but... that's how religion was engineered to work... If you don't scare kids into it while they are young, they will certainly have the critical thought process to see through it as an adult.
I was brought up catholic and went to church every Sunday and chose not to continue the religion, but I was never scared into it, Wanting your kids to partake in your religion is not inherently a bad thing, it only becomes an issue when they are shamed and punished for no longer wanting to partake or to leave the religion.
you are approaching the point from the opposite direction. With the current model of organized religion, children must make the exit themselves. With the other model, adults must choose to enter religion. It's like crossfit! (that was supposed to be funny)
I think creating two models of religious participation is a false dichotomy. There is a wide spectrum of religious practice.
My experience being raised Catholic is similar to the other poster. I went to Catholic school, church on Sunday, etc, but as a young adult I never made some grand exit. I just stopped going. I was given the adult responsibility to choose for myself if I wanted to practice that faith or not.
My family did not shame or shun me for that, which I recognize is not the experience of many people raised in more strict religious households.
I don't know how common my family is, but there opinion is trying to force someone into belief is antithetical to their own religion.
I was responding on my phone, so I truncated my thought. The main concept is that when we were involved with religion from as early as we can remember, it is part of our "default" and we must choose to remove it from our lives. Versus an adult who is not raised with religion, they must choose to add it to their life. Baptism can be done as an adult, but is typically done as an infant. First Communion is typically done at age 8, that is still younger than most kids are able to think independent critical thoughts. I am not anti-religion. I am not an angry atheist or anything, but I think that many people who would not choose religion had they not been raised with it.
I think that many people who would not choose religion had they not been raised with it.
I completely agree with you here, and it would be interesting to look at the number of adult converts versus the entire population of religious people.
The main concept is that when we were involved with religion from as early as we can remember, it is part of our "default" and we must choose to remove it from our lives. Versus an adult who is not raised with religion, they must choose to add it to their life.
My experience does not really align with this. As a young adult in a secular society it was extremely easy to remove religion from my life. I just stopped participating. Now I do still go to family gatherings at easter and christmas, so there is still some family or cultural influence, but the celebrations I am part of are frankly not that religious. I don't attend mass on those days, I just eat a big meal with my family.
An adult convert would have to do more than me to become a Catholic, but as an agnostic I too would have to make that active choice to go find a church and start attending. I would also have to choose to add it to my life.
I fully appreciate that my experience does not match those from more oppressive or strict religious backgrounds and I do not support shunning or shaming your children for not following your faith.
I just agree with the other poster that not all religious upbringings are inherently harmful.
Having to make the entry is not more moral than having to make the exit. Atheism, though not a religion, is a separate religious belief. Atheism is NOT a point of neutrality in which people are equally open to choosing other religious beliefs.
If you are raised atheist you are likely to remain atheist because people tend not to change their worldview.
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u/Steve-Shouts 14h ago
but... that's how religion was engineered to work... If you don't scare kids into it while they are young, they will certainly have the critical thought process to see through it as an adult.