i think it is, i dont though im let my kids pick what they will like to think if it to fallow god or think that there a witch its up to them, free is the USA

I think parents should tell them what they believe as far as religion and tell them that it is through their own faith in God that would make them a believer, and that we cannot force him to believe. Because it can't be true faith if you're worshiping just because someone said you have to. However, it is important to instill morality in a child, teaching them that it is wrong to steal, kill, abuse animals and people (including themselves), and do what we can to make sure they have the right attitude and respect towards relationships, race, gender, etc... I am a Christian, my first instinct is to introduce my children to the faith and hope that they believe too. But I have to remember that being forceful is what repels people, so I have to keep a balance.

I think that while the parents have the legal right to do so, they shouldn't. If you tell a child that something is true enough times, they WILL believe it. I could indoctrinate my children into Satanism, and they would go along with it. I think parents SHOULD provide a fair and balanced outlook on life, and allow their children to explore their own spirituality, instead of brainwashing them, and then letting them "choose" which faith is for them.

As long as a child is subjected to a bible based church then after the child grows up then he can decide 'religion' but the important thing is that the child has a foundation to base his decision on and that is the word of God that is taught in the church , my kids went to a Baptist church when they were growing up and got baptized in that same church but they attended a nondenominational church and they love it and got re-baptized there and they are all over the age of 18 and attend a church now closer to home because they other church moved too far away but this church has the same teachings I attend this one as well and the people there are awesome and very giving and caring and if a person can find this type of church then us parents would be happy

No,Mine get to choose when they are older

Yes, probably. However, with rights comes responsibility. Also, we must consider the child's rights in all of this too. While parents' may have a right to teach their children their religion, or even encourage them to commit to that religion - the child also has the right to education, and to be given all the tools necessary to decide for himself whether it is the right religion for him or indeed whether he believes in religion at all. The parents have the responsibility to provide the child with that right and facilitate it. There is rarely a right which does not conflict with another right, things are never straight cut. As such, in practical terms one right is likely to always be overriden by another right. It is my view that the childs right to education and to decide for himself (and indeed to be taught enough about other religions, or atheism) what to believe. That is the most important right in all of this, and perhaps the parents should put the child's right before their own.

They have their right to offer their children their religion, but not to force it upon them.

I don't know if it's necessarily their right, but it is a natural process that happens between parent and child. My mother was born Catholic, my father Episcopalian. They educated me regarding both religions when I was young, but allowed me to choose either one of them or something completely different. I chose neither. However my parents don't push religion on me. We haven't spoken about religion in probably about 8 years. All three of us feel that we don't need much religion in our lives in order for it to be fulfilled. A parent should provide nothing less than a fair and balanced outlook on life, love and religion. (I agree completely with what randomness wrote)

of course but those religions are very strict and the offspring are expected to be what the parents choose for them, I am not so sure about the Jewish my friend was raised in a Jewish home but he does not attend any synagogue that I am aware of but his parents are deceased and that is why he quit going, the other religions are way different and the rules and the ways are nothing that we are accustomed to and I do agree that everyone should have the right to choose things for themselves

Children, mentally crippled are sent to paradise because they weren't even ready for the test. As the Almighty himself defined this action, Justice..

i think, ideally, a child should be raised agnostic. i don't think a child should be prodded in any direction. including atheism, which is why i am. . problem is, whoever my wife'll be, there's no guarantee she'll think similarly

I can show my children a door, they can choose to walk through it or to find a different door!

of course not. that is why there is a right to freedom of religion. and doing that may only push them away. like with me for example.

I think that it is natural for most parents to bring their children up with whatever beliefs (or lack thereof) they have, but it shouldn't be forced on them, and I think they should allow the child to make their own decisions whether they want to continue down this path once they are old enough to decide for themselves. They may come back to your way of thinking after a period of rebellion or seeking out other ways anyway, so it is better to let them look at all the options rather than risk alienating them.

I believe children are too young to be a part of any religion. They should be taught about all religious and non religious beliefs. When they are old enough to make sense of it all, they will choose their path

Why wouldn't it be a parent's right? That right is what this country was founded on!

Here is what God's Word, the Bible, has to say about it. Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Of course this is talking about biblical principles. If you want your child to act right, do right, and be right, they must have that training. There is nothing more important than making sure your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and strangers know how to have eternal life in Heaven when they die. If we don't warn people about the reality of Hell, we aren't doing what Jesus called us to do. I can't and don't judge anyone, but I do let them decide for themselves where they will be when their heart beats for the last time. We should all be warned of what will happen when we die, so we can make our own decissions. Take the test below, and decide for yourself where you would be if you died today. Look at the "mirror" of the Ten Commandments. Ever lied? Stolen? Lusted (adultery of the heart - Matt. 5:27-28) or had sex out of marriage? Guilty or innocent on Judgment Day? Heaven or Hell? ("All liars will have their part in the lake of fire" - Rev. 21:8). Jesus took your punishment on the Cross, proving God’s love. He defeated death. Repent and trust Him - God will forgive you and give you everlasting life. Read the Bible daily, obey it - John 14:21. God will never let you down. I want everyone I come in contact with to take the test for themselves and decide for themselves. I wouldn't be a good parent, grandparent, family member, friend, neighbor, coworker, if I didn't warn others of the reality of what happens when we die. Thanks for the question, and may God continue to bless you and yours!

yes think so - but eventually the child will grow and make up their oen mind

parents are to raise their children as best they know how , not as best dr spock knows how. if the parents believe a religion to be true it is their duty to their children to try sharing that with them. unless what the parents are doing is clearly undebatably harmful then it is their right to do it. and it is not your right to say it is not their right

Yes, I think it is their right. I disagree that they should teach the animal sacrifice types of religions that are still out there.

