Are people brainwashing their children when forcing them to go to church at a young at before they have the critical thinking skills to form their own opinions of what they believe in?
by 
Alison
ANSWERS: 30
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Depends on how young, of course you have to take a 5 year old because they can't support themselves at home alone, but a young teen, probably, depends on how much they are pressing them to believe.
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No. They are merely showing their children by example part of their culture and traditions. If we waited until kids were mentally mature to do anything that could influence their beliefs, we would pretty much feed and shelter the kids with very little else until a certain age.
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No, I think they're installing decent morals in them at an early age, and there's nothing wrong with that. The fear of God, the fear of Dad... same thing. Later on in life, when the real questions start coming forth, then it will be safe to allow them to think for themselves.
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Absolutely! Most of the people believe based on the fact that they were indoctrinated as children and not on personal observation or conviction
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Not at all. I was raised in church and it didn't brainwash me at all. If going someplace once or twice a week had any real effect on children, then going to school 5 days a week would turn them into little studying machines. And anyone with school age kids knows that isn't the case...
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No. They're trying to help their kids avoid burning with "son" block.
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If you believe that, you could say everything they are forced to do, from brushing their teeth to going to school is all brainwashing. Reading OLD YELLER and singing the star spangled banner...it would all be considered brain washing.
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Was my atheist father brainwashing me when he absolutely refused to let me attend church with my friends even though I begged to go? Was he brainwashing me when he mocked religion and the religious every single day in our home? Children are definitely influenced by the parents every single day. They see and learn. It's not brainwashing...it's just the way it is. Children who grow up in families with a parent who sleeps around learn that this is acceptable. Those who grow up in abusive homes learn to abuse or to accept abuse. They learn their ethics, their morals, even their politics at their parents feet -- or not. This isn't "brainwashing" That's just daft.
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I think so.
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I agree with nasiswand. It isn't brain washing at all. I went to church a lot as a child, so did my friends. We are all atheists now. They will form their own opinion when the get out into the "real world". What killed my belief was working in the hospital and seeing all of horrible things that happen to people. If God were real he or she wouldn't let this happen. Just my opinion.
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They are influenced , yes. Brainwashed,no. Brainwashing is a whole different deal.
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I wouldn't qualify it as brainwashing. Manipulating sure, but brainwashing carries a different connotation.
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Brainwashing is just a synonym for enculturation with a negative connotation. So in your perspective yes in theirs no.
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No, I guess it's the way that they use the time they're at church. If they're teaching their kids the belief system they have (the parents) is the only right one, it could be considered wrong - brainwashing is stretching it a bit. But if they're showing them that this is what some people believe and are leaving them with the option of making their own decisions about religion, then no.
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No, true Christianity doesn't use mind control. True Christianity teaches you how to think for yourself. Read "Mere Christianity," it will provide a better answer than I could. I'm not believing what the guy says because he said it, he tells how to think for yourself (the guy who wrote it used to be an atheist but became a Christian). The moral of the story is that you can be a believer and still question, think, etc.
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idk... seems like a shaky premises That logic would also conclude that people are brainwashing their kids by not letting them say supposedly bad words or telling them to avoid being naked in public, or to not violate any speeding laws even if they have an amazing hand-eye coordination.... idk
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I was literally "forced" to go to church; and that forcing would include an ass whoopping. What do you call that?
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I think it's OK because it gives kids some exposure to what religion is. Then, when they have developed critical thinking skills, they can accept what they've been taught, reject it and switch to a different religion, or reject it and become agnostic or atheistic. I'm referring to generally "mainstream" churches & synagogues, not the fringe stuff. I'm not giving any opinions on those because I don't want to see the responses.
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No. People who raise their children in a church environment are raising their children up with the morals and standards in the ways of life that they value. ALL parents do this, whether they involve religion or not. This is how children are raised. Brainwashing involves deliberate erasing or subsuming a person's already established beliefs and value system for the purpose of establishing another. Children's valuse are being developed and nurished as they grow...they don't have an established value system to erase until they get older.
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YES>Free will my ass.
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No, I think that they need guidence when they're too young to have an opinion. But when they are older and decide they dont want to go to church and their parents make them, I think thats wrong. Not being religious, I personally wouldn't take my child to church anyway but I suppose this concept applies to anything - when the child is old enough to stay home alone, they shouldn't be forced to go shopping with you if they hate shopping trips!
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Not at all that's like a child being told right from wrong. Having good moral fiber in your life is good so you want your children to grow with the same good morals that you had. When they reach the age of sixteen let him or her decide which kind of Church they would like to attend chances are they will stay if they have been raised right. No one drags or forces their kids to go. You go to pay respect to GOD our heavenly father.
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no dont be daft every reilgion they go to church or mosque or some place to worship god
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Hmmm.... Are you also suggestion that children should be allow to decide whether or not they should attend school or to the doctor's office? isn't that the same thing as "forcing"? because you see it as they have an opinion of their own regarding to what they believe in etc? To me, I don't see it as forcing, it more of learning new things, being able to believe in something good, when they get older, they can decide on their own whether or not they still want to attend church or want to believe in something else. Some children may find it boring once they attend church but that is because they don't understand the real reason behind it all but in time they will.
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Lol!I don't think so.Any teenager worth a $#!t will rebel and defy their parents eventually.
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are parents brainwashing their children by allowing them to watch commercial-laden television? are parents brainwashing their children by smoking, drinking, cheating in front of their children before they have the critical thinking skills to realize these behaviors are abhorrent and abnormal? are parents brainwashing their children when they expose them to redneck "sports" like Nascar before they have the critical thinking skills to be embarrassed by the whole drive fast in a circle thing? should people like Madonna, Michael Jackson and their ilk even be allowed to HAVE children??? talk about child abuse !!! whoa, reining it in now.... down girl, my point is, just because you don't agree with other people's personal choices doesn't make them bad people. if you don't like god, don't take ur kid to church, plain and simple. grow up!
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It was merely a a question. I do not believe it is brainwashing, I do however think that one must be careful regarding this subject. I just wanted to know people's beliefs on the subject.
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Yes
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Yes, they certainly are, and I've been trying to get this message across for years. As I understand it, the god that these people worship (and I'm talking mainly about Christians here) apparently gave us free will, but it appears that some people don't want their own children to enjoy this right. As Richard Dawkins says, there are no such thing as religious children, only children of relgious parents (or words to that effect).
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well i was in a religus family gowing up and i think i was kinda pulled into it but as i got older i was more aware and was able to decied, so its not a 'bad thing' but i think its important to talk to children about it
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