DarkwingPsyduck
Active Member
From what I've seen, it seems like most users here are religious. Christian, mostly. Growing up, I never lived in one place or one family for long enough to truly be exposed to the practice of religion. I mean, religion is always around, but we never really practiced it.
Do you believe it was ultimately a good thing to raise your children with your religious beliefs? My 2 and a half year old niece actually enjoys a local church that my uncle takes her to, but she really just likes the toys and free food. My uncle isn't religious. Closer to a deist, really. But he takes her every Sunday. I am an atheist, and I don't attend, but I am not really sure how I feel about her going there. At least not until she has reached the age of reason, and is able to truly listen and think and make her own determinations on what to believe, and not to believe. I have absolutely no problem with religious people at all. I just don't agree with indoctrination. When you introduce any kind of belief to a young child, before they reach the age of reason, they are much more likely to keep those beliefs without ever truly questioning them. On the flip side, if you wait until the child has reached 7 or 8 before telling them of all the supernatural aspects of a particular religion, they are much less likely to accept the claims. If she did ultimately believe in Christianity after actually considering all the claims and arguments, I wouldn't take any issue with that.
I guess my question is, how did you did it? And what were your experiences? I acknowledge the good that does come from religion, but I am not a fan of the notion of faith. At least not blind faith. I'd like her to practice healthy skepticism, and critical thought. I would like for her to be able to explain her reasons for her beliefs. Not just parrot out beliefs that were put into her head from an early age.
Do you believe it was ultimately a good thing to raise your children with your religious beliefs? My 2 and a half year old niece actually enjoys a local church that my uncle takes her to, but she really just likes the toys and free food. My uncle isn't religious. Closer to a deist, really. But he takes her every Sunday. I am an atheist, and I don't attend, but I am not really sure how I feel about her going there. At least not until she has reached the age of reason, and is able to truly listen and think and make her own determinations on what to believe, and not to believe. I have absolutely no problem with religious people at all. I just don't agree with indoctrination. When you introduce any kind of belief to a young child, before they reach the age of reason, they are much more likely to keep those beliefs without ever truly questioning them. On the flip side, if you wait until the child has reached 7 or 8 before telling them of all the supernatural aspects of a particular religion, they are much less likely to accept the claims. If she did ultimately believe in Christianity after actually considering all the claims and arguments, I wouldn't take any issue with that.
I guess my question is, how did you did it? And what were your experiences? I acknowledge the good that does come from religion, but I am not a fan of the notion of faith. At least not blind faith. I'd like her to practice healthy skepticism, and critical thought. I would like for her to be able to explain her reasons for her beliefs. Not just parrot out beliefs that were put into her head from an early age.