Views expressed in opinion columns are the author’s own.
On March 27, an organization called American Atheists filed a lawsuit against a court-approved mentor and a pastor who forcibly baptized a child with disabilities. The child was given a full-immersion water baptism at a church picnic against his parents’ wishes. The child still experiences extreme anxiety and emotional trauma, which makes this a disturbing ethical misstep in the name of religion.
While this case describes an extreme case of religious practice without consent, smaller instances are commonplace among religious families. It’s time we address the consequences of instilling religious belief into children from a young age.
Should parents raise their kids to practice their religion from birth? It’s a complicated issue, but it starts at a very basic level: consent. A child does not have to be raised in a secular home, but that child should always be offered the alternative of secularity. Parents who force their reluctant kids to go to a place of worship every weekend or engage in other religious practices raise the possibility of their children resenting them and their faith.
This is not a cut-and-dry decision for parents. If a parent believes it would benefit their child to go to a place of worship and see what it’s like without the pressure of accepting any teachings as indisputable truth, then this could benefit the child. But if a child is too young to derive meaning from a religious service, then why force that child into attending? Religion should be associated with love and personal dedication, not obligation.
Another complication of religious consent is that religion is often intertwined with culture. Parents may feel they are depriving their children of education, rich family experiences or, in some cases, “salvation” by not requiring them to participate in certain celebrations and religious obligations, such as Christmas or praying five times a day. Parents can include their children in these practices, but children should be given the choice to not participate.
Some religions already recognize the importance of choice. Unitarian Universalism, for example, is a faith with no conversion rituals and no exclusions by the church if a member converts to a different faith. Religious education is not centered on scripture but discussion of ethics and community, as well as lessons on other religions. This allows children to become more conscientious by examining every option. This could be a model for parents to follow.
If parents want to raise children who meaningfully practice their religion, the children must accept the faith themselves. Faith is not something that should be forced on anyone. In essence, we need to shift away from saying, “You believe this” toward “we believe this; what do you believe?”
Faith and blind fellowship are not the same thing.
Erin Hill is a freshman psychology major. She can be reached at erin.mckendry.hill@gmail.com.
