I do not think children should be taught religion (ever). if it were my call i would say it is ok to introduce children at age where they can reason/think critically to multiple religions and let them choose which one they want to follow. and for religion with younger children (babies toddlers , anyone under 14) if they ask about it explain them it but dont go and tell them that "you're going to "X" hell if you dont do "X". meaning, each religion has its heaven/hell and its requirements to get in.
it infuriates me when i see young children forced to go to church by their parents when they have no say and cannot think critically about what they are being exposed to.
im not saying parent shouldnt be able to teach their children their beliefs, or that religions dont have good morals. however, i do not think that children should be brainwashed into a religion since they are born, it just creates more unintelligent (in this case, unable to think critically) people.
any opinions?
by the way you dont have to read past this or look at this links, but this one just watching the first 20 seconds of the first video you get the idea ... http://www.scottklarr.com/topic/462/so-you-think-teaching-religion-to-children-is-a-good-thing/ the lady in it creeps me out...so do the kids (but you cant blame them really..), NOT ALL churches or religious institutions are like that
"An extreme threat of violence and pain is precisely what the doctrine of hell is. And there is no doubt at all that many children sincerely believe it, often continuing right through adulthood and old age until death finally releases them."
it infuriates me when i see young children forced to go to church by their parents when they have no say and cannot think critically about what they are being exposed to.
Well, what are the parents supposed to do? Hire a babysitter every Sunday morning?
Kids are like sponges. They absorb whatever culture they're born into - no teaching goes on, it's just instinct. Unless parents go out of their way to expose their children to every religion (and probably even then), they'll just do what their parents do.
My opinion: children or not, nobody should be taught religion.
Kids are like sponges. They absorb whatever culture they're born into - no teaching goes on, it's just instinct. Unless parents go out of their way to expose their children to every religion (and probably even then), they'll just do what their parents do.
My opinion: children or not, nobody should be taught religion.
A better point would be that most parents believe without the morals of a religion there children just become little hoods. So how do you teach good morals to children without the threat of something dire. After all you pointed it out yourself children CANT reason very effectively. Therefor reasonable arguments are invalid when it comes to teaching children .
A better point would be that most parents believe without the morals of a religion there children just become little hoods. So how do you teach good morals to children without the threat of something dire. After all you pointed it out yourself children CANT reason very effectively. Therefor reasonable arguments are invalid when it comes to teaching children .
they can easily just tell their children what's wrong. just one day go out of your time and tell your kid that its wrong to kill,steal, etc. Also, the law has "morals" i guess if you can call them that. some of the ten commandments are laws if you noticed. if you see your child do something wrong, correct it. thats what i usually see parents do.
Uh yeah, they should be taught a religion (Christianity). Then again, I don't believe in secular schools anyway and would never send my children to a school that doesn't incorporate religion.
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I don't have any hard numbers on this, but I'm targeted more often than a black guy driving a beat-up sedan with a broken tail-light and no license plate, and Cy's well aware of that.
A better point would be that most parents believe without the morals of a religion there children just become little hoods. So how do you teach good morals to children without the threat of something dire.
Uh yeah, they should be taught a religion (Christianity). Then again, I don't believe in secular schools anyway and would never send my children to a school that doesn't incorporate religion.
Hm. My opinion is that you can teach religion, but faith can only be learned through personal experience... and that latter thing is the more desirable.
Specific religious thought, I think, is best saved for a philosophy or humanities course in high school (even though I don't think a lot of high schools offer philosophy...). As for ethics/morality, well, that will pretty much be taught with Christian overtones, since most people in America are Christian.
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Uh yeah, they should be taught a religion (Christianity). Then again, I don't believe in secular schools anyway and would never send my children to a school that doesn't incorporate religion.
who are you again to tell someone else how to raise their kid(s)?
you choose to be unintelligent in the realm of spiritual matters and then critize others. kinda funny if you ask me.
There are forces at work that science i don't think will ever be able to explain.
I believe someone can be both religious and scientific at the same time as there are a lot of scientists that are.
I think going to church and attending church builds character and a good morale background. It reinforces everyday things in life that one should do. I do not drag my kids to church my daughter asks to go.
