Should minor children be allowed to decide for themselves whether or not to attend religious services or should their parents decide?

WWJD - Did Jesus preach to 5 year olds?

Does the New (or Old) Testament recommend proselytizing to 3, 4, 5 year olds? What about 8 year olds? Did Jesus himself round up the kiddos and preach to them about how he was the one true savior and that they needed to worship him...or else. I don't think he did. Another user asked the question if it amounts to brain washing to force kids to attend church. I think it does. A 5 year old will believe just about anything you tell them. If we want our kids to be Christians and believe all the stories of Christianity, then we should wait until they're a bit older (high school or so?) to start presenting them with this information. How young is too young? Should we teach 3 year olds about the great flood where God killed all the wicked people? Should we teach 4 year olds that they were born "with sin" (which I guess is the same as evil) because one woman corrupted one man by convincing him to eat an apple 6 thousand years ago? Should we teach a 5 year old that if God came to our house and asked Daddy to sacrifice (kill) baby brother that Daddy would surely do it?

Obviously, I'm not a big fan of these messages. You might be. Never the less, should we be teaching these things to pre-pubescent kids? What is the harm in waiting until later in life when their brains and reason are more fully developed? And if it is so important to make true believers out of 5 year olds, then why isn't there anything in the bible about it? I haven't heard of bible verses where Jesus was rounding up the kiddos to preach to them. Did he?

If the goal of taking kids to church is to teach them morals and values, then I guess those making that claim are saying it is impossible or improbable or inconvenient to teach your kids morals and values in your own home?

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Church is a personal decision and if you feel like you don't want to go or even if you can't accept the belief you should not be forced to go. Just tell your parents how you feel.

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I think that going to church once a week (even 3 times) is not that much to ask from you. You don't have to listen...even though I would suggest you did. Your faith is NOT your parents. It is your own decision whether or not you believe it. It has to be your own or what good is it? Listen once in a while and decide for yourself.

I went to church growing up all the time. I used to tell my parents we should just rent a room there so we wouldn't have to drive back and forth so much.

However, good things came as a result of my regular attendance. My faith in Jesus Christ is stronger, more deeply rooted, and absolutely unshakable as a result of them taking me to church. 26 years later...I haven't "fallen away". Actually, I can say their taking me to church regularly was the only thing they ever did as parents that was perfect. But, taking the step towards Salvation was MY decision not theirs.

If all else fails and you are bored in church, count the tiles on the ceiling, the light fixtures, the windows, how many people are in the choir, how many pews, how long you can hold your breath. Find little ways to entertain yourself during the service.

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I would be remiss if I did not make every attempt to pass on my faith to my daughter. She lives under my roof, eats my food and takes advantage of the benefits of the family. Attending church to humor her dad is a small price to pay. When she is 18 and moves out, she can exercise her free will and skip church. Following Christ is her decision alone. I can't make it for her.

My Dad taught by example. No matter where we were, or how much fun we were having on vacation or how late we got home or regardless of the inconvenience or distance we attended church every Sunday. When I asked my Dad why he does this (God will understand some of the circumstances.) he said that 1 hour of communal prayer a week is such a small honor to give a God who has done so much for him. I never forgot the answer. Now at 48 it makes even more sense than it did at 12.

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Until you are of age then yes, sorry, you go to church! Believe me, you'll be thankful your parents made the effort to send you to church even though you find it boring. I too like the other posters view of counting ceiling tiles, etc.

My brother and I were brought up Protestant and we went to Children's Sunday School and graduated into regular church. Both of us were bored. When the collection plate came around we would put 1/2 the money my mom gave us into the plate and after services go for a soda. We were just young and innocent and didn't know how important faith was at the time. I too watched the young choir with interest, kicked my feet behind the pew in front of me, hummed quietly, did the old lip sync, etc. It's normal. Later I went on to join "High C" for teens.

My parents explained to me that I had every right when I was no longer a minor to choose a religion or not, but for now, growing up with a faith was very important. How right they were! Think of this ... who do you have in this world you can count on for the rest of your life and trust completely? Well it's you and faith! I've pulled much strength from that faith during my life and seen many a miracle. I was very ill in my 30s and pulled on my faith and it got me through it until I was well again. I have been in 4 bad car accidents and survived each one with very little bodily damage (all 4 were not my fault.) When I felt I was lost or when my parents died I again pulled on that faith and it gave me the strength to move on.

Stats prove that kids who have been brought up with a faith do better throughout their lives than kids that don't. The ones that believe are stronger in spirit, more at peace with themselves and feel less alone in life.

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There is what is known as the age of accountability in the Bible. Many "coming of age" traditions have arisen as a result of this understanding. The Bar or Bat Mitzvah in the Jewish tradition, for example. The point of these rituals is to recognize that a child has become an individual with personal accountability. While the Bible, both Hebrew and Christian, gives no exact age, there comes a time when a child must accept the responsibility of personal accountability for their personal behavior.

However, until then, your parents have a tremendous burden. They are responsible for you and your actions. Put yourself in their shoes, whether you agree or not.

