As much as it is a thing as old as history and a fundamental part of humanity, it cannot be denied that a majority of our personality and beliefs are dependent on how we were raised. Children are completely malleable, so they are subject to a conditioning to whatever their parents and family believes.
Of course when you grow up and interact with more people and learn new things you start to develop an opinion of your own, which may or may not stick to what you've been taught as a child. Some people will stick to their beliefs out of tradition, because it's been such a big part of their lives and their families.
But then again if no one exposed children to religion in their childhood, then they would only be imposing atheism. Because other than taking your children to church or making them say prayers (or other religious rituals), a majority of the teaching at that age comes from the explanations of the more difficult aspects in life, such as death and love and bad people. If you tell your children the scientific truth from the very beginning, that death is in fact death and nothing more, then they'll merely believe that there is no omniscient being and no greater truth than what the world around us presents; which is essentially atheism.
For that reason this is a difficult question, because you can either be comforting, or you can be harsh. It seems almost necessary to impose a certain religion on children, doesn't it, because you would rather tell them a blissful lie: that there is something better for them and the people they love beyond this world, rather than to make them try to grasp the terrifying emptiness of mortality.
Sorry for writing an essay but this is a really interesting question.
Firstly, be perfectly aware that if you are born in the US then you are more likely going to follow Christian beliefs, and if in the Middle East, you will follow Islamic beliefs.
Therefore, 'belief' is now subject to where you are born more so than your parent's belief. Which makes 'belief' even more ridiculous.
Although by not 'praising the lord' throughout life you will be brought to judgement by god if you are going to hell or not (this according to Christians peculiar senseless ideas) By praising jesus in an islam belief society you may be killed on the spot!
By not being instructed to follow any deity, does not denote atheism.
Atheism is the lack of belief based on facts, reason and rational thinking. None of which a young child could be expected to understand!
It would be best not to inform the child of either/any belief/non belief, UNTIL they are old enough to decide for themselves and LEARN about what it really means to believe/not believe.
In doing so (answering the OPs question)
It is extremely unlikely an 'adult' would take on any religion, especially since science; evolution; space exploration and rational thinking is presently taught in all public schools. Religion has been officially removed, thankfully.
Do you think that if religion...
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As much as it is a thing as old as history and a fundamental part of humanity, it cannot be denied that a majority of our personality and beliefs are dependent on how we were raised. Children are completely malleable, so they are subject to a conditioning to whatever their parents and family believes.
Of course when you grow up and interact with more people and learn new things you start to develop an opinion of your own, which may or may not stick to what you've been taught as a child. Some people will stick to their beliefs out of tradition, because it's been such a big part of their lives and their families.
But then again if no one exposed children to religion in their childhood, then they would only be imposing atheism. Because other than taking your children to church or making them say prayers (or other religious rituals), a majority of the teaching at that age comes from the explanations of the more difficult aspects in life, such as death and love and bad people. If you tell your children the scientific truth from the very beginning, that death is in fact death and nothing more, then they'll merely believe that there is no omniscient being and no greater truth than what the world around us presents; which is essentially atheism.
For that reason this is a difficult question, because you can either be comforting, or you can be harsh. It seems almost necessary to impose a certain religion on children, doesn't it, because you would rather tell them a blissful lie: that there is something better for them and the people they love beyond this world, rather than to make them try to grasp the terrifying emptiness of mortality.
Sorry for writing an essay but this is a really interesting question.
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There are some inconsistencies with that.
Firstly, be perfectly aware that if you are born in the US then you are more likely going to follow Christian beliefs, and if in the Middle East, you will follow Islamic beliefs.
Therefore, 'belief' is now subject to where you are born more so than your parent's belief. Which makes 'belief' even more ridiculous.
Although by not 'praising the lord' throughout life you will be brought to judgement by god if you are going to hell or not (this according to Christians peculiar senseless ideas) By praising jesus in an islam belief society you may be killed on the spot!
By not being instructed to follow any deity, does not denote atheism.
Atheism is the lack of belief based on facts, reason and rational thinking. None of which a young child could be expected to understand!
It would be best not to inform the child of either/any belief/non belief, UNTIL they are old enough to decide for themselves and LEARN about what it really means to believe/not believe.
In doing so (answering the OPs question)
It is extremely unlikely an 'adult' would take on any religion, especially since science; evolution; space exploration and rational thinking is presently taught in all public schools. Religion has been officially removed, thankfully.