A lot of people want to familiarize their child with religion as soon as possible.
For example: after infant is born different rites are done (baptism, circumcision etc), after a child grows up a little bit he or she starts going to religion schools or to a church.
Parents want to involve a child in their religion, they want this child to sincerely believe in their God.
But what do you think? Should it be done? Should parents involve a child in their religion or give him a freedom of choice?
And what is about all these rites? Should parents do it? Or child when he or she grows up can decide on his-own?
And what is about rites which make changes in body, as for example circumcision? Have parents rights for such a decision?

I think that the children will have the possibility to decide themselves. Of course, when he or she will become adult.

Personally, when I say that he or she will decide themselves, I mean that (for example, from the life of prospective child’s own family, family of parents, etc.):

- Child will see how the parents live. What they say and how they act, what they do, who they are - respectively, after studying the theory of their religion he or she will compare it with practice and the reality

- Child will see how the families of acquaintances live, of co-religionists, or the adherents of other religions

- He or she will read books; will see works of art representing the religious themes of the different religions

- He or she will see the buildings of different religions and places of worship

- Child will be able to analyze the actions and work of the representatives of different religions

When people become adult, exactly it is possible to find something close to their soul, something real, internal, emotional, and to find out your own way. Or to realize that he or she is an atheist, and there is no any religion which is close to the soul.People need to understand their own senses, without influence from the outside.

KariAnn,
Your point of view is very interesting and wisdom.
Unfortunately, minority of people thinks like you.
I know stories when parents abandon their grown up child because of his or her religious decision.
Their faith is more important for them than their child.
But I think it is some state of mind, when you are higher than religious limits.

The point of you of KariAnn is clear and it’s really wise some way, BUT let’s have a look at this topic from physiology side. Circumcision is easier and not so painful if you do it in early childhood. An adult can feel terrible pain for 4-6 weeks after circumcision. And it seems to me to do it in early childhood is much better option.
Doctor who wrote:
Of course every family should raise children in their own religion, if they do members of the family are vegetarians and don’t eat meat at all, should the feeding of a newborn include the meat? I think the answer is obvious that not. The baby will be brought up with strong vegetarian habits, but of course if later he starts eating meat it’ll be his choice. The same with religion, I am sure that my children should be involved in orthodoxy and follow all the rules and rites of our religion. When they are able to decide themselves it’s up to them to follow it in future or to change the religion.

Parents have all rights to decide what is good or bad for their children including body changes. Of course if we talk about civilized methods. I am totally against women circumcision. It’s glaring barbarism!

Hello! The conection between children and religion is interesting to be discussed. Here we touch some subjects in the same time.
1. The first and I think the most important one, is about moral principles which children get from religion
2. The second is psychological moment, I mean how do children react getting knowledge about these moral principles.
3. The third subject is about the principles and believes of their parents which influence a lot the principles and believes of their children.
All these subjects are worth to be discussed and I think that everybody agrees they are linked to each other and can not be separated. I would like to describe every subject and then to make conclusion linking them together. So let’s start:
The first - Moral principles which children get from religion.
When a child is born, he or she knows nothing about religion, they have not any personal believes and principles. So a logic question appears: How do they get this believes and principles and why they do it? Answers can be many and they will be different, for sure, so I will try to express my personal view. I think that the first step in building these principles make children parents (I will discuss deeper this point in the third subject) and then this role is given to society(here I mean school environment, friends and other sources of influence.
The second subject that also has a considerable importance is the reaction of the child after getting know these moral principles.
Here we should notice that not all children accept them and they are not guilty of it. I mean that everybody has the right to believe in what he or she wants to believe, that’s why the same moral principles can not be assimilated by all in the same way. The process of assimilation also depends of society