I want her to go. It will help her later in life and i feel she will be able to better deal with situations if she has a strong faith and a strong mind and reason.
If she gets older and decides on something else even though i might not like it. it is her choice.
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who are you again to tell someone else how to raise their kid(s)?
If someone was routinely beating their kid, would you interfere? If someone starved their kid would you interfere? If someone stole their kid's Magic cards would you interfere?
I'm not saying bringing a kid to church is a crime in the same league as those, but their are degrees to everything.
I believe someone can be both religious and scientific at the same time as there are a lot of scientists that are.
Undoubtedly as products of cultural osmosis, IE, growing up in a time or place where religion was the unquestioned norm.
I think going to church and attending church builds character and a good morale background.
Can't argue with the character building.
I feel she will be able to better deal with situations if she has a strong faith and a strong mind and reason.
Sadly those two traits are mutually exclusive.
Ultimately, religion has its ups and downs. It (ideally) fosters community and rewards good moral value. On the other hand, it can also encourage blind obedience and xenophobia. There's nothing wrong with religion, but, as with anything, if it's taken to extremes, it becomes harmful.
The thing is, any benefit from religion can be found elsewhere (such as, I don't know, an after-school baseball team) without the associated negatives.
who are you again to tell someone else how to raise their kid(s)?
you choose to be unintelligent in the realm of spiritual matters and then critize others. kinda funny if you ask me.
who are you to tell someone how they should live? all forms of the christian religion are against homosexuality.
and im not telling someone else how to raise their kids , im just saying they shouldnt be taught religion due to them not being able to think "hey does god really exist?" or "could my parents religion be "wrong?"". they blindly follow what they are told. also, im assuming by the "realm of spiritual matters" you mean the realm of religion. i am not unintelligent in religious matters, in fact being raised christian (now atheist) i know a lot about christianity, judaism (ive talked to my jewish friends and have been to temples before), islam ( i have a muslim friend though i have to admit i dont know a lot about islam).
I believe someone can be both religious and scientific at the same time as there are a lot of scientists that are.
i never said there cant be someone both religious and scientific, however if you asked a non religious and a religious scientist the same question about evolution or something of that matter (origin of species) i can assume you'd get a different answer from each. however, i may be wrong.
I want her to go. It will help her later in life and i feel she will be able to better deal with situations if she has a strong faith and a strong mind and reason.
im sorry but religion and reason tend to conflict...just my opinion though
The thing is, any benefit from religion can be found elsewhere (such as, I don't know, an after-school baseball team) without the associated negatives.
I think deep down all religions try to fit moral teachings into a nice easy-to-obtain package. A competitive sport will teach some values, sure, but some kids would probably miss them and become... well, bad sportsmen.
who are you to tell someone how they should live? all forms of the christian religion are against homosexuality.
That's also false. Many liberal or moderate Christians are tolerant or accepting of homosexuality. They just don't rant about it and carry defamatory signs like the other side.
Dogma and intolerance to heterodoxy are the main enemies here. If parents want to instill their values in their children, that's their right. But I think it's wrong (not anything I can directly interdict, but wrong) for parents to insist on following their belief system unto death. It should always be a case of "This is what we believe, but you are free to find a different set of beliefs if you choose."
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It's avarice, ambition, and ignorance that degenerates a society. Those of faith and the faithless are equally guilty of these throughout history. Show me Imperator Constantine, I'll show you Joseph Stalin. The argument that religion is inherently evil, is the same could be said of an argument on reality about relativism.
It's not the inherent belief system that's corrupting, it's the person themself that is to blame.
The problem is that "taking religion out of schools" is detracting away from social studies and the thought processes of people like the American founders. You need a context to understand where they came from totally, and not just teach the Graeco-Roman influence without the aspects of Christianity(Deism and ect.). A person needs to understand both greatness that comes out of a belief system, but equally the hypocrisy. Now granted equally that I. D. in science class (which it's an argument for Social Studies about current beliefs on world creation) is quite ignorant and just as corrupting to a field based solely on reason.