I don't see anything wrong with it, as long as they don't close their minds to other ideas. Raising your child to be an Ayn Rand thumping atheist is just as bad as raising it to be a Christian supremacist.

My parents told me about things, but they never made me do anything...they never forced me to church, they never told me it was the what I had to do...they never needed to know what I believed, they just lived. They are good christian people, who just live life...they arnt religious, they are understanding, they are patient...and I strayed from the path for years, and they just waited. They knew they planted a seed when I was young, by just giving me good standards and morals...but didnt make me keep them, instead I found them on my own....

Yes...iot is a parent's right to teach their children any of their values. And it is the child's right to accept or reject them as they grow older.

According to the Bible it is our responsibility to teach our children the word. Deuteronomy 11:18-21 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

Yes, but it's the child's right to refuse them when they are old enough to not succumb to proselytizing anymore.

Yes, I believe it is a parent's right to train them according to what they believe. When they grow up they can decide what they want to do but I think it will be my duty to teach them what I think is best which in my opinion is my Christian faith from as early as they can understand and continue to do so forever as a matter of fact. I firmly believe if they stand for nothing, they will fall for anything. I don't uphold religion per se, but my faith and spirituality is in God.

It is their right. Legally. I think it's as immoral as a parent can be, but there again I'm sure raising my son without god, is a sin to believers.

I apologize for not reading all the answers, but from what I've read, I am really impressed with the answers from people from all faiths, it shows me that all of you,(that I've read), are willing to accept your kids for whatever they choose. I am very much the same way. I have gone to church, been to confirmation,(lutheran), and I've sent my kids to sunday school when they were younger, but that's about it.

Their religion, culture, values, ethics, morals, etc. That's what parents do.

Of course it's a parent's right to train up their child in the way that parent believes. All you people who want a big government to take over and illiminate individual freedoms.. .. you are ignorant of world wide history .. why don't you look up what happens to a country who has given all rights and freedoms away to trust big brother??!!! Communism and socialism NEVER encourages or even tolerates personal freedom, creativity or personal safety of any kind. This is the only nation in the world that has ever experienced as much personal freedom as we've had and in one generation you people are tossing it away!! <We're way too stupid to make any personal decisions.. please tell us how and when and if we can be born, be raised, how much money we can make, how to raise our children and then tell us when you want us to die.. bunch of retards!! Our forefathers would rise up in revolt and slap your faces and kick you out of the country!!

Not by forcefully, just generally.

I believe that parents should teach their children the basics ... BUT; when the child gets to be around 12-13 and doesn't want to take part OR decides that they want to try a different religion ..the parents should back off and let the child proceed in their own religious direction ... UNLESS it is a Known cult etc ... +5

well i don't know bout parents right but it isn't wrong for the parents to teach the kids about their religion ofcourse if the kid begs to differ then he/she shouldn't be forced..they learn in there own time, and to understand and follow something like religion doesn't come easy to all kids.

I consider it a form of child abuse, at least the way it was forced at me. Don't they realize that the kid will rebel the instant he is not under their roof? +4

Instruct? Yes, I think they do and I might go so far as to say that they have an obligation to discuss religion with their children. However, their rights stop at using religion to deny medical care or to force a child to marry...those types of things.

I think that it is a parents rigt to teach their children what ever they want. That is what it means to live in a free country. I personally believe that children should learn about everything and then they can decide for themselves when they are old enough.

Only until the child demonstrates a truly intellectual response in his "push back."

8-12-2017 You need to learn what the words mean so your questions make sense. Right means straight up, square, correct, the strong arm, a legal privilege. The common meaning to all those things is strength. You have a right to life, but only if you are strong enough to cling to it. You have a right to the space you occupy, but only if you are strong enough to defend it. You have a right to own property, but only if you can guard it from all attackers. And so on. What you are trying to talk about is a responsibility. Parents have the responsibility to train their children to become honest, productive citizens with basic social skills and principles to live a good life. When we say "principles to live a good life", that includes what some people call religion, although the subject has been badly bent out of shape by people who don't bother to learn anything of what they are talking about. So your first need is to learn your subject. It is not reliable to let people tell you what the bible says. Many people will make up stuff because they don't know what it says, and many will make up stuff because they wish it would not say what it says. You just have to read it for yourself. Read a chapter of Proverbs every day. Proverbs has 31 chapters so you can keep your place by just looking at a calendar. There is no religion or nothing in Proverbs and you don't have to believe anything. Just read to find wisdom. When you are comfortable with that, then read the bible from Romans to 2 Thessalonians over and over until you start to remember what it says. That is the part that applies to Christians. Here is a book to help you to understand the bible. It's a free download and you can get a hard copy at any bible book store. www.philologos.org/__eb-htetb/ "How To Enjoy The Bible"