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Author | Topic: Kids, Politics and Religion. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Larni Member Posts: 4000 From: Liverpool Joined: |
I was talking to my loverly girl friend the other night about raising kids *sound of my footsteps rappidly decreasng in the distance* and what values to instill in them.
After some time we got on to politics. We both concluded that it would be unfair to try to have our kids *footseps.....* to have our politics. Do you think it is fare to bring kids up to follow the same politics as their parents? Another question we immediatly saw was whether it is fare to raise a kid in the parents religion. Two questions, both very similar. Any takers? Coffee House please.
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AdminQuetzal Inactive Member |
Thread moved here from the Proposed New Topics forum.
Edited by AdminQuetzal, : No reason given. "Here come da Judge" - Flip Wilson Comments on moderation procedures (or wish to respond to admin messages)? - Go to:
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nwr Member Posts: 6412 From: Geneva, Illinois Joined: Member Rating: 4.5 |
Do you think it is fare to bring kids up to follow the same politics as their parents?
In the USA, a polltax has been ruled unconstitutional But then it wouldn't be fair, either. When you raise children, they are likely to share many of your core values. This will happen, even if you avoid any discussion of politics or religion.
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ramoss Member (Idle past 641 days) Posts: 3228 Joined: |
It all depends on HOW it is done. For example, the "Jesus Camp" people go about that very same issue in a way I find wrong.
The way I look at it, kids tend to pick up the attitudes of their parents. Sometimes they rebel against the attitudes of their parents. Sure, go ahead and teach your children all about your politics and your religious beliefs. However, what is even more important is to teach your children to learn, and to think for themselves. Treat kids like little robots, and you have a child that can not think for themselves, and are vulnerable to those who would prey upon their beliefs. If you teach your children what you believe, why you believe it, and expose them to being able to think for themselves, yes, you risk having your children not follow your religion or your politics, but they will be more self sufficent in the long run. I think that is thebetter trade off.
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Quetzal Member (Idle past 5901 days) Posts: 3228 Joined: |
I think ramoss hit the nail square on the head. My family is dual philosophy, dual politics (although my wife and I see eye to eye on more things in both than our respective viewpoints would seem to indicate). My wife is a practicing Catholic, I'm atheist. My wife is a died-in-the-wool long-term Democrat, and I have been (until recently) a Republican since age 16. When the inevitable "Daddy, why don't you believe...", or "Mommy, why do you think..." questions come up, we both try and provide a reasonable rationale for our respective viewpoints (when they differ). We almost invariably end with a "That's what I think. You need to make up your own mind on the subject". This approach seems to be working pretty well.
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Dr Jack Member Posts: 3514 From: Immigrant in the land of Deutsch Joined: Member Rating: 8.3 |
Hell yeah, in the unlikely event I have children I shall do my best to indoctrinate important political points into them:
All races should be treated equally.Discrimination on grounds of sex is wrong. Murder is wrong. Rape is wrong. Stealing is wrong. You should try and treat other people in a manner you would like to be treated yourself. Slavery is wrong. etc. etc. The issue is not whether you should try and teach children values, it is how far that should go.
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Jazzns Member (Idle past 3940 days) Posts: 2657 From: A Better America Joined: |
In the sense that I am going to teach my son that neo-conservatism is wrong and also that authoritarianism is wrong I suppose I will be bringing up my child with my political philosophy since the alternatives to those leaves little room for anything else but being a slightly liberal moderate democrat.
The parties could change though. I think if the republicans clean house of the crazies and realize that some social organization of society's functions is a good thing that they could be the better party. As long as the republicans accept and entertain the desires of fundamentalism then I will strongly teach my children that the republicans as a party are evil. The caveat will be though that they are not evil because they are republicans though but rather the people they choose to associate with and the ideas they choose to espouse. In the end, I hope to teach my son that it is not the label that matters but rather what you do and teach. In the future, the evil party MAY actually be the democrats. In certain ways it also is evil today but simply MUCH less evil than the republicans. This of course is based on what I consider evil so my opinion is entirely subjective. Of course, biblical creationists are committed to belief in God's written Word, the Bible, which forbids bearing false witness; --AIG (lest they forget)
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Chiroptera Inactive Member |
I'm going to leave my son in the woods. If he survives, he will have earned the right to develop his own values.
