Your child comes home and tells you they don't want to follow your faith anymore (children, grandpa)

[malamute]

Originally Posted by lkb0714

But you do realize that while you can make the child sit there that doesn't remotely mean they believe what you do?

So forcing someone to go to church would not in and of itself give them any of the benefits of beliefs.



Right but you just said the benefit was in the BELIEF. Forcing someone to go to church is not forcing them to believe.



I think the OPs scenario is someone who was exposed to religion and then rejects it. Your response was to force them to go to church still. Would you also force them to at least pretend to believe as you do? Things like pretend to pray to a deity they do not believe in?



I think we are talking specifically about a teen who no longer believes, not just a teen who doesn't want to attend church but still believes.

I didn't say you can force someone to believe. Any more than you can make someone an engineer by forcing him to do his math homework or go to school every day.

Why would religion be any different than anything else you teach your kids? You don't leave them mute because you don't want to impose your language on them.

Just like teaching them they should save money, it doesn't mean they'll grow up and do it but you teach them anyway.

And same goes for anything a family does, a kid might prefer to stay home when the family goes to a family reunion but being part of the family, they can be expected to go. They may just find they like it.

Yes, and my own dad didn't allow "options" and there were times I questioned, or didn't feel like going to church. So no -- not every child grows up despising his/her parents and rejects their whole upbringing. Many of us did not.

[Lucidkitty]

Originally Posted by psr13

Deeply religious parents suffer greatly if their children choose not to believe. Greatly. Also, to religious parents, going to church holds a much more importance than day to day life.

That's the parents issue to work out not the children's however. We are talking about the benefits to those who don't follow your particular faith set as well, not limiting it to the fact they don't believe at all :-P.

[psr13]

Originally Posted by Lucidkitty

There is a difference between going when you are so-so and bored. And professing you are say Jewish/Hindu/Atheist but being forced to go to church or vice versa.

Those adults I know were professed atheists when they were forced to go.

[Lucidkitty]

Originally Posted by psr13

Those adults I know were professed atheists when they were forced to go.

And how many professed teenage atheists do you happen to know ? As i said i never said it never happens just it doesn't happen very often is all.

[psr13]

I am a different denomination than my entire extended family (not even different religion), and it affects most people in my family very deeply. They think I'm doomed to Hell if I stay in this denomination, so it greatly affects their emotions. My family would not have been OK with my changing when living with them, and I would have respected that.

[Ceece]

Originally Posted by Lucidkitty

And how many professed teenage atheists do you happen to know ? As i said i never said it never happens just it doesn't happen very often is all.

A bunch! But to be fair teenagers change what they profess to be on an almost daily basis so.....hahah

[psr13]

Originally Posted by Lucidkitty

And how many professed teenage atheists do you happen to know ? As i said i never said it never happens just it doesn't happen very often is all.

They aren't atheists now. They were atheists when they were younger but went back to the Church. I can't count them all right now, but I know a ton.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by Lucidkitty

Spirituality is personal however, and forcing the issue when the kid does not want it in their live most often if not always shuts them off from ever possibly learning about it down the road. Part of the reason my mother,aunts, and uncles never give religion a shot i'm convinced was their overbearing religious mother ramrodding extreme catholicism down their throats as kids.

And that is only your theory, your opinion. Many people take their kids to church and the kids grow up to be adults with religious beliefs. You have your extreme anti-religioius bigotry, so of course you came to such a conclusion but in my family everyone of my siblings and myself is still in the same religion my father and mother were, and that my grandparents were. Some cousins I believe are not but they aren't rabidly hating religion as far as I know.

I think that with some, they just go to the same church a spouse attends but they are not haters of all religion.

[Lucidkitty]

Originally Posted by malamute

I didn't say you can force someone to believe. Any more than you can make someone an engineer by forcing him to do his math homework or go to school every day.

Why would religion be any different than anything else you teach your kids? You don't leave them mute because you don't want to impose your language on them.

Just like teaching them they should save money, it doesn't mean they'll grow up and do it but you teach them anyway.

And same goes for anything a family does, a kid might prefer to stay home when the family goes to a family reunion but being part of the family, they can be expected to go. They may just find they like it.

Yes, and my own dad didn't allow "options" and there were times I questioned, or didn't feel like going to church. So no -- not every child grows up despising his/her parents and rejects their whole upbringing. Many of us did not.

Again if they hold different beliefs now then you it would be pointless no? Since they already have a good idea of what your belief set entails since most kids don't have these changes in faith until later teen years what is the point of continuing education when it's obvious they hold different beliefs?

[Lucidkitty]

Originally Posted by psr13

They aren't atheists now. They were atheists when they were younger but went back to the Church. I can't count them all right now, but I know a ton.

Right....you happen to know tons of former atheists who now are all devoutly religious?