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Permalink Reply by Akshay Bist on August 5, 2011 at 11:32pm

I believe that freedom from religion should be given to all kids.

When there is a legal age for consent, marriage, drinking, driving, voting, working then why is it that kids are allowed to be indoctrinated into this nonsense just because their parents subscribe to it.

Tajikistan has set a precedent by passing a new law which forbids kids under 18 from being given religious education & entering mosques/churches. Also they all need to attend secular school. Providing illegal religious education to kids is a crime punishable by law & carries a max sentence of 12 years.

Lets hope the rest of the world follows Tajikistan's lead.

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Permalink Reply by Meghan McWilliams on August 5, 2011 at 11:46pm

Well put. I'm with you.

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Permalink Reply by Patrick Scherr on August 6, 2011 at 12:05am

Are you serious? Right on Tajikistan!

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Permalink Reply by Bailey Shoemaker Richards on August 6, 2011 at 12:06am

I essentially agree with what you're saying, but I think the distinction you're drawing is more semantic than anything. Freedom of religion is inherently also inclusive of freedom from religion - no one can freely belong to one religion if they can't also freely reject others (or all religion). I don't think the issues of freedom of religion and the fact that parents are brainwashing their kids in harmful ways are the same thing, either.

 

Denying freedom of religion to people only legitimates the religious position - it confirms their already well-entrenched feelings of martyrdom and would just drive the abuse of children even further underground. I definitely support actions against faith healing parents as well as other measures against abuses of religious freedom, but I don't think I could in good conscience support laws against the practice of religion.

 

I think the law in Tajikistan is interesting, but I'm going to have to read more about it before I can form an adequate opinion on that issue. I do think there's evidence that forcing kids into a religious mold from infancy is harmful and abusive in many ways. However, I'm not sure a law against it would be Constitutional in America, for example, where the government is expressly prohibited from passing laws that prevent the free exercise of religion, which includes child-rearing in a particular faith.

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Permalink Reply by Akshay Bist on August 6, 2011 at 12:42am

I agree that a similar law would not only be hard to pass, legally, but it will also spark outrage amongst religious groups. But, it is something that is required, I think.

We are entering into a pro-choice era. There was a time when parents literally ran the lives of their children. In the developed world, by and large, this isn't the case any more & developing places are catching on. Freedom from Religion for kids seems like a natural progression to me.

Also, Freedom from Religion & Freedom of Religion aren't interchangeable. Freedom from Religion would require people to keep their religious beliefs private, in their homes & churches/mosques/temples and not shove them in the face of others or expect laws to be in accordance with their religious beliefs.

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Permalink Reply by Willson Stoner on November 26, 2011 at 8:03pm

You may lose your life or the lives of loved ones when the outraged fundies start blowing things up real good! Many Christians already feel picked on, if you give them a legitimate reason to feel persecuted it may cause a bloody mess. 

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