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Silent H Member (Idle past 5848 days) Posts: 7405 From: satellite of love Joined: |
First, I'd be interested in knowing how/why trying to raise one's children with similar politics and religion would be unfair? To whom?
Second, I'll play nice and answer you question. If you believe your political and/or religious positions are well grounded and so lead to a better life in general it is unfair NOT to share that with your children. Its almost like wondering if its fair to teach your kids how to hunt and build fires if you live out in the woods. Sure they might pick it up, but if you have a skill (a form of knowledge) which provides an advantage then your better off getting that across to them early, so they can pick up more things to add to that knowledge base. Essentially children are an extension of your own life and it only makes sense to pass on the results of your learning. Of course hardcore indoctrination and hoping you can stick them in a tight box forever would be unrealistic. Not sure if I'd say "unfair", but its a waste of time and leads to much suffering on both sides. One thing I should probably add is that I believe child rearing without including politics/religion is self-defeating. Not only does it rob them of the benefits of one's own experiences, which means they have to reinvent the wheel, it assumes that they are somehow just going to learn about this stuff on their own and come up with an individual view point. I mean I assume the concept of "unfair" is coming from an idea that parents will smother a child's freedom to learn for themselves and develop their individuality. It seems to me that in not teaching them your own political and religious views, you simply empower a lot of other people whose main interest is to teach your children what their political and religious outlook should be. Edited by holmes, : typo holmes {in temp decloak from lurker mode} "What a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away." (D.Bros)
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alonsofries Inactive Member |
of course it does
what is the point of bringing people to the world, whose points of view are opposing yours? you just gonna damage your causes for this world..
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riVeRraT Member (Idle past 445 days) Posts: 5788 From: NY USA Joined: |
I'm going to leave my son in the woods. If he survives, he will have earned the right to develop his own values. That was too funny You can't force your kids to believe anything. They are their own individuals, and will have their own opinions no matter what. You will steer your kids one way or another, by your actions, not your words. You can force them away, or keep them close. I try to teach my kids what I believe, and why. They are free to make their own choices.
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purpledawn Member (Idle past 3486 days) Posts: 4453 From: Indiana Joined: |
quote:Exactly. I taught my daughter my values and explained them, but I didn't condemn her for having different opinions in her late teen years and early adulthood. Now that she is working and a mother she is starting to see why I have the values I have and sounds more like her mother everyday. I went through the same cycle with my parents. As an adult I found I didn't always agree with my father's opinion, but he didn't disown me or belittle me for disagreeing. My daughter has friends in their early 20's whose parents have a strangle hold on them. Laying guilt trips on them for behaving differently or having a different opinion than their parents. She appreciates me now.
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iano Member (Idle past 1970 days) Posts: 6165 From: Co. Wicklow, Ireland. Joined: |
Parents are better described as guardians. Children are people in their own right and to force a view (any view) on them is to violate them as individuals.
By all means expose a child to that which you think best and protect them from that which you think harmful - what else can you do? As far as Christianity goes, yes give a child a firm grounding. Try to ensure they understand what it is and what it isn't. But to brainwash them is to do them a disservice. You cannot convert them for God has no grandchildren. But solid groundings give them something they may return to when it is their time to address and evaluate the issue. They might need to see the other side before they can truly begin to appreciate Christianity. God willing they might not.
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Silent H Member (Idle past 5848 days) Posts: 7405 From: satellite of love Joined: |
of course it does
I honestly do not understand what you meant by the above. Could you please make it clearer? Thanks.what is the point of bringing people to the world, whose points of view are opposing yours? you just gonna damage your causes for this world.. holmes {in temp decloak from lurker mode} "What a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away." (D.Bros)
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Brian Member (Idle past 4988 days) Posts: 4659 From: Scotland Joined: |
I think it would depend on what you are teaching them.
Anyone teaching their kids that 2 + 2 = 5, which is the equivalent of teaching a 6000 year universe or a literal Flood, should have their kids taken into care. If they said they 'believe' the universe is 6000 years old that would be fine, but when they brainwash kids then the gove has to step in. Brian.
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