meritocrat

Is it right to indoctrinate children into a religion or faith? Few children could question the religion so is it correct to 'force' them to be religious?

lpetrich

If one believes some religion to be true, then that may be a reasonable justification for doing so.

But an unreasonable one is for the sake of "knowing about it" -- the honest version of that viewpoint is that one must make one's children believe in a false religion just so they can "know about it".

Would such people be willing to apply this "line of reasoning" to religions they may strongly dislike, like (say) political Islamic fundamentalism? Would they want to raise their kids to be militant Islamists just so they can "know about religion"? Would they like their offspring being raised to celebrate the 9/11 kamikaze hijackers as martyrs for Islam who are now enjoying their very own harems of lovely ladies? And to hate "Crusaders" and "Zionists"? And to take seriously this Hadith saying:?

Volker.Doormann

I think this is not a question of religion or faith only. All indoctrination in all areas of education are not right. There is no need to domesticate children by park rules for a 'park for humans' of any kind.

"Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life`s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For live goes not backward not tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you
with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer`s hand be for gladness;
For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable."
(Kahil Gibran)

Volker

my dog earl

If a fundementalist doesn't "force" their children to believe in God and Jesus then I would say they have comitted the ultimate act of child abuse, potentially damning their very souls to hell.

I challenge fundies to disagree.

Sephiroth

Legally it is, morally it isn't, IMHO.