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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kid Rock who wrote (101331)	4/18/2005 8:24:26 PM
From: epicure	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

I'm curious, and I'm not being adversarial here- if your child asked to go to a unitarian church, or decided to be an agnostic, or an atheist, or a satanist, what would you do? My oldest daughter has asked us to take her back to church (apparently she enjoyed Unitarian church a lot more than we did). So we're going. If she asked me to take her to Catholic mass, I would. Heck, I'd go to a satanist church is they have them, if my kids asked me to (I mention this because I have a kid in my class who claims to be a satanist. He likes Anton LeVay, who I formerly dismissed as a crackpot, but I read up on him because the kid in my class insisted he was a philosopher- and it turns out he is. I was wrong about him- LeVay.) I was just wondering how flexible you are about your kids decisions. If this is too personal I understand- and there is certainly no "wrong" answer- I think we are all different on issues of faith, and as long as our differences don't hurt anyone I'm ok with the differences.

To: Kid Rock who wrote (101331)	4/20/2005 7:47:11 PM
From: Grainne	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

Well of course I don't think of you, Kid Rock, as a child abuser. I am talking in broad, conceptual sweeps. But yes, I do believe that indoctrinating a child into a particular religious belief system is a form of brainwashing. It is something I would never do, at least. I do think it is important to differentiate between teaching a belief system that is faith based (something you cannot see that involves deities and such), which I do not agree with, and teaching children to behave in a kind, ethical, loving and moral way in their dealings with people, animals and the universe. I think philosophy of religion and comparative religion classes should be taught at age appropriate levels from early childhood. I think parents should expose their children to a wealth of belief systems in the richest possible ways. Why is a child not capable of thinking about what belief system resonates with them? I think children who grow up with their parents' belief systems sometimes rebel completely and are simply turned off forever. I have always had friends who felt totally violated by religious indoctrination, and I felt the same way. If a child observes you being happy and complete in your belief system, it is likely they may choose it. Isn't the voluntary way best? Isn't the choice stronger and more committed?