Is indoctrinating children into a religion against their will borderline child abuse? [Spirituality & Religion]

@Malcolm atheism isnt a religion. It's a state of not believing in a deity. It is the default before anyone enters any religion. Everyone at birth is athiest; they don't believe in anything.

@Malcolm atheism is the the opposite of a religious belief...

they would likely be humanists but not nescessarily

@Shaun My point is that atheist parents would bring up their children as atheists. They would be pressing their own views upon them just as much as religious parents press their own views upon their children.

@Malcolm they wouldn't press any views because there are no views! They'd just bring the child up to the best of their ability, and let the child decide if they want to believe in something or not. That's it. Christians take their children to church, read the Bible to them and send them to Sunday school. The child doesn't have a choice.

Also, a comment from @Giana states that she is agnostic but is bringing her child up into religion, but allowing her child to make up her own choice.

@Shaun A lot of atheists have strong views and let them be known to anyone who will listen. I know - I've met them! Do you seriously think that a parent will not influence the child's thinking? I've met five year olds who say there is no god. Who has taught them that?

@Malcolm I believed that as a five year old based on simple reasoning

@SW-User Hmm. I don't think the reasoning of a five year old is much to go on! Even then, on what did you base your reasoning? It must have been according to what you had learnt.