Is there benefit in taking a child to church?

Oh yeah, the songs are eternal earworms. It's a fun mad thing to have in common with others.

Just don't take it seriously! Or not seriously enough.
 
I'm 15, was raised a Roman Catholic in a modern-style church, participated in all 10 years of CCD, fulfilled all the requirements for confirmation except actually getting confirmed, and am now a Secular Humanist. I'd say it's generally good to expose your kid to religion, as long as the preachers aren't crazy radical fundamentalists. I too didn't fully get what they were talking about at church until I was around 10, which lead me to atheist. Ethically, I think I turned out fine, the church did effect my views on some political issues, but nothing too serious. I did have to read the bible and do reports in CCD, which I'm now grateful for, because I can debate my INTP friend who thinks the world is 6,000 years old(which I disagree with).
 
It depends on the church and the amount of dogma.
I was brought up in the church, the church I went to as a small child was Anglo Catholic, and very accepting.
As a teen I joined a brethren church, which was a very bad mistake.
They were openly misogynistic, preached false doctrine, and turned my cousin against me.
I ended up telling my psychiatrist!
I was made to feel guilt and hatred of women and especially myself.
They teach suffer not a woman to speak.
My mother was abused by my father on regular basis, and they said she had to submit to him.
I feel sorry about the young boys who went to the church who were taught that dominating women is the correct thing to do.
 
I have very good experience. My mom was more example than someone who forced me and brother to go in Church. She looked very happy when she used to come from Sunday Mass, so I realised that it must be something good. So I started to go on my own. My Big Brother too.
Beside that priests in my childhood district were awsome. They are franciscans order and they really had (still do) good way of working with children and youngsters.
I like what I got from my experience. I think that it gave me internal discipline and it helped me to cope with problems of growing up.
 
Plus...
I am from Europe, Catholic. The thing is that large part of european literature and music and other arts has roots in Christianity. Because of liturgy and Church readings I always felt at home with most of literature and classical music. It was part of me since very early age.
 
Sriracha said:
I'm interested in hearing forum members thoughts on this subject. It doesn't matter what religion/church. Please describe your experience as a child, as a parent or both.

I grew up forced to go to a Christian Church (nondenominational, but very traditional ... attend Sunday School and then the Sermon.) I hated it. Sermons equaled drawing practice on the back of tithing envelopes and getting knocked over by a little old lady's rose perfume. My parents would bribe myself and my siblings with Duncan Donuts. The concept of religion was something I understood, but I did not understand "spirituality" until my later teens. I place more importance on spirituality than religion, thus making all the forced church attendance pointless. I know I'm completely neglecting the fact that MY parents may have had a need to attend church.

Here I am contemplating the thought of doing what my parents did to me ... to my own children. However, their experience may be far different than mine. A friend has invited me to attend her church. Nontraditional, nondenominational. As a parent, it is my duty to expose them to things in order to forum opinions based on their experience. Hmmm I think I just answered my own question :) I LOVE THAT! However, I still would like to hear your thoughts.
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Maybe you should consider going to a church that espouses the same values that you have. Unless you think your values are wrong and you are trying to get brainwashed into right thinking.
 
Attending church is just a ritual, and I don't think there's anything you can gain specifically from church that you couldn't get from any other ritualized social interaction. You could take them to a martial arts class every Sunday morning instead, and it'd produce a similar positive effect.
 
Religion is like a bullet. It's completely harmless on its own... you can play with it, bounce it around, hang it on a necklace and it won't harm you. You place it in a gun, then you suddenly have something that can kill a person though.

The act of going to church - completely harmless. That belief system being used against others later in life - lethal. Just ask your friendly neighborhood terrorist. You really think they'd strap bombs to their chest if the religion they were taught at an earlier age didn't fill their heads with visions of God and the Heaven upon their death?
 
I take it there are those that hate religion...
 
CuriousEn said:
In my opinion, kids should not be forced to go to church. Kids should decide to go on their own. Just like how kids should not be forced to play sports. If the kid wants to go to church, let him go. But you don't want to force your kid to grow up religious just because you are.
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"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." Come to mind.

I suppose in that saying, it is not a bad thing to lead a horse to water - it might be a bad thing to shove the horse's snout in the water and try to force it to drink.


