Kids and Religion

[Yosei]

This is going to be a very touchy subject, but I cannot stress it enough, please, PLEASE, please.. respect others religious views and morals, and if it turns into a flame war, I will just have this closed.
But yes... onto the subject...

Am I the only person who finds exposing kids younger than 12 to religion, wrong? It just doesn't seem right to me. My nephew came home today and my dad does the daily "What did you learn today?" routine, and my nephew said he learned one of the most controversial subjects to enter the schools, the theory of evolution.
Since my dad is an extremely devout Christian, it set him off. He started lecturing my nephew, telling him the theory of evolution is wrong, and that anyone who says its right is stupid. Everything has to have been created by someone, things don't just evolve. He told my nephew if any atheists were to ever come to him and tell them their views on such things, to walk away and to not listen to them, because if he does, he's going to go to hell.
I dare not speak up to him, because he'll start lecturing me, telling me the same stuff, and then it'll tick me off, and I will probably at some point during the lecture, start yelling back at him, and then just get up and walk away, thus pissing him off more. And no one wants to piss my dad off.
About a month ago I watched a special on one of the news shows, forgot which one, I think it was 20/20. It was about this little boy who was preaching Christianity and protesting abortion. The lady interviewing him asked him what abortion was, and he said that his dad had told him it was when a lady kills her baby because she doesn't want to keep it. While, yes, it is kind of that, its not that simple and immoral.

I just think telling kids that at such a young age is wrong. In my opinion, it seems like it would teach intolerance and a closed mind.

[Valentines]

I never understood religion.

And no, the factor of me not caring about it doesn't count, I really just never got it.

[viasta]

I think religions should be only given to older people, no, not seniors D:, com'on, teaching kids misleading things are stupid :/. Imo, I think atheist is the best religion there is, no restriction of anything

[Esen]

Hmmm... Can't really say anything from a personal experience considering Buddhism is basically about peace and harmony, but for my family, with the exception of my grandma, most of us are not really... that devoted so... Nothing was ever really imposed on me. It was just kind of there... I don't really remember if they tried to explain anything to me when I was little or not...

As for the topic in general, yeah, it probably shouldn't be taught unless the person can decide for themselves if that's what they actually believe in or not. I know a few people who became interested in religion during high school, but before that, never really cared.

[Enraya]

I don't have a religion, and believe in evolution.
Yes, maybe all those other religions DO preach the right things.
But I think that children should be allowed to develop their own thoughts and ways and choose their own religion. Religion most likely developed because some random guy wanted to create something so that he could look forward to doing something each day. Smaller children should probably have a choice in deciding what they would want to believe in - maybe for the rest of their lives.

[Hyper]

I don't think its right at all.

They grow up to become completely ignorant, and so their children, and their children's children. (Though people do break away sometimes.)

Its the never-ending cycle of ignorance.


Don't think so? At my cousin's school, they say that all the fossils were planted by science centers and Universities for funding, and to keep your attention off of God. The "Lucy" skeleton was fake, along with the millions of other fossils, apparently.

No, I'm not joking.

I'd also like to point out that she knows NOTHING about any other cultures. "Inca? Were they like... Ink makers...?"

Who was Attila the Hun?
"Uh... A king of... Russ- ...No... China...?"

[Yamazaki]

Greetings,
I want to have a say in this if you all dont mind,I want to ask one question and if you can answer this then you mybe in the right path..

Q.Why are we created?

yes, simple yes..but do u actually know the answer? well in my opinion I think learning relegion is the most important thing, sepcialy in an early age to strengthen your beliefs, like when you learn what right and whats wrong, if you think its worng to learn it at an early age, what do you say if your parents didnt teach you how to read and write untill you are above 12?

its simple, relegion is what makes us humans move, live and believe,you try to figure it out, lolzzz.

[NotMyWay]

If u really are interested, I believe that humans were created because God wanted to have a relationship with us. I also believe that we are given free will because God doesnt want to force us.

[MadsterAya]

I have no problem exposing them to religion when they're younger...seeing as it promotes good morals...and that's important when you're young.

But what I don't like is when people force them at it. I was watching this documentary on A&E called "Jesus Camp" and it scared the crap out of me. I'm catholic, so I'm very religious... but even that disturbed me.

They impose radical christian beliefs on them and teach them all to speak in tongues and, I was extremely disturbed. That's too much for kids to handle at that age.

[Yosei]

I don't know if this is a necropost, its not incredibly old.. but its been awhile.
But morals can be taught without religion. Actually some religious people I know are some of the most immortal people I know.