Would you allow your child to be raised contrary to your beliefs?

[Old_Scratch]

I don't mean letting him believe what he wants, I mean indoctrinated from birth contrary to your beliefs?

Examples; If you're an atheist, would allow your spouse to raise your child a Christian? Or if you're a Muslim, would you let your child be raised a Jew? Etc.

I ask because a friend of mine, an atheist, is soon to be a father. His wife, Christian in name only, wants the child be raised Christian, specifically Catholic. Baptism, classes, communion etc. The father wants the child to be educated about all beliefs and let him make up his own mind.

I have to agree with the father 100%, but then again I'm also an atheist. I certainly wouldn't allow any child of mine to be indoctrinated into any belief system, even non-belief. He's just going to have to unscrew himself up later in life to find what he really believes. What do you think?

[Nimthill]

Interesting point, I once had a GF that was quite Christian. Any children from that union would have been a problem.

As for me, I'd probably let my religious spouse teach the kid religion once he's old enough to understand it. Simultaniously, I'd teach him about my own worldviews (and those of other religions.) I'd try to keep him from making a choice untill he/she would be 18.

[Helm]

If I had a deeply religious wife, which isn't very likely tbh, then I think her faith would overide my skepticism and so she would get the say on what belief our kids would be raised with.

[Makrell]

Ceremonies doesnt not equal christian. Even though all of my friends were raised with communion and such nearly none of them are christians or were christians in their childhood

[HansDuet]

No, the views of both parents are to be told to him/her and as human being the child can make his/her own conclusions. I doubt my child would be dim enough to go the zealot way.

And no to religious schools etc.

I've been baptized and I was a member of Lutheran church until I hit 18 and separated from that institution. So you could say I was partly raised as christian but it was not part of my everyday life. This is how it should be if parents have different beliefs.

[Helm]

I don't think children are generally particularly bothered by this stuff tbh, they believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy anyway they can believe in God and Jesus as well. It's only when they get up to the teenage years it kicks in for real.

[Tacitursa]

No

I'll keep my children as neutral as possible and steer them away from any kind of belief's that will influence there life untill they are old enough and educated enough to make there own decisions.

[(s)AINT]

No

I'll keep my children as neutral as possible and steer them away from any kind of belief's that will influence there life untill they are old enough and educated enough to make there own decisions.

This. I would also have to make it clear to the wife that you will not indoctrinate our kid and that we must raise him/her to be responsible and well educated. Being raised religious doesn't guarantee you a moral, ethical, responsible human.

Do they actually teach kids Social Darwinism in school? I just graduated and would've never heard of it if not for the internet and my own interest in furthering my learning.

Teach as in teaching the theory of evolution? No they don't. They Teach it as history and not as a scientific theory/explanation.

[Gordon Freynman]

I don't mean letting him believe what he wants, I mean indoctrinated from birth contrary to your beliefs?

Examples; If you're an atheist, would allow your spouse to raise your child a Christian?

No, but I wouldn't allow myself to marry a woman who insisted on doing that in the first place.

[Tuor]

No, I would not let my spouse indoctrinate my kid. I'm not even going to do the Santa Clause/Tooth Fairy/Easter Bunny spill with him or her, either. I think it's horrible to let them believe something so wonderful like that, and then tell them it's fake when they get older. I cried when I found out that they weren't real.

[Jack04]

No. Though I would hope to avoid indoctrinating them with my own beliefs too and allow them to make up their own mind. I feel the indoctrination of people with such things at an age when they are at a disadvantage in terms of their scepticism (especially when receiving information from people they trust) is fundamentally wrong.

[Himster]

I'd prefer to raise my kid catholic, mostly because of the generally higher quality of the education institutions and being Irish: it's hard to have a strong notion of self and fit in without being catholic.

Would I want my child to be indoctrinated into this religion? Of course not, but I would like to give him the opportunity. Besides first communions, confirmations are a good laugh, baptisms are good for the family and if you've never been to an Irish wake you have not lived my friend. Actually, you atheists are denying your children a good time, that's abuse, damn you atheists, damn you to hell.

[Thanatos]

While I am against indoctrination of any kind, there nevertheless needs to be some sort of guide for a child to grow against.

Nevertheless, to that end, I would try to present any topic in as neutral a tone as possible, and let the child make the decision later on when he is old enough.

[Himster]

While I am against indoctrination of any kind, there nevertheless needs to be some sort of guide for a child to grow against.

Nevertheless, to that end, I would try to present any topic in as neutral a tone as possible, and let the child make the decision later on when he is old enough.

Surely you wouldn't be neutral on every topic concerning faith would you?

What about your view on theft, or your view on murder and the death penalty, or your beliefs concerning how your daughter should dress in public. All of these things are rather essential for day to day existence and they are all influenced (or potentially influenced) by your religious beliefs (or lack of beliefs).

[Thanatos]

Surely you wouldn't be neutral on every topic concerning faith would you?

What about your view on theft, or your view on murder and the death penalty, or your beliefs concerning how your daughter should dress in public. All of these things are rather essential for day to day existence and they are all influenced (or potentially influenced) by your religious beliefs (or lack of beliefs).

While I am against indoctrination of any kind, there nevertheless needs to be some sort of guide for a child to grow against.

[Helm]

As an atheist I would encourage my child to live a life of supreme immorality and general debauchery, seeing as I'm not getting my morality from the supernatural powers of God/Jesus/Allah/Buddha/Amon-Ra. And of course there isn't the lure of a reward in heaven to keep me motivated, though I'm not sure what the reward in heaven would be, a bag of donuts?

[Brain_in_a_vat]

I'd leave my child to decide for themself, no indoctrination whatsoever. I think it's inevitable that a child is going to be passively influenced by their parents and what they believe regarding religion though.

[Meneth]

I'm against all indoctrination, so no, I would not allow my potential child to be raised contrary to my beliefs.
I would, however, accept it if my child later on decided for her/himself to follow something that is contrary to my beliefs.

[Heinz Guderian]

Or if you're a Muslim, would you let your child be raised a Jew? Etc.

Mmm, probably. He'd defo be richer when s/he's older.

[CamilleBonparte]

I would have my child raised Christian, explaining the prevailing reason of the Christian worldview over the illusory atheist world view in which morals have no meaning despite the obvious existence of objective morals. I would object to my child being forced to partake in any religious rituals be them Christian or otherwise (although especially otherwise), as they are a waste of time and unnecessary. I would also object to them being indoctrinated in school by Social Darwinism, I would take measures to ensure my child understands the theory of Evolution (which I accept), and that he does not by accident allow any of that Social Darwinism nonsense into his mind along with it.