Quote:
Originally Posted by Frontier9
Teach your children right from wrong, respect & empathy for others, and to give back to society.
Don't force religion or spirituality on them - this is a choice that is better left to a mature mind.
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Well said.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Unseen
It was Kierkegaard who took this idea to its ultimate conclusion, which is that the greater the unlikeliness of what you believe, the greater your faith. To believe something which is objectively and provably false, would require the greatest faith of all.
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This is why all religions could be considered cults.
Between the ages of 3 and 7, after children have learned to speak but before they have a strong understanding of the natural world, they are particularly susceptible to fantastic beliefs and indoctrination. They'll believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and many other imaginary and fictitious entities. If they are indoctrinated into believing things there is no evidence for, it handicaps their intellectual development. They can still learn to read and do math just fine, but their ability to understand science and history is compromised because they cannot adequately weigh and process evidence. There are millions of adults in our country who function this way.
Anyone who indoctrinates their children is irresponsible IMO. If they come to religious beliefs on their own as adults, that's just fine. But good parents don't present absolute "truths" to their children as fact when they are not actually fact.