Should religion be part of a childs upbringing?

[bodie]

Is it a necessity for children to recieve spiritual guidance? 

If parents are religious,  is it right that they direct their kids to follow that religion?

[Icequeen]

I don't  believe it's a necessity...i haven't raised my son with any, although he is free to explore, the same as i was. I do encourage tolerance and respect for the beliefs or others.

..... if the parents are religious they should be open and accepting if their child isn't or choses a different  path from theirs. What i really have no patience for are judgementle narrow minded bible thumpers who go around damning everyone to hell if they don't walk the same path.

[Callaway]

I think that it makes sense to raise your child with the same religious beliefs that the parents hold, but I also agree that teaching tolerance for people with different beliefs is even more important and that the child should be free to choose his own beliefs for himself.

[Queen Victoria]

I was "brought up" Catholic, but the family didn't practice the religion.  Went to Catholic school until 6th grade.

The PR was christened Lutheran (PA's religion), but I always answered her questions about faith, G_d, religion with an explanation of Lutheran beliefs and an explanation of Jewish beliefs.  She doesn't follow any faith now, but claims to have Lutheran and Jewish "genes."  She's not been the worse for being exposed to religion, so it was right for us.

[TheoK]

Nah, only thing they have to know is "life's a bitch and then you die".

["couldbecousin"]

  I suspect a lot of parents return to religions they once rejected out of a lingering
  fear that just maybe hell is real after all and they'd better raise their kids
  religious ... just in case. 

[TheoK]

Nah, that's mostly in America. In Europe we are heathens 

["couldbecousin"]

Nah, that's mostly in America. In Europe we are heathens 

  That's why you will never be as great as America. 

[RageBeoulve]

Is it a necessity for children to recieve spiritual guidance? 

If parents are religious,  is it right that they direct their kids to follow that religion?

\

NO!!! FREEEEEEDDDDDOOOOMMM!

[Adam]

no fuckin way. teach ur kids that religions exist, sure. but raising a kid to believe in a god is wrong

[RageBeoulve]

^

[bodie]

Hmmm,  because, you know i was thinking about 'stuff' and i started wondering if you could just imagine a world where everyone's mind had been totally wiped clean of religion -  i wonder how long it would be before groups of people started it all up again!

Would people make up stories,  like how the bible is presented now?  If you think about it,  the stories we tell our children as fairy tales are about as unbelievable as the ones in the bible,  yet we are quick to discount them when that child reaches a certain age,  but some expect their kids to go on believing someone turned water into wine.  Why do so many kids not see through this?

I almost get a kind of creepy feeling that humans almost need something to believe in.   I find this bizarre, and can't help thinking wouldn't they rather be able to go to the shops on a Sunday?

[Icequeen]

They'll always find something to believe in...look at Scientology.

Death is the one big scary monster lurking in the corner that no one likes to talk about and no one escapes. People want to believe that some wonderous paradise awaits them and that their beer swilling foul mouth redneck neighbor that they can't stand won't be there because he isn't a "club" member.

I believe in the time of it's conception the bible served a purpose, when law and order was hard to find and life was so hard you were lucky to reach middle age it kept everyone from saying fuck it all...killing each other off and robbing each other blind. Because it promoted fear of the unknown, do wrong and face hell and damnation, do right and a better life awaits you.

But we have evolved though the years, we no longer fear life the way we did then, those "rules" unfortunately  didn't evolve...and in the process have become the catalyst for more bloodshed, hatred, and bigotry than anything else ever written.

["couldbecousin"]

They'll always find something to believe in...look at Scientology.

Death is the one big scary monster lurking in the corner that no one likes to talk about and no one escapes. People want to believe that some wonderous paradise awaits them and that their beer swilling foul mouth redneck neighbor that they can't stand won't be there because he isn't a "club" member.

I believe in the time of it's conception the bible served a purpose, when law and order was hard to find and life was so hard you were lucky to reach middle age it kept everyone from saying fuck it all...killing each other off and robbing each other blind. Because it promoted fear of the unknown, do wrong and face hell and damnation, do right and a better life awaits you.

But we have evolved though the years, we no longer fear life the way we did then, those "rules" unfortunately  didn't evolve...and in the process have become the catalyst for more bloodshed, hatred, and bigotry than anything else ever written.

  That is an excellent, thoughtful post, but you're totally going to hell!   

[bodie]

^  thats a great post. 

It makes sense.


I am still a bit baffled about the bible stories though,  like just how far fetched they are.... magic mushrooms maybe