All around the world their are so many different religions that people believe in and practice. Many different cultures believe in on God or many Gods and practice different things in that religion. Some of the more popular religions that people are familiar with are Christians, Jewish people, Catholics, Buddhists, and Mormons. A lot of these religions are different because they all have different beliefs about the world and how it was created, they all praise different Gods, and have different ways of showing how they want to praise their God.
Most of the time, people are really not comfortable talking their religion with other people unless they are talking about it with people who practice the same thing. It is something that people take very seriously and want their family to learn so they can pass it on to the next generation. As kids, religion is put into the lives of children and they don't really know what is going on until later in their life. Sometimes, when they get older they may or may not carry the religion to practice those beliefs. In my opinion, I think it sucks when religion is forced upon people at a young age because they don't know what it is and it will be hard for them to understand it. I think they should be able to choose what religion they want to practice when they get older because they'll be able to understand it better and they should be able to make that decision for themselves. It shouldn't be the other way around where they have to practice a religion just because their family practices that religion.
I think religion is one of the things that no one can ever argue or debate about. No one should be able to tell someone else that they cant practice that religion or praise this God because they are not practicing the same religion as them. Not everyone in the world is going to have the same beliefs as everyone else and new religions are going to be created and expanding everyday for a long time. For example, I am a Christian and I have friends that are Catholic. I'm not telling them that they shouldn't believe in that religion just because I'm Christian and have a different belief. Just like their are different ethnicities in the world their are different religions and I'm not going to judge anyone else just because of what they look like or what religion they practice.
Shane, I don't know about you, but I felt that the topic of religion is an area that is so vast and complex, that it was a little harder to narrow down the specifics about what to address. As I read through your post, I feel that you did a great job at identifying a particular issue or two with the realm of religion and addressed it according to how you felt. I just wanted to throw in my two bits about the different topics you addressed. The first being that you feel children shouldn't be forced into religion and that they should be able to choose whatever religious sect they desire to follow when they get older. My thought towards this idea is that I feel religion teaches people good principles. It is a way to structure a lifestyle. If parents desire to teach their children certain aspects about life, often times religion is a vessel through which they can go. I do agree with you on the point that they should be able to pick the faith they so desire. Having that right and freedom to do so is what America is all about. The second point I wanted to address was your idea of not telling someone they can or can't follow a certain religion. I have to agree with you on that point. In the First Amendment of our Constitution, it teaches that America gives religious freedom. If someone wants to be part of the Judaism faith, all to them. If we want to worship how we want to, we need to let others do the same. Again, thanks for your post. Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteHi Shane, I agree that we shouldn't make children stick with a religion. But being a parent I do give my son guidance with my religion but in general we don't talk about religion itself. We talk about what is "good" and stuff like that. There are some things that are specific to the religion that was taught to me that I teach him. These things offer him a sense of guidance in his decision making. That being said, I don't expect him to stick to what I've taught him. My beliefs have changed since when I was younger so I wouldn't make my son continue on a path he doesn't believe in if that's the case. I don't think I could ever be one of those parents that disown their children because they chose a different route. I hear these types of stories often and it makes me sad. Thank you for pointing this out. Great post!
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