by Dave Franklin

Created on: February 18, 2007   Last Updated: May 23, 2010

I believe that there is something inherently wrong with the idea of grooming a child to adopt the parent's religion from an early age. Part of the essential make up of a young child is a certain level of innocence and gullibility. This exists so that they will believe what they are being told by parents and so learn the essential fundamentals of life without questioning they. Things such as; don't go near the fire, don't upset the dog, don't go in the deep water, etc are all things that are quickly programmed in at an early age for survival and protection.

Religion, I would say, is a very different factor. Whilst the things essential to our health and welfare are fairly black and white, thought processes such as religion and politics are a different issue, they involve personal choices and not inbreed programming. People don't get to vote until they reach a certain age, normally that of a young adult, so why should we assume that if they are not ready to help choose the system of government that they live under that they are ready to know their own religious path. After all who brings their child up from a young age labelling the a Marxist or a Conservative or an Anarchist or a Socialist, no one (I hope), so why should they not be allowed freedom of choice in spiritual matters as well. After all to a religious person that is surely a much bigger subject matter than which party sets you taxes or which system of government looks after its people better. Similarly then should we be bringing up our children with them already programmed and branded to be Muslims, Christians, Atheists or whatever.

Isn't the sensible thing to teach comparative religion from an early age, let the children experience and learn about all faiths and religious concepts and make their own choice when they have enough information about it all? Isn't that just a religious democracy as opposed to the religious dictatorship of grooming the child to follow the parent's faith? Are religions too insecure in themselves that they have to take in a brainwash their own children as recruits at an age when they are yet to understand how the world yet works? Anyone secure in their beliefs, surely, would be able to let their children make their own mind up once they had all the information they needed.

Allowing your children to let go of the religious apron strings is a step towards tolerance and integration of beliefs and one that would be a major step forward. As it stands religions seem to be widening the chasms of ideology between each other and building insular armies of child recruits to continue the good fight (an oxymoron if ever there was one, what's good about fighting?) that to me smacks of metal abuse of a child. Time for understanding and a time for change.

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