Problem with atheists and theists: too many want all or nothing.
If someone was routinely beating their kid, would you interfere? If someone starved their kid would you interfere? If someone stole their kid's Magic cards would you interfere?
I'm not saying bringing a kid to church is a crime in the same league as those, but their are degrees to everything.
If you aren't saying it why did you bring it up. there is no comparison between any of those and what the OP is talking about thanks though.
Ultimately, religion has its ups and downs. It (ideally) fosters community and rewards good moral value. On the other hand, it can also encourage blind obedience and xenophobia. There's nothing wrong with religion, but, as with anything, if it's taken to extremes, it becomes harmful.
The thing is, any benefit from religion can be found elsewhere (such as, I don't know, an after-school baseball team) without the associated negatives.
utter garbage i am sorry but it is the truth. Only extremist who aren't listened to preach that nonsense. That is not the basis of christianity at all. Anyone that did even the smallest amount of research would know that.
who are you to tell someone how they should live? all forms of the christian religion are against homosexuality.
can we strawman anymore here that is not the discussion of this topic. so please address who are you to tell anyone how to raise their kid and what beliefs to instill.
and im not telling someone else how to raise their kids , im just saying they shouldnt be taught religion due to them not being able to think "hey does god really exist?" or "could my parents religion be "wrong?"". they blindly follow what they are told. also, im assuming by the "realm of spiritual matters" you mean the realm of religion. i am not unintelligent in religious matters, in fact being raised christian (now atheist) i know a lot about christianity, judaism (ive talked to my jewish friends and have been to temples before), islam ( i have a muslim friend though i have to admit i dont know a lot about islam).
You just did so don't even try to get out of it by saying i am not telling them. yes you are, and i quote.
I do not think children should be taught religion (ever). if it were my call i would say it is ok to introduce children at age where they can reason/think critically to multiple religions and let them choose which one they want to follow.
Care to take back that statement?
as does any group activity , one being theater i know from personal experience builds confidence
While that might be good there are different influences from different people in group activities. some are good others are bad. With a good church there are is a better structure and good influences going around.
im sorry but religion and reason tend to conflict...just my opinion though
Only if you view it in that matter. I tend to find that my faith and reason do not conflict that often. In fact they tend to back each other up at times. Many scientists have to take it on faith that their theories are correct. sometimes they are sometimes they are not, however they is still a belief that they are even when the evidence isn't there to present itself.
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you choose to be unintelligent in the realm of spiritual matters
"You don't know anything about Makebeliefland, and I do, so nyah!"
Some of us seek to use our intellectual ressources on more useful matters. Like playing and winning tournaments for collectible cardboard and plastic games, for instance (which is pretty useless on the grand totempole of useful and useless crap, but is still a few miles higher than religion).
Except that the scientific field marginalizes some scientists that do not fit into their little "theories" perfectly either. Archaeology is a perfect example about where theory merges with belief, and it takes a long time for a solid theory to be "taken seriously."
Equally, religion has "changed" over time such as between Gnosticism to the Nicean Creed to the establishment of New Age religions based off of the Bible, apocrypha, and eastern mysticism. You can trace the disagreements between people that merge evolutionary theory with their creation myths, such as I. D. Where as other people believe Genesis verbatum called the "Young Earth theory."
Religion has had to be flexible in order to survive for thousands of years. Science equally has had to be in order to survive. Inflexible thought processes tend to die out quickly.
It's human folley, not science or religion. Both systems adapt quite easily. Science rejects and readjusts theories. Religion "reinterprets" itself, or people just convert to a new one.
To address the original question and not go off on religion itself:
Yes, children should be taught religion, even to the point of brainwashing them. This is very simply because the parents believe in Religion X and think if they do X they will go to hell, they should pass this on to their children.
For example, if someone just moved next door to you, and you thought he was a pedophile, you would do everything in your power to make sure your children stayed far, far away. Even if everyone's else's kids were hanging around with the guy and doing fun things with him and your children were mad at you for not letting them do the same, you wouldn't care. To you that person is a danger and your children should go nowhere near him. You may be wrong in your belief that he is a pedophile but you wouldn't ever let your kids have anything to with him.
