Some are, but it depends on what you mean by 'forced'. Some may not see themselves as being forced, but have had it shoved down their throat from such a young age, with no teachings beside their own religion. They were never given a choice. So I guess it's how you look at it.

I think in a way YES...

Most people, I think, are indeed forced into religion either because they have been forcefully converted, or because their parents enforced the religion onto their impressionable young mind. If people want to choose a religion on their own, because they have done their own research on it - that's fine. But there's nothing I hate more than to see a seven-year old being indocrinated with the belief that his classmates of other religions are all going to hell.

I'm sure around the world people are forced by many methods, some as simple as peer pressure from their entire community or country. But I don't think that raising a child to appreciate your beliefs is a bad thing as that isn't forcing him. It is teaching, just like sending a child to school to learn is teaching him.

I do not honestly feel that is possible. Religion is what is felt within not so much what the body does but what the heart does. You may force someone to act a certain way but if their heart isn't in it they are not truly of this religion.

i think taking kids to church and having them learn about that religion is kind of forced, i think we should wait untill kids are teenagers untill we even introduce religion, let them discover it for themselves.

I think so, mainly children.

religion was forced on me. i balked when i got older. i went to the unitarian church. i gave faithfully to the collection plate. the church did a study and found out that the people who gave money each sunday were the ones who came from christian churches. I stopped giving when I heard that. I stopped going there altogether. I didnt force my kid to go to church. It is just a club now. And the kids are not treated in a nice way. its worse than child care. they should be allowed to be with the adults and the preacher should speak to everyone in a way that the children understand, too. preachers cant do that because they preach with their heads not with their hearts. religion is such a negative force.

Very many are.

Yep ! lets put it this way ... would you rather be taught one religion is true from infancy? OR Be taught to explore all religions and follow your heart ? i think the first option is the forceful one

Absolutely. Some are born into it and aren't really given a choice but that is not the point of my answer. I will use Islam as an example since it is the most intolerable of all the major religions. As Islam spread, conquored people were given three choices, Conversion, Dhimmitude or death. Conversion is obvious in that you convert to Islam and you're essentially allowed to live your life providing you adhere to the Islamic way of life. Dhimmitude, the second choice was also an option but this is very deceptively worded. The most literal translation means "protected ones". You're still allowed to practice your religion under the Islamic rule but you must pay a Dhimmi tax to the Islamic religion since they're "protecting you". What you're still not allowed to do is spread the word of your religion, build any new churches or try to convert a Muslim away from the Quran. All of which are punishable by death. This is why that when you look at religions in Muslim lands, they're an extreme minority or have gone extinct. The Coptic Christians in Egypt are probably the last large non islamic sect in the muslim world and they're a long way from what they used to be. Now, this is a bit of a segway but I feel it's very important to add this. Most Muslims will tell you that their religion is a religion of peace. It is as long as you're a fellow Muslim. NOWHERE in the Quran is any quarter given to any non Muslim. They're allowed to lie, cheat, steal and kill as long as it furthers the Islam religion. If there are any Muslims reading this and I offend you, too bad. You know I'm not saying anything that isn't true. And of course the last option of the three is death. So yes, some people are absolutely forced into their religion.

Some are. Some go willingly and then are trapped in.

Yes, they are forced, to believe what their parents believe, until they can start exploring other religions, and then making up their own mind, on what they choose to believe.

I take my child to church every Sunday. She will also eat her vegetables, learn about American history, spelling, math, geography, and a plethora of other subjects. If at one point she decided to explore other options, then more power to her, I hope she chooses wisely as her parents have done. She will also be fed red meat and milk as a child, and will have the option to turn vegetarian or vegan at a later age. I wouldn't call that 'forced,' though, no more then taking her to a baseball game and dressing her in the clothing of the home team at age one. Some has called that child abuse, I wouldn't. A teacher telling you that you'll be living on the streets as a bum one day because you hadn't remembered the birthdate of Edgar Allen Poe possibly be classified in that category.

Not forced, but perhaps only taught one side of the debate, thus, left without the alternative...