How Early Do Christians Teach Children To Pray?
I have a 16 month old child and the other day we were at his library program and they were singing a song about bedtime routines. Part of the routine in the song was to say your prayers. As someone who grew up in a moderately Jewish home, I am curious, how early do Christians teach their children to pray?
I can’t really remember how old I was when my parents pushed religion on me. I know I was going to Hebrew school classes by the time I was 3 or 4. But it occurs to me that most people have religion forced on them when they are much younger. How old does a child have to be to confess his sins to a Catholic priest so that the child might avoid eternal torture in Hell? Is does God have a grace period so that if you sin before a certain age it doesn’t count?
Children and religion just sees like a bad idea. Children often believe in the tooth fairy, Santa Claus, the boogieman, etc. how hard is it really to indoctrinate them about God and Jesus? When a priest or other religious leader convinces a grown and competent adult their ridiculous story, that is one thing, but going after kids who have no bullshit immune system seems very wrong to me.
I don’t think it is necessarily child abuse on the same level as actual child abuse, but it does seem pretty close. In some ways, it is probably even more damaging to the child than a beating would be. The guilt and other psychological damage may never be healed.
Filed under: Catholics, culture war, Mainstream Christians, prayer, Religious Manipulation, sin