Child's freedom

In practice, all children have to decide what religion they will follow. Naturally, not all youths choose to follow the religious principles of their parents.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1989, recognized a child's right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the right to express his or her opinion freely and to have that opinion taken into account in any matter or procedure affecting the child.

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By forcing minors to attend church, is it not brainwashing?

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Many children actually don't mind going to church. We shouldn't assume that they're going to hate it! Children are not necessarily the best judges of what is or isn't the best for their long term benefit. Some don't like going to bed, or having a bath, or eating anything that looks remotely like it might have a vitamin in it. Maturity in decision making takes a while to develop, and parenting is all about guidance and protection until that maturity has been reached.
Many Christian parents do attend a church for mutual fellowship and encouragement, and while the children are young there is no reason why they wouldn't want them to benefit in the same way. Ultimately, going to church doesn't force anyone to become a Christian - no person can achieve that as it is a personal decision that will be made one way or another at some time. In the meantime, it can be a way of establishing some excellent principles, patterns and role models for the child - assuming that the parents have taken care in their choice of worship place.

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It is the responsibility of parents to teach their kids what they know, from what they understand. After a child is grown they can do as they wish. I was in church every time the door was open growing up. I accepted it because I respected my parents. As I began to really search for my own answers mostly after I was grown, the church fell short of providing me with what I wanted to know. When I started my in depth studies I was surprised that the bible was central in the teaching, with one major difference. It was presented in language of mind so that I had a way to relate to the information. At this point I was appreciative of the exposure I had to the bible growing up.
For parents to allow their kids to simply do as they want to poses a real hardship on them as adjusting adults.

Church is our daily renewing of joy, strength, faith, and love of God. I think its very important if you want to have a personal relationship with the almighty God. I don't see why anyone would not want to be friends with the creator of the universe. He likes to be worshiped . Just like human friends if you don't draw nigh to him and try to get to know him, your relationship will not get any better, you will drift farther and farther into a world of sin and it will be harder and harder to get back on the straight and narrow path. I personally believe that someone can fall from grace. the verse says that no one can pluck you from the masters hand, it didn't say you cant choose to "jump" out. So I go to church every time I can. I love Him so much and really the more you go , the more you'll learn and the more you'll want to go. If you don't like your church try another one.

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Parents are responsible for training and raising their children in a Biblically correct way to fear and honor the Lord, to know right from wrong, morals verses immorality. Children are not born with this and it's the parents responsibility and obligation to teach children how to honor God.

"Train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it".

This is the BIBLICAL concept of raising children.

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personally as a child myself i think we have the same rights as adults and if we wish to not go to church it ain't gonna kill no-one

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Freedom of Rights Act for children! Hogwash! It may be, but take a look at some of the kids out there and then tell us about Freedom of Rights! Higher crime rates, depression, suicide, murder, etc. The United States and Canada were founded on Christianity and it's a good base for children. It is not brain-washing! Of all of the friends that went to church with me half do not go to church while the other half does and that choice was made when they were no longer minors and could do as they pleased.

On the United States currency 'In God We Trust' is no longer going to be! What next! If one takes a look around they will see that society as a whole is materialistic, somewhat selfish with a 'me' attitude and they call it 'survival!' If Christianity was good enough for our ancestors at least it should be respected if not maintained.

Oh yes, most children don't like school either, but you make them go! It's up to every parent to structure their children until they are old enough to make their own decisions.

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I believe going to church should not be that difficult. it's giving an hour of your time (just one hour) to believe in something bigger than yourself. But if you aren't a church person, and it's not what you believe. then by all means, do what you believe.

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Many persons who have responded no to this question seem to consider children as miniature men. Children do not have the experience nor the maturity to make smart and sound choices. If they were allowed to they would not get their flu sholts, they would not take a bath, they wouldn´t eaat their veggis, they would not attend school nor the church

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You could apply similar logic to any form of education. For instance, you could say that it is unfair to teach your children mathematics because they are too young to understand the intricacies of calculus and they should really be able to make up their own mind as to whether they believe arithmetic is a viable way of understanding our world after they are older, say 16 or so. The point is that children are incapable of making decisions regarding what is or is not in their best interests, so you as a parent have to make that call for them. If you are a religious person and believe that being religious is in their best interest, then you have an obligation to do everything in your power to make them so. Similarly, if you believe that being religious is detrimental, as a parent you have to make the judgement call and do what is in your power to stop them from becoming religious. You, as a parent need to do what you honestly think is in the child's best interests and not what a poster on Wikianswers thinks is in their best interest.

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It's cruel and unusual punishment, pure and simple.... If everyone around you pressured and forced you to attend violent executions as a child every Sunday, the modern authorities would beat your door down and drag your parents out of the house for emotional abuse... I fail to see how that's any different than forcing your kid to sit through some of the more brutal aspects and virtual horror stories of the old testament (not to mention the Koran).... Have a heart, wait until they're a little older before you start giving them nightmares of their Father stabbing them because a voice in their head claiming to be "god" told them too.....

First answer by ID1181311748. Last edit by Darkmattersubject. Contributor trust: 0 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 68 [recommend question]