So again, if you believe something you should pass that on to your kids in whatever way necessary. Half of the arguments so far were just based against religion in general and not this specific question whether religion should be taught to kids, where their parents already believe in a religion.
I firmly believe that taking a child to church is unethical at best, but as Mystery suggests, it's not my place to tell them what to do. Everybody indoctrinates children in a way they seem fit. Force feeding a child mythology as truth does a child no good. The same morality can be taught any number of ways and I do just fine at instilling it in my children thank you very much. I try to educate them as to the history of religious belief systems (comparative religion should be taught imho) as it pertains to our history and culture. My daughters' grandparents are devout christians and I have permitted the kids to attend church with them a couple of times to expose them to it and they have a pretty firm grasp on what's really going on. The few times I attended church as a child I was creeped out so my parents never made me go again, go mom and pops. A quote from a friend of mine: "Millions of people sharing a common psychosis doesn't make it real."
That strikes me as being utterly ridiculous and allows for things that are directly harmful to society and the children themselves.
Doesn't everybody teach their children what they believe? A vegan will raise his kids to be vegan, an atheist will raise his kids to be atheist. Why should a religious person not raise his kids religious? Because you disagree with the premise of religion?
I just don't understand how you can say that someone who believes that something is the absolute truth should not teach that to his children.
Consider:
1. Person believes in Religion X in which blah blah blah and its the only truth.
2. Person decides that even though Religion X is the only truth and if he does blah blah he will go to hell, if his children do blah blah its okay.
Do you see something wrong with that?
You can argue with fact number one all day and say that Religion X is wrong or is not the only truth or whatever but once we've accepted that the subject disagrees then logically he must teach this belief to his children, or he does not fundamentally believe in his religion.
I guess we're looking at it two different ways. You take issue with the fact that he believes in religion and therefore everything that happens afterward is a moot point (why should he pass on an obviously wrong belief?).
I am looking at it from the view of the parent in which his religion is correct, in which case the logical next step is to teach it to his family.
Doesn't everybody teach their children what they believe?
Yes. That doesn't mean it's right.
Quote from mystery45 »
utter garbage i am sorry but it is the truth. Only extremist who aren't listened to preach that nonsense. That is not the basis of christianity at all. Anyone that did even the smallest amount of research would know that.
Religion tends to foster extremism. See: the crusades, muslims killing that Danish cartoonist, etc.
Science and religion are not equal. One requires empirical evidence that can be shared and repeated, the other requires only what feels good.
That strikes me as being utterly ridiculous and allows for things that are directly harmful to society and the children themselves.
Religion is a bit beyond "feel good," it's got a tad more cultural significance. It goes straight to identity and tradition of a people. Tradition might not obviously "help" or seemingly not through theory help out, but in practice does assist a people to balance out their lives and role in the environment. Agriculture, morality, and various other ideologies that support community is why religion has been so successful. Some ceremonies and traditions linked to certain religions have a direct impact on how they live beyond what we think of with "morality."
The issue with atheism is that it degenerates in a superiority complex of science creating a purely upwards trajectory for human existance coupled with hedonism. Hedonism in turn creates hyperconsumerism.
Why is atheism good to teach to people, if it morally degenerates into hedonism and in turn hyperconsumerism? Because, it doesn't degenerate into that point for everyone to be morally objectionable and equally damaging.
Relativism is equally as dangerous as religious fascism.
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Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.
Individualities may form communities, but it is institutions alone that can create a nation.
Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.
Here is my principle: Taxes shall be levied according to ability to pay. That is the only American principle.
Science is unlike religion in matters of degree of public evidence; science has much sturdier legs to stand on.
It's proper to teach your child things you believe to be true as long as you have a reasonable degree of conviction in their veracity. I would teach my children about Christ. I would probably keep my economic views to myself, because they are underinformed.
When I was younger, my parents raised me to be Catholic. We went to church, I went to Sunday school, etc.
