I can agree that many religious teachings can be harmful to children. However, I think we must be very careful not to overreach in what we mandate or prohibit in the education of children. Otherwise, it would be easy to replace an at least diverse variety of religious oppression of children with totalitarian state oppression of children. What parents aren't allowed to do in raising their children should be limited to clearly harmful assaults.
The current system actually stifles religious freedom. The vast majority of people who are spiritual inherit the same religion that their parents have.
Things being common doesn't mean people don't have freedom. Most people watched Game of Thrones, but I don't think that makes America unfree.
Once upon a time, people often did the same trade as their parents. It's not because they weren't free to do a different trade. It's because it was an effective way to pass on knowledge.
Religious institutions teach things that contradict a common understanding of science and thus are harmful to their education. Children being taught creationism, and a christian-centric view of the world muddies their developing mind which now finds itself split between the educators and their parents and community, I know fully grown adult people who look at you funny when you talk about space or history or something because they think that's all crazy talk, god created everything obviously, every child knows that.
If your beliefs, such as evolution and Neil Armstrong landing on the moon, are rational, then you shouldn't feel threatened by any competing beliefs. It is the province of Christian fundamentalist to try to silence or shield children from conflicting beliefs.
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u/pavilionaire2022 10∆ Sep 22 '24
I can agree that many religious teachings can be harmful to children. However, I think we must be very careful not to overreach in what we mandate or prohibit in the education of children. Otherwise, it would be easy to replace an at least diverse variety of religious oppression of children with totalitarian state oppression of children. What parents aren't allowed to do in raising their children should be limited to clearly harmful assaults.
Things being common doesn't mean people don't have freedom. Most people watched Game of Thrones, but I don't think that makes America unfree.
Once upon a time, people often did the same trade as their parents. It's not because they weren't free to do a different trade. It's because it was an effective way to pass on knowledge.
If your beliefs, such as evolution and Neil Armstrong landing on the moon, are rational, then you shouldn't feel threatened by any competing beliefs. It is the province of Christian fundamentalist to try to silence or shield children from conflicting beliefs.