Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris
That's what happens right now, certainly within my own experience. I really have no idea where this idea comes from, that bringing up a child in a certain religion is akin to brainwashing them and rendering them incapable of functioning in society as adults. Having been brought up in a churchgoing household, I walked away from it as soon as I was old enough to refuse to get out of bed on a Sunday morning. I then thought things through and, a few years later, made my own commitment, freely, of my own choice. Since then I have seen countless young people do likewise. In one family I am acquainted with, one son is considering training for ministry while the other is a committed atheist. Both were brought up in a Christian home.
Dawkins seems to think that all families who bring their children up in their faith can be equated with Waco-style cult houses and his remedy is to use the power of the state to force families to bring up their children like Dawkins. Which is actually a horrible thought.
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I think that if parents follow religion there is no problem with encouraging their children to follow, unless of course the religion is extreme. (encouraging sacrifices, devil worship, harming others etc)
The problem with some devout families is that they almost forcibly encourage their children, and if the children decide it's not for them they are then ostracised from the family.