Then I grew up and began to become interested in maths and sciences. I was trained to think logically about these two fields and I soon began to apply this "logic" to life as well. I don't quite know what I believe now, but I guess most of you would call it agnosticism. You can't prove to me that there is a god, and I can't exactly prove to you that there isn't (the absence of evidence and all that jazz).
We don't talk about my choices, because the last time we did, it turned into my mother being completely baffled at how I could possibly have any morals at all without an all mighty religion. She did not accept it at all. The funny part was neither of my parents have really gone to church since my childhood either. We never talked about religion, I was just expected to be Catholic my entire life with really no basis as to why.
I'm not sure if I've even put forth an argument...I just wanted to throw that in there. Also, those flow charts were amazing.
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it infuriates me when i see young children forced to go to church by their parents when they have no say and cannot think critically about what they are being exposed to.
im not saying parent shouldnt be able to teach their children their beliefs, or that religions dont have good morals. however, i do not think that children should be brainwashed into a religion since they are born, it just creates more unintelligent (in this case, unable to think critically) people.
any opinions?
by the way you dont have to read past this or look at this links, but this one just watching the first 20 seconds of the first video you get the idea ... http://www.scottklarr.com/topic/462/so-you-think-teaching-religion-to-children-is-a-good-thing/ the lady in it creeps me out...so do the kids (but you cant blame them really..), NOT ALL churches or religious institutions are like that
edit : a link i found http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=3452090#post3452090
"An extreme threat of violence and pain is precisely what the doctrine of hell is. And there is no doubt at all that many children sincerely believe it, often continuing right through adulthood and old age until death finally releases them."
another link from a buddhist point of view : http://www.nowheat.com/grfx/family/religion.htm though i only read some
Well, what are the parents supposed to do? Hire a babysitter every Sunday morning?
Kids are like sponges. They absorb whatever culture they're born into - no teaching goes on, it's just instinct. Unless parents go out of their way to expose their children to every religion (and probably even then), they'll just do what their parents do.
My opinion: children or not, nobody should be taught religion.
hmmm..honestly i cant think of a way to solve that problem
agreed
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they can easily just tell their children what's wrong. just one day go out of your time and tell your kid that its wrong to kill,steal, etc. Also, the law has "morals" i guess if you can call them that. some of the ten commandments are laws if you noticed. if you see your child do something wrong, correct it. thats what i usually see parents do.
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Hm. My opinion is that you can teach religion, but faith can only be learned through personal experience... and that latter thing is the more desirable.
Specific religious thought, I think, is best saved for a philosophy or humanities course in high school (even though I don't think a lot of high schools offer philosophy...). As for ethics/morality, well, that will pretty much be taught with Christian overtones, since most people in America are Christian.
Very Well Then I Contradict Myself.
and why is that?
you choose to be unintelligent in the realm of spiritual matters and then critize others. kinda funny if you ask me.
There are forces at work that science i don't think will ever be able to explain.
I believe someone can be both religious and scientific at the same time as there are a lot of scientists that are.
I think going to church and attending church builds character and a good morale background. It reinforces everyday things in life that one should do. I do not drag my kids to church my daughter asks to go.
I want her to go. It will help her later in life and i feel she will be able to better deal with situations if she has a strong faith and a strong mind and reason.
If she gets older and decides on something else even though i might not like it. it is her choice.
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If someone was routinely beating their kid, would you interfere? If someone starved their kid would you interfere? If someone stole their kid's Magic cards would you interfere?
I'm not saying bringing a kid to church is a crime in the same league as those, but their are degrees to everything.
Undoubtedly as products of cultural osmosis, IE, growing up in a time or place where religion was the unquestioned norm.
Can't argue with the character building.
Sadly those two traits are mutually exclusive.
Ultimately, religion has its ups and downs. It (ideally) fosters community and rewards good moral value. On the other hand, it can also encourage blind obedience and xenophobia. There's nothing wrong with religion, but, as with anything, if it's taken to extremes, it becomes harmful.
