So apparently Kids are too stupid to choose their religion.

a real ass · November 11th, 2009, 06:48 AM

I'm no religious fanatic but only in the Catholic schools because public high schools in New York City are generally shitty in comparison. But my senior year religion teacher told me that unlike interracial marriages, intereligious marriages are apparently SO difficult mostly around children and what faiths they'll end up supporting (if they want to be religious at all). I respond and say that the Kids should choose whatever faith or lack of faith they want at a mature age but she responded that Kids are too stupid and can't choose things like that.

Noich · November 11th, 2009, 07:02 AM

then she's a stupid cunt.

i say when a child is born, no one should say anything to them about religion until they show interest
that way they can make up their own damn mind instead having the god damn bible shoved down their throat

a real ass · November 11th, 2009, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noich

then she's a stupid cunt.

i say when a child is born, no one should say anything to them about religion until they show interest
that way they can make up their own damn mind instead having the god damn bible shoved down their throat

I wouldn't go around and say that but she's close minded.

Basically saying it offended me. So if I married a Muslim girl (technically I can't for the stupid Koran but that's something else) and I'm Catholic, we would have problems? I would let the kid pick and just for reference have one book for each religion and or lack of religion.

Phoenix · November 11th, 2009, 08:27 AM

Quote:

(technically I can't for the stupid Koran but that's something else)

Let's not be calling sacred books stupid =/ Wouldn't want someone insulting the Bible, right?

(also, Qur'an)

And yes, most kids are stupid when it comes to things like that, but then again, so are most adults.

So, to your teacher, glass houses and such.

Square Ninja · November 11th, 2009, 08:29 AM

Would you let your children be free to go live wherever they choose? Would you let your child eat only sweets if he or she so wished it?

What makes religion any different from any other kind of belief a parent would impose upon his or her child?

Nevermore · November 11th, 2009, 08:35 AM

Well, while I think the woman was a little to blunt for her own good, there are a couple of things about that:

1) It's unavoidable. You religious views will have an impact on the child and everyone around you (be it positive or negative). It is, quite literally, unavoidable. Religious views aren't something you can completely put aside. Sure, you can ignore them for a bit, but they'll always come out. This is especially true with people that you are around constantly. You think you can hide it forever?

2) Why is it such a bad thing to show your religion to your kids? I understand not shoving it down your throat (that would be counterproductive anyway), but that doesn't mean you have to hide it from them and hope they discover your religion on their own. You don't do this for any kind of mathematics based class. If you want them to learn about something, you show it to them. You wouldn't give a kid a blank sheet of paper and ask them to figure out things about math when they haven't even been taught what math or numbers are.

krexia · November 11th, 2009, 09:01 AM

I think your teacher's point - that kids generally follow their parents religion without thinking much about it - is a fair one. It's a side-effect of the fact that in most cases kids should believe what their parents tell them, for good reason, as Square Ninja points out. If children didn't believe what their parents told them, it would be incredibly difficult to raise them. Dawkins has some interesting thoughts on this being one of the evolutionary reasons for the perpetuation of religious beliefs in The God Delusion.

And religion is more of a problem in marriage than race because it's a much bigger part of a person's worldview. A Christian parent believes that if their child isn't Christian they'll suffer in hell for all eternity. Not many parents are willing to back off and let their child make what they see is the 'wrong choice' when they believe the consequences are that serious.

Beyer · November 11th, 2009, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azrael

I'm no religious fanatic but only in the Catholic schools because public high schools in New York City are generally shitty in comparison. But my senior year religion teacher told me that unlike interracial marriages, intereligious marriages are apparently SO difficult mostly around children and what faiths they'll end up supporting (if they want to be religious at all). I respond and say that the Kids should choose whatever faith or lack of faith they want at a mature age but she responded that Kids are too stupid and can't choose things like that.

I agree with this part, sure, they are most likely to follow their parents religion (which WOULD cause conflict with intereligious marriages) but how she responded is stupid. She didn't really hear the 'at a mature age' part now did she?

Leonard · November 12th, 2009, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azrael

I respond and say that the Kids should choose whatever faith or lack of faith they want at a mature age but she responded that Kids are too stupid and can't choose things like that.

Choose things "like that"? Talk about taking shit too seriously.
I guess, to a certain extent, she's right. A kid probably wouldn't be able to foresee the consequences of choosing to stay with one religion for it's lifetime, let alone understand what it really means to have one.
But just bluntly saying "it can't" and leaving it at that is just stupid.

Quote:

Originally Posted by krexia

And religion is more of a problem in marriage than race because it's a much bigger part of a person's worldview. A Christian parent believes that if their child isn't Christian they'll suffer in hell for all eternity. Not many parents are willing to back off and let their child make what they see is the 'wrong choice' when they believe the consequences are that serious.

I think this is a very important point. Most parents, who really have faith in one religion, will probably not fuck around for long; a Christian would probably raise their child to be one too, as would somebody from any other religion. Because, since they think that what they believe in is truly right, they'll want their child to follow them since they want only the best for it.

And after all, it's their child. Bringing up and educating is what a parent's job is, so if they feel that their religion is necessary, then you can't really say anything against it, can you? I'm not saying that this is necessarily a good thing, especially if it's done forcefully, but that's probably how it normally goes in reality.

And waiting for a child to reach a "mature" age may be a nice idea, but it doesn't really sound realistic at all. :l