Should kids be forced to be in the same religion as parents?

[b2breps]

Do you think that kids should be forced to be the same religion as their parents. When I was growing up I never had a choice or say in the matter. I wish at some point I would have been able to make up my own mind and pick my own religion.

[BCRoller]

I can completely understand what you are saying, b2breps, and I do think that you bring up a good point.

I was not raised within any particular religion so, for myself, religion was never really an issue. Now, I have two children and I am raising them in pretty much the same way that I was raised myself; to choose good over bad, be compassionate and loving, treat others the way you'd like for them to treat you, etc. However, when it comes to religion, I do my best to allow them to learn about the various ones out there in anyway that they feel comfortable with. This way, if and when the time comes, they'll have the knowledge they need to make that decision for themselves and, hopefully, they'll be happy with whatever decision it is they've made.

[ASOR]

I've been thinking about something a long these lines lately. Who am I to say that any religion wrong? I was raised in a pretty moral household, we went to church, but weren't really religious.

I think that is what I'll do with my kids one day. I think I'll take them to church, let them make their own choice, but largely use it as a tool to teach them morals and values. I believe that is one of the functions that church is useful for, if they promote the correct values.

[penelope]

I don't think kids should be forced in the same religion as their parents
but parents have a very big influence on the decision of the child into what religion she will choose to join. Usually, children will follow what is the religion of their parents. this is also good because they go to the same church.

[kr15py]

I don't think the question is right - you can't say that kids are forced into anything. That is like to ask should kids be forced in the same language, ethical identity, etc as their parents.

[bodil4o]

I think it is better to be with the same religion because when the parents really believe in it , they want their children to believe in the truth religion!

[DaughterUK]

I believe that children should be taught the facts about what each religion teaches, and then allowed to make up their own mind as to which faith (if any) they wish to follow. Attempting to make a kid believe in any particular religion against their wishes is at best futile and may even have the reverse of the intended effect. Parents can tell their children what to do, but ultimately they cannot tell their children what to believe because a belief cannot be enforced.

I think that if children are taught good morals (be nice to people, don't steal, don't tell lies...etc) then those children will develop a strong moral compass and be able to pick a religion which is consistent with these ideals. Ideally, children should be taught to be free-thinking individuals able to weigh up the pros and cons of just about anything.

The mistake many people make with their children is teaching them what to think, as opposed to teaching them HOW to think. This problem covers not only religion, but also politics and other issues. Children are never taught to spot fallacious arguments, in fact the ONLY form of logic they are taught in school is mathematics. A good understanding of maths is essential, but it is not the only tool that logical thinking has to offer.

[shymaaz]

I fully agree with daughter UK. CHILDREN MUST BE GIVEN ENOUGH FREEDOM TO TAKE THEIR OWN DECISION ABOUT RELIGION. They should not be forced in any case.