The thing is, any benefit from religion can be found elsewhere (such as, I don't know, an after-school baseball team) without the associated negatives.
who are you to tell someone how they should live? all forms of the christian religion are against homosexuality.
and im not telling someone else how to raise their kids , im just saying they shouldnt be taught religion due to them not being able to think "hey does god really exist?" or "could my parents religion be "wrong?"". they blindly follow what they are told. also, im assuming by the "realm of spiritual matters" you mean the realm of religion. i am not unintelligent in religious matters, in fact being raised christian (now atheist) i know a lot about christianity, judaism (ive talked to my jewish friends and have been to temples before), islam ( i have a muslim friend though i have to admit i dont know a lot about islam).
i never said there cant be someone both religious and scientific, however if you asked a non religious and a religious scientist the same question about evolution or something of that matter (origin of species) i can assume you'd get a different answer from each. however, i may be wrong.
as does any group activity , one being theater i know from personal experience builds confidence
sorry for not saying this before i dont mean for it to seem as im saying all religious parents drag their kids to church, though i have seen it happen
im sorry but religion and reason tend to conflict...just my opinion though
and i respect that.
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That's wrong. But orthodoxy and reason often conflict.
I think deep down all religions try to fit moral teachings into a nice easy-to-obtain package. A competitive sport will teach some values, sure, but some kids would probably miss them and become... well, bad sportsmen.
That's also false. Many liberal or moderate Christians are tolerant or accepting of homosexuality. They just don't rant about it and carry defamatory signs like the other side.
Dogma and intolerance to heterodoxy are the main enemies here. If parents want to instill their values in their children, that's their right. But I think it's wrong (not anything I can directly interdict, but wrong) for parents to insist on following their belief system unto death. It should always be a case of "This is what we believe, but you are free to find a different set of beliefs if you choose."
Very Well Then I Contradict Myself.
It's not the inherent belief system that's corrupting, it's the person themself that is to blame.
The problem is that "taking religion out of schools" is detracting away from social studies and the thought processes of people like the American founders. You need a context to understand where they came from totally, and not just teach the Graeco-Roman influence without the aspects of Christianity(Deism and ect.). A person needs to understand both greatness that comes out of a belief system, but equally the hypocrisy. Now granted equally that I. D. in science class (which it's an argument for Social Studies about current beliefs on world creation) is quite ignorant and just as corrupting to a field based solely on reason.
Problem with atheists and theists: too many want all or nothing.
Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.
Individualities may form communities, but it is institutions alone that can create a nation.
Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.
Here is my principle: Taxes shall be levied according to ability to pay. That is the only American principle.
If you aren't saying it why did you bring it up. there is no comparison between any of those and what the OP is talking about thanks though.
utter garbage i am sorry but it is the truth. Only extremist who aren't listened to preach that nonsense. That is not the basis of christianity at all. Anyone that did even the smallest amount of research would know that.
can we strawman anymore here that is not the discussion of this topic. so please address who are you to tell anyone how to raise their kid and what beliefs to instill.
You just did so don't even try to get out of it by saying i am not telling them. yes you are, and i quote.
Care to take back that statement?
While that might be good there are different influences from different people in group activities. some are good others are bad. With a good church there are is a better structure and good influences going around.
Only if you view it in that matter. I tend to find that my faith and reason do not conflict that often. In fact they tend to back each other up at times. Many scientists have to take it on faith that their theories are correct. sometimes they are sometimes they are not, however they is still a belief that they are even when the evidence isn't there to present itself.
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Some of us seek to use our intellectual ressources on more useful matters. Like playing and winning tournaments for collectible cardboard and plastic games, for instance (which is pretty useless on the grand totempole of useful and useless crap, but is still a few miles higher than religion).
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Equally, religion has "changed" over time such as between Gnosticism to the Nicean Creed to the establishment of New Age religions based off of the Bible, apocrypha, and eastern mysticism. You can trace the disagreements between people that merge evolutionary theory with their creation myths, such as I. D. Where as other people believe Genesis verbatum called the "Young Earth theory."
Religion has had to be flexible in order to survive for thousands of years. Science equally has had to be in order to survive. Inflexible thought processes tend to die out quickly.
It's human folley, not science or religion. Both systems adapt quite easily. Science rejects and readjusts theories. Religion "reinterprets" itself, or people just convert to a new one.
Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.
Individualities may form communities, but it is institutions alone that can create a nation.
Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.
Here is my principle: Taxes shall be levied according to ability to pay. That is the only American principle.
Yes, children should be taught religion, even to the point of brainwashing them. This is very simply because the parents believe in Religion X and think if they do X they will go to hell, they should pass this on to their children.
For example, if someone just moved next door to you, and you thought he was a pedophile, you would do everything in your power to make sure your children stayed far, far away. Even if everyone's else's kids were hanging around with the guy and doing fun things with him and your children were mad at you for not letting them do the same, you wouldn't care. To you that person is a danger and your children should go nowhere near him. You may be wrong in your belief that he is a pedophile but you wouldn't ever let your kids have anything to with him.
So again, if you believe something you should pass that on to your kids in whatever way necessary. Half of the arguments so far were just based against religion in general and not this specific question whether religion should be taught to kids, where their parents already believe in a religion.
Thus, religious institutions know they have to start at a young age and are deathly afraid of reasoning and logic.
Warning for Censor Evasion
Doesn't everybody teach their children what they believe? A vegan will raise his kids to be vegan, an atheist will raise his kids to be atheist. Why should a religious person not raise his kids religious? Because you disagree with the premise of religion?
I just don't understand how you can say that someone who believes that something is the absolute truth should not teach that to his children.
Consider:
1. Person believes in Religion X in which blah blah blah and its the only truth.
2. Person decides that even though Religion X is the only truth and if he does blah blah he will go to hell, if his children do blah blah its okay.
Do you see something wrong with that?
You can argue with fact number one all day and say that Religion X is wrong or is not the only truth or whatever but once we've accepted that the subject disagrees then logically he must teach this belief to his children, or he does not fundamentally believe in his religion.
I guess we're looking at it two different ways. You take issue with the fact that he believes in religion and therefore everything that happens afterward is a moot point (why should he pass on an obviously wrong belief?).
I am looking at it from the view of the parent in which his religion is correct, in which case the logical next step is to teach it to his family.
Yes. That doesn't mean it's right.
Religion tends to foster extremism. See: the crusades, muslims killing that Danish cartoonist, etc.
Religion is a bit beyond "feel good," it's got a tad more cultural significance. It goes straight to identity and tradition of a people. Tradition might not obviously "help" or seemingly not through theory help out, but in practice does assist a people to balance out their lives and role in the environment. Agriculture, morality, and various other ideologies that support community is why religion has been so successful. Some ceremonies and traditions linked to certain religions have a direct impact on how they live beyond what we think of with "morality."
The issue with atheism is that it degenerates in a superiority complex of science creating a purely upwards trajectory for human existance coupled with hedonism. Hedonism in turn creates hyperconsumerism.
Why is atheism good to teach to people, if it morally degenerates into hedonism and in turn hyperconsumerism? Because, it doesn't degenerate into that point for everyone to be morally objectionable and equally damaging.
Relativism is equally as dangerous as religious fascism.
Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.
Individualities may form communities, but it is institutions alone that can create a nation.
Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.
Here is my principle: Taxes shall be levied according to ability to pay. That is the only American principle.
It's proper to teach your child things you believe to be true as long as you have a reasonable degree of conviction in their veracity. I would teach my children about Christ. I would probably keep my economic views to myself, because they are underinformed.
Then I grew up and began to become interested in maths and sciences. I was trained to think logically about these two fields and I soon began to apply this "logic" to life as well. I don't quite know what I believe now, but I guess most of you would call it agnosticism. You can't prove to me that there is a god, and I can't exactly prove to you that there isn't (the absence of evidence and all that jazz).
We don't talk about my choices, because the last time we did, it turned into my mother being completely baffled at how I could possibly have any morals at all without an all mighty religion. She did not accept it at all. The funny part was neither of my parents have really gone to church since my childhood either. We never talked about religion, I was just expected to be Catholic my entire life with really no basis as to why.
I'm not sure if I've even put forth an argument...I just wanted to throw that in there. Also, those flow charts were amazing.
Though I'll put it in a small font.
Please stop hijacking my reply box.