED CLIT because of our tradition....
prayer no medicine....
no transfusions.......
the caste system
can i drive with this vail........
are gays bad
teach me about the way to treat slaves...
how many wives can i have
am i unclean
you will burn ,forever plus 8
angels , might help
demons, could hinder
prayer...........needs to be bigger than a mustered seed to move any mountains!!!!
easter bunny
santa clause
armageddon
you are unpure and need to be saved through a....well a divine human sacrifice....kinda like the aztecs ....but with a cross.?
if my menstruation happens at ten o'clock on passover am i allowed to take the dog for a walk?
apparently world 1.0 is going to fail....but hay new heaven new earth....pretty tempting

[DUCHESSA]

The value of religion is not merely in the truth of its ideas. There are personal and social benefits. Until you have a workable substitute for all that religion satisfies, you cannot prohibit its practice without the potential for great trouble.

1. There is not value in religion because it's based on falsehood.
2. How a person / society can benefit from something invented with the sole purpose of domination?
3. The only things religion satisfies are the pockets of those few who continuously tell us not only no to think but to accept w/o questioning what they tell us to be the truth?
4. The world is full of believers residing in jails.

Duchessa

[SailingCyclops]

When a child is raised in a Catholic family, goes to church every Sunday, reads the Bible, attends Sunday school, all of this from the moment he was born, it seems very reasonable and logical to him. However, if a child is raised without religion at all, no church, no parental influence when it comes to the subject, then does it make as much sense?

I was raised in such a household. Parents and grandparents were atheists, but never brought the subject of religion up at all. When I started school, I was exposed to the mostly Catholic child population of my neighborhood. I found their ideas, even in grammar school absurd and funny. "Holy Ghosts" and "Father god" seemed like ridiculous ideas, even to a 7 year old. I remember being asked what religion I was.... none! What church do you go to..... don't go to church! What do you believe?..... Don't believe in god! Kids my age found it incredulous, and said I was going to hell. Well.... there is no hell.

Of course I grew up atheist Thank the goddess

As far as children are concerned? I see indoctrinating them into superstitious ideas and lies as evil as exposing them to pornography, or violence, or the occult.

How could we correct this?

1) Insure that the schools remain secular
2) Insure that rationalist and scientific reasoning is taught in all subjects
3) Teach a complete history of religions and other superstitions
4) Continue to divorce our government from religion, and make it truly secular.

If you can educate the next generation you can minimize the damage they will inflict on the following one. Only by good education can we shake off the bonds of superstition and fear.

Bob

[DUCHESSA]

If you can educate the next generation you can minimize the damage they will inflict on the following one. Only by good education can we shake off the bonds of superstition and fear.

Bob

Believe it or not, the means of communication we enjoy now have had a positive impact on our kids. Yes, and although far from a full secular way of thinking, today's kid are not as easily fooled by ghosts, satan or imaginary guys on the sky. No, the truth is getting to them.
Have you noticed that most "new Atheists" are between 20s and 30s years of age....and that the number of Atheists worldwide is rapidly increasing?

BTW: If anybody wishes to check on the amount of money Uncle Sam misses -annually- due to the religious org. tax exempt status...you can contact Ken Broinstein at the following e/mail address:

nycatheists11@gmaill.com

Sil

[realthinker]

The value of religion is not merely in the truth of its ideas. There are personal and social benefits. Until you have a workable substitute for all that religion satisfies, you cannot prohibit its practice without the potential for great trouble.

1. There is not value in religion because it's based on falsehood.

The cause of religion's value is certainly not it's falsehood, but I'm guessing this is not your meaning. If you can't find any value in religion you're entirely too short-sighted. If nothing else it's been a reason for people to share good will and a doughnut or two on a Sunday morning. In the bigger scheme of things, think for awhile about how having an arbitrarily comprised set of ideas that cannot be disproved but which compel the citizens of a group to work together might benefit an early civilization. I think religion was vital to early civilization's development.

2. How a person / society can benefit from something invented with the sole purpose of domination?

If that domination leads to a better than average probability that you and your offspring survive, that domination was good for you. You may not have enjoyed it. You may not have appreciated it. But you don't have to enjoy or appreciate what benefits you. Get over the notion that if you don't like something it's bad for you.

3. The only things religion satisfies are the pockets of those few who continuously tell us not only no to think but to accept w/o questioning what they tell us to be the truth?

I'd answer "no" to your question. But did you really mean this to be a question?

Religion satisfies the spiritual needs of a lot of people. It makes them comfortable with their existence and their mortality. That comfort often makes people more successful in dealing with the challenges of their lives. Whether that comfort is based on myth or truth, that is a real benefit.

4. The world is full of believers residing in jails.

You state a fact ( Not very well. There are believers in jail, yes, but the world isn't full of much of anything.) Do you have an idea that this fact is supposed to support?

Duchessa

[East of Eden]

Wow, 38% of this forum don't believe in parental rights. I knew this forum was skewed, but man...... The totalitarian temptation.

[McCulloch]

Wow, 38% of this forum don't believe in parental rights. I knew this forum was skewed, but man...... The totalitarian temptation.

Parental rights are not absolute. We have laws to protect children from bad parenting. The question for debate is whether religious indoctrination is a form of bad parenting.