Do you think there would be nearly as many religious people if: [Spirituality & Religion]

They weren't born into believing what their parents believe and teach them? If they were just free to grow up and see and believe what they want for themselves with their own unbiased unbrainwashed minds?

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BlondOne89 · 31-35, F

No, which is why I really am against indoctrinating young people into religion.

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bigjohndl · 70-79, M

We "indoctrinate" children from the time they are born. Every time your child sees you smoking, taking drugs, sleeping around, violating the law, stealing, lying, being dishonest, you are indoctrinating them to those vices. You also send them to school and they are indoctrinated with what the teacher instruct them with. Lots of outside teaching indoctrinates your kids. Why is this not worrisome to people?

And then you worry about indoctrinating them with religion? At least if they are taught religion they can accept the teaching when they are older or reject them. But if you wait till they are 18 to introduce them to religion, then they will most likely reject it because it puts limits on how they are supposed to live their lives. Limits that they have never been taught before.

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Professional

@TheSaint: There is a lot of extremism and it is a problem. Islamic extremism is absolutely wrong. The Catholic child abuses were also very wrong. I'm not sure what you refer to when you say building of things God says not to. But - that is the vast minority. Most Christians are good people and most Muslims are good people. Just think of it logically - there are 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide. If there were nearly 1.6 billion terrorists then every person would be dead. I'm not at all saying Islamic terror isn't an issue - when I am in the ballot box the first policy I think about is their effectiveness against Islamic terror - but I am saying that it is inappropriate to associate all people who follow a religion with extremism of that religion.

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sunrisehawk · 61-69, M

I've never seen a person born into believing what their parents believe.

Most parents want to teach their children and help them grow into their decent adults. Children who are given no guidance (so that they believe whatever they desire when grown) do not fair well in society.

Religion is a way many choose to deal with those issues that science can't answer. It provides purpose and reason, it sets standards of behavior, and more. Regardless of what values are instilled in a child, as an adult you are free to change or disregard those values.

Professional

@sunrisehawk: Yeah I tend to think of science and religion as totally different spheres. Religion is based on history and science is based on - well - science! Both good but both independent

Incongruence · 31-35, F

To answer your question, I am not sure because I think it is hypothetical.
What if there is noone to teach anything to kids? If they were just free to grow up and see what would be their beliefs, the role of the parents gets reduced to just feeding them. We are humans, we are born into a community and it is okay to have people guiding us when we are young. Freethinking as an adult is a different thing though.

Professional

Not necessarily. Many people follow different religion from their parents or walk away from their parents' religion to rediscover it independently. I'm not sure I'd call it brainwashing - so parents brainwash their kids to not get into a stranger's car? Lots of interreligion marriage and parents who are not religious as well.

NankerPhelge · 61-69, M

Who knows? People believe what they believe. Not everybody has the same beliefs as their parents.

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Professional

@TheSaint: I politely disagree for several reasons:
1. I do not believe in censorship
2. I believe in freedom of religion
3. Just because we teach something doesn't mean we agree with it
4. I believe in teaching history culture and current events - all of which are intertwined with religion
5. I believe in teaching students how to reason logically and understand right from wrong as well as respect someone's right to disagree with them.
6. By your logic we shouldn't teach about the Holocaust either.
7. It is inappropriate to say something is evil just because it is used wrongly. If a four-year-old throws scissors, that does not mean we hate scissors. The vast majority of Muslims are not terrorists if that is what you are referring to. Over 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide - the world wouldn't exist if there are that many terrorists. And the Bible teaches to LOVE your neighbor - kind of its central point. Not fully followed in modern-day churches but still the central point

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tynamite · 31-35, M

sighmeupforthat · 46-50, M

unsure but that may provoke interest of the subject(s)

i note folks will study religion and actually practice some portions of certain faiths.

SW-User

Only now Europeans are going on trips to less affordable country to find religions 😂

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