Anyhow, children should not be forced to religion, but it seems in keeping with the function of parents to lead their children to religion, so that they may 'drink of it' if they wish.
 
the said:
Wont they be influenced by the authors of what they read?
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And the authors works will be in hardcopy form open to legitimate criticism. Rather than the rushed ramblings and slips of tongue by spoken words that none commits to.

Some people actually read books and watch movies. ***AND THEY HATE SPOILERS*** so sit your preachy ass down and read a book how about. You are talking about spoiling literature here. This entire conversation is purely anti intellectual. How could anyone be an introvert and accept this notion?

Imagine you wish to see the next new movie and for 10 years you hear nothing but people talking about it detailing every scenes tiny detail over and over going on about the Director's will for the movie and its purpose in shaping their life. There is no longer a point in watching the movie its meaning has been raped and entirely lost by the throngs of SPAM and inanity.

Jesus had to die several times in this book just to confuse the trolls and their spoiling of his legacy:
Matthew 27
Mark 15
Luke 23
John 19

Perhaps the only reason you are in Church is because you hate fanboys and that is what you are raising. Vain, senseless, conceited fans. Look in the mirror hypocrite! Now excuse me while I go back to reading my religious texts. Anyone ever heard of Mental Alchemy? I've been reading some of that. I can't get enough of these parables and fables.
 
Dohavior said:
And the authors works will be in hardcopy form open to legitimate criticism. Rather than the rushed ramblings and slips of tongue by spoken words that none commits to.

Some people actually read books and watch movies. ***AND THEY HATE SPOILERS*** so sit your preachy ass down and read a book how about. You are talking about spoiling literature here. This entire conversation is purely anti intellectual. How could anyone be an introvert and accept this notion?

Imagine you wish to see the next new movie and for 10 years you hear nothing but people talking about it detailing every scenes tiny detail over and over going on about the Director's will for the movie and its purpose in shaping their life. There is no longer a point in watching the movie its meaning has been raped and entirely lost by the throngs of SPAM and inanity.

Jesus had to die several times in this book just to confuse the trolls and their spoiling of his legacy:
Matthew 27
Mark 15
Luke 23
John 19

Perhaps the only reason you are in Church is because you hate fanboys and that is what you are raising. Vain, senseless, conceited fans. Look in the mirror hypocrite! Now excuse me while I go back to reading my religious texts. Anyone ever heard of Mental Alchemy? I've been reading some of that. I can't get enough of these parables and fables.
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If the religious leader you are listening to doesn't believe in what he is saying, then why would you continue to go listen?
 
the said:
IF the religious leader you are listening to doesn't believe in what he is saying, THEN why would you continue to go listen?
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IF: you are listening
THEN: why would you continue to listen
One has ears therefor is always listening. Passive

There are many liars whom believe in what they say the word for such is imbecile.

"If you are speaking to me and don't believe in what you are hearing, then why would you continue to go speak?"
IF: speaking
THEN: why continue speaking
One expends energy to speak. Active, a decision must be made to speak.
 
Dohavior said:
IF: you are listening
THEN: why would you continue to listen
One has ears therefor is always listening. Passive

There are many liars whom believe in what they say the word for such is imbecile.

"If you are speaking to me and don't believe in what you are hearing, then why would you continue to go speak?"
IF: speaking
THEN: why continue speaking
One expends energy to speak. Active, a decision must be made to speak.
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There is usually a distinction made between hearing and listening.
Hearing is the passive biological function; listening involves giving conscious attention to what is said.

Even listening is distinguished into cynical, indifferent, and assenting.
 
In the event I become a father, I don't intend to bring my children to church without them teaching them about other religious traditions as well general philosophy. That way, as an adult they'll be better equipped to choose.
 
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Of course it's a great idea to take a child to church...

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Lerxst said:
Do you really think they'd strap bombs to their chest if the religion they were taught at an earlier age didn't fill their heads with visions of God and the Heaven upon their death?
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Visions of God and being unilaterally bombed for the better part of two decades... It's mostly the later.
 
The perceived benefit will vary based upon how the child sees their parents/peers apply its tenets to real life situations. It also (sorry everyone for the boring non-answer) depends on what the desired benefit is. A disciplined mindset? An open mind? “Salvation”? Faith/belief in the unseen? Etc etc...
 
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