Let Your Child Choose their Religious Beliefs

Let Your Child Choose their Religious Beliefs

Should children be forced into religious beliefs? For a parent this can be a hard decision to make. If religion is introduced and forced on to the child, it may be rejected, resulting in rebellion. But if faith is not introduced to a child, is he/she missing out on something? I don't believe that it is possible for a young child to understand religious faith. Many adults don't understand that it is unfair to think a child could appreciate or even need religion.

Sunday school as a whole is not an enjoyable thing for most kids. Sure there are exceptions but I believe that for the most part Sunday school is viewed as an annoyance. Having to wake up in the morning and get dressed up in those uncomfortable clothes was always something I dreaded. Anthony Brandt writes in an essay, "I came to think Sunday school was a joke. I learned a few bible stories but that was all. I believed that I should spare my children that kind of charade" (Brandt 194). Brandt echoes my view exactly. My experience was similar; I ended up dropping out of confirmation class because I just couldn't take it anymore. Stuffing religion down any person let alone a child's throat will not get you very far. If a child is not allowed to make his or her own decision about faith, then rebellion and dismissal of these beliefs will occur.

However, I am not saying to deny a child the right to learn about faith. Brandt writes, "To raise children in a culture without at least exposing them to its religious traditions, even if you yourself have abandoned the beliefs on which they are based, may

be doing them a disservice" (Brandt 195). A parent has a responsibility to teach children about certain important things in life. Some form of religion should be introduced to give a child knowledge to base a decision on. When a child is young, still in grade school a parent should explain god and what church is about. Undoubtedly questions will arise about god and where people go when they die. For an atheist parent answers to these questions can be hard. It should be explained that some people believe in the afterlife (in the case of death).