Is it best to raise children not to believe in religions? Is it best to teach them that religions are false made up stories and that it's illogical to believe in them?
Or is it best to raise children religious, to teach them to seek to have faith in a religion?
Or is it somewhere in the middle: say you're not sure but encourage them to freely pursue it as they see fit?
What is the best way to raise children with respect to religion? Is the best way invariably based on your own religious beliefs or lack thereof?
Also, if you raise your child one way, but they turn out to be the other later on, would you be dissapointed/angry in your child?
Raising Children Religious or Non-Religious
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JehovahsWitness
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Re: Raising Children Religious or Non-Religious
Post #11Yes, if I were a Jehovah's Witness from Saudi Arabia, I would feel exactly the same as I do now.2Dbunk wrote: [Replying to post 9 by JehovahsWitness]
And if you were from Saudi Arabia, would you do likewise?
p=751967#751967]2Dbunk[/url]"]
[Replying to post 9 by JehovahsWitness]
Would you be disappointed if your child was not a Jihadist?[/quote]
No I would not be {quote} "disappointed if [my] child was not a Jihadist" {end quote}
Re: Raising Children Religious or Non-Religious
Post #12[Replying to post 11 by JehovahsWitness]
I'm sorry JW, I should have posed my question to you more civily: And if you were from Saudi Arabia, would you do likewise? Would you be disappointed, but accepting, if your child became a Jihadist?
Keep in mind that Jehovah Witnesses are not allowed in Saudi Arabia (like all other religions that are not Islamic). In my question, you would either be Sunni or Shiite Muslim born into that faith -- you would have no exposure to any Christian faith.
And if you were from Saudi Arabia, would you do likewise? Would you be disappointed if your child was not a Jihadist?
I'm sorry JW, I should have posed my question to you more civily: And if you were from Saudi Arabia, would you do likewise? Would you be disappointed, but accepting, if your child became a Jihadist?
Keep in mind that Jehovah Witnesses are not allowed in Saudi Arabia (like all other religions that are not Islamic). In my question, you would either be Sunni or Shiite Muslim born into that faith -- you would have no exposure to any Christian faith.
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JehovahsWitness
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Re: Raising Children Religious or Non-Religious
Post #13Hello,2Dbunk wrote: I'm sorry JW, I should have posed my question to you more civily: And if you were from Saudi Arabia, would you do likewise? Would you be disappointed, but accepting, if your child became a Jihadist?
No I did not find your question uncivil. No worries. Regardless, yes I would be disappointed but accepting, no matter what my country of origin was if my child was a Jihadist.
Would I still be human hypothetical scenario? If so I'm sure I would be disappointed but accepting if my child were a Jihadist. If I am an antelope, a gold fish or a small household pet I couldn't say for sure.2Dbunk wrote: In my question, you would either be Sunni or Shiite Muslim born into that faith -- you would have no exposure to any Christian faith.
Regards,
JW
Re: Raising Children Religious or Non-Religious
Post #14I would like to think I would be much more than disappointed if my son was hurting people. Doubly so if he thought it divinely commanded.JehovahsWitness wrote:Hello,2Dbunk wrote: I'm sorry JW, I should have posed my question to you more civily: And if you were from Saudi Arabia, would you do likewise? Would you be disappointed, but accepting, if your child became a Jihadist?
No I did not find your question uncivil. No worries. Regardless, yes I would be disappointed but accepting, no matter what my country of origin was if my child was a Jihadist.
"Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion." -Steven Weinberg
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OnceConvinced
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Re: Raising Children Religious or Non-Religious
Post #15The problem is that religious parents tend to teach that their beliefs are the absolute truth and that there are no other truths. So leaving is often not even a consideration. They are so cemented into it.JehovahsWitness wrote:I would definitely raise my children from infancy in my own religion. If they chose later to leave the faith I would be very dissapointed but would have to respect that.jgh7 wrote:Also, if you raise your child one way, but they turn out to be the other later on, would you be dissapointed/angry in your child?
JW
I was brought up in a Christian home and taught it as fact. There were no other options given. Evolution was a lie of the devil and Atheists were evil. So were every other minority group and religion. If you have that sort of indoctrination its very hard for the child to break from it later. They will be cemented into it and may never even consider that their beliefs are wrong.
I was in that boat and locked into my Christian beliefs from childhood, not questioning, because you weren't encouraged to question. It was always "It's in the bible so you just have to accept it". It took me to well into my 30s before I realised that my Christian beliefs I had inherited were wrong.
For me now, I think I'd rather children be allowed to reach an age of understanding before they be given religious teachings. They should not be indoctrinated from birth. That seems rather immoral to me now.
Society and its morals evolve and will continue to evolve. The bible however remains the same and just requires more and more apologetics and claims of "metaphors" and "symbolism" to justify it.
Prayer is like rubbing an old bottle and hoping that a genie will pop out and grant you three wishes.
There is much about this world that is mind boggling and impressive, but I see no need whatsoever to put it down to magical super powered beings.
Check out my website: Recker's World
Re: Raising Children Religious or Non-Religious
Post #16[Replying to OnceConvinced]
No one is actually cemented in to Christianity since it is an individual decision to follow Christ or not, God would have it no other way.We all influence our children to some extent simply by our lifestyle.Children are like sponges, they see, hear and learn from everything we do, so everyone brings up their kids to be religious or otherwise.Christ made it very simple when he said, if your not for me, you are against me.
No one is actually cemented in to Christianity since it is an individual decision to follow Christ or not, God would have it no other way.We all influence our children to some extent simply by our lifestyle.Children are like sponges, they see, hear and learn from everything we do, so everyone brings up their kids to be religious or otherwise.Christ made it very simple when he said, if your not for me, you are against me.
Re: Raising Children Religious or Non-Religious
Post #17And yet, the vast majority of ppl never leave the religion they were brought in for another one.fstopper wrote: [Replying to OnceConvinced]
No one is actually cemented in to Christianity since it is an individual decision to follow Christ or not, God would have it no other way.
Was that god's plan as well?
"Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion." -Steven Weinberg
Re: Raising Children Religious or Non-Religious
Post #18KenRU wrote:fstopper wrote:
[Replying to OnceConvinced]
No one is actually cemented in to Christianity since it is an individual decision to follow Christ or not, God would have it no other way.
And yet, the vast majority of ppl never leave the religion they were brought in for another one.
Was that god's plan as well?
Actually my statement was too vague ,If one is truly saved they will never become unsaved but one has to make their own decision upon reaching a point where they can understand the gospel message,but...there are many people who spend a lifetime serving in the church without truly understanding what is required to be saved.In one sense they are cemented in to the church but will still go to hell,but many people are cemented in to a secular way of life.One way offers hope,the other offers none.Everyone who genuinely accepts Jesus Christ as their savior will not desire to turn away.
Re: Raising Children Religious or Non-Religious
Post #19Sounds like now you are making room for the possibility that there is no choice?fstopper wrote:KenRU wrote:fstopper wrote:
[Replying to OnceConvinced]
No one is actually cemented in to Christianity since it is an individual decision to follow Christ or not, God would have it no other way.
And yet, the vast majority of ppl never leave the religion they were brought in for another one.
Was that god's plan as well?
Actually my statement was too vague ,If one is truly saved they will never become unsaved but one has to make their own decision upon reaching a point where they can understand the gospel message,but...there are many people who spend a lifetime serving in the church without truly understanding what is required to be saved.In one sense they are cemented in to the church but will still go to hell,but many people are cemented in to a secular way of life.One way offers hope,the other offers none.Everyone who genuinely accepts Jesus Christ as their savior will not desire to turn away.
While conversions from one faith to another (or from secular to religious) are not common, they do happen.
The simple fact is, however, that most never leave the faith they were brought up in. In my experience, most never question the validity of other faiths (or the invalidity of their own), and are just content to take what was taught to them as a child as either sufficient or truthful.
-all the best
"Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion." -Steven Weinberg
Re: Raising Children Religious or Non-Religious
Post #20KenRU wrote:fstopper wrote:KenRU wrote:fstopper wrote:
[Replying to OnceConvinced]
No one is actually cemented in to Christianity since it is an individual decision to follow Christ or not, God would have it no other way.
And yet, the vast majority of ppl never leave the religion they were brought in for another one.
Was that god's plan as well?
Actually my statement was too vague ,If one is truly saved they will never become unsaved but one has to make their own decision upon reaching a point where they can understand the gospel message,but...there are many people who spend a lifetime serving in the church without truly understanding what is required to be saved.In one sense they are cemented in to the church but will still go to hell,but many people are cemented in to a secular way of life.One way offers hope,the other offers none.Everyone who genuinely accepts Jesus Christ as their savior will not desire to turn away.
Sounds like now you are making room for the possibility that there is no choice?
While conversions from one faith to another (or from secular to religious) are not common, they do happen.
The simple fact is, however, that most never leave the faith they were brought up in. In my experience, most never question the validity of other faiths (or the invalidity of their own), and are just content to take what was taught to them as a child as either sufficient or truthful.
-all the best
Choice is absolutely necessary ,the problem is that some churches that call themselves Christian teach that salvation can be earned, but that is not what scripture says, salvation is a gift.
If a professed born again Christian converts to another religion or atheism, he was never truly a Christian to begin with.
Most don't leave the faith they were brought up in but that is because they choose to stay, and i believe, from personal experience and the testimony of others, that everyone has questions and doubts at some point in their life.That is why 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to be ready with an answer.
