Many controversial topics stem from religion and plague society on a daily basis. Yet one issue that cannot be disputed is the freedom of practicing any religion one sees fit, no matter the age of that person. Parents, along with all other guardians, do not possess the right to force their child to partake in a religion they have explicitly stood against. The consequences of forcing children into a religion are that it inhibits their development, hurts their overall outlook on life, and violates their fundamental human rights. Some may say that parents reserve this right until their child reaches adulthood at 18 years of age. However, parents or guardians should not choose a religion for their charges, no matter their level of maturity, that
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An example of this is seen in the biography of pop sensation Michael Jackson. Raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, Jackson was always “active in meeting attendance and preaching” and conformed to all the rules the religion set (“Michael Jackson 's life as a Jehovah 's Witness”, par. 1). Jackson was plagued with stardom “from [his] childhood...he experienced a level of wealth, fame and recognition unequalled by almost any person to have ever lived” and that caused extreme trouble when it came to his belief system (“Michael Jackson 's life as a Jehovah 's Witness”, par. 4). Fame seemed to go directly against some of the aspects taught in the religion of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Jackson was told by the elders of the community that “much of what he himself personally stood for was wrong, even evil” (“Michael Jackson 's life as a Jehovah 's Witness”, par. 7). This revelation terrified Jackson, and saddened him greatly. Another issue in Jackson’s career was the scandal involving his video Thriller. The Jehovah’s Witnesses did not approve of Michael Jackson’s Halloween themed video and described it as “contain[ing] occult overtones” (“Michael Jackson 's life as a Jehovah 's Witness”, par. 11). Jackson was later quoted apologizing for his actions to the congregations and to his fans. However, Jackson could not take the …show more content…
Like Richard Dawkins stated, “he mental torment inflicted by the religion’s teachings is worse in the long-term than any sexual abuse carried out by priests” (par. 5). This exemplifies how children are exceedingly influenced by the thought of religion and their young minds cannot comprehend what it truly means to be a “Muslim” or a “Christian”. Others say that a child can choose not to partake in a religion once they are free from the reign of their parents, however, it is not that simple. The damage a child faces in the early years of their development due to this brainwashing can last for a lonf period into the future. This can be seen by the personal account of Todd Hammer, who grew up a Mormon but strayed away from the religion in his adulthood. Hammer states that adapting to a life out of Mormonism took a long time and that he wonders if his “long, difficult journey to reshape [his] own worldview and perspective would have taken that long had [he] not been indoctrinated the way [he] was” (Hammer, par. 5). Religion is definitely an important part of the global culture of the world, however, it should not be heavily imbued into the minds of immensely impressionable children. Instead, it should be taught in an unbiased manner in order for the children themselves to decide what religion they see being the most
An example of this is seen in the biography of pop sensation Michael Jackson. Raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, Jackson was always “active in meeting attendance and preaching” and conformed to all the rules the religion set (“Michael Jackson 's life as a Jehovah 's Witness”, par. 1). Jackson was plagued with stardom “from [his] childhood...he experienced a level of wealth, fame and recognition unequalled by almost any person to have ever lived” and that caused extreme trouble when it came to his belief system (“Michael Jackson 's life as a Jehovah 's Witness”, par. 4). Fame seemed to go directly against some of the aspects taught in the religion of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Jackson was told by the elders of the community that “much of what he himself personally stood for was wrong, even evil” (“Michael Jackson 's life as a Jehovah 's Witness”, par. 7). This revelation terrified Jackson, and saddened him greatly. Another issue in Jackson’s career was the scandal involving his video Thriller. The Jehovah’s Witnesses did not approve of Michael Jackson’s Halloween themed video and described it as “contain[ing] occult overtones” (“Michael Jackson 's life as a Jehovah 's Witness”, par. 11). Jackson was later quoted apologizing for his actions to the congregations and to his fans. However, Jackson could not take the …show more content…
Like Richard Dawkins stated, “he mental torment inflicted by the religion’s teachings is worse in the long-term than any sexual abuse carried out by priests” (par. 5). This exemplifies how children are exceedingly influenced by the thought of religion and their young minds cannot comprehend what it truly means to be a “Muslim” or a “Christian”. Others say that a child can choose not to partake in a religion once they are free from the reign of their parents, however, it is not that simple. The damage a child faces in the early years of their development due to this brainwashing can last for a lonf period into the future. This can be seen by the personal account of Todd Hammer, who grew up a Mormon but strayed away from the religion in his adulthood. Hammer states that adapting to a life out of Mormonism took a long time and that he wonders if his “long, difficult journey to reshape [his] own worldview and perspective would have taken that long had [he] not been indoctrinated the way [he] was” (Hammer, par. 5). Religion is definitely an important part of the global culture of the world, however, it should not be heavily imbued into the minds of immensely impressionable children. Instead, it should be taught in an unbiased manner in order for the children themselves to decide what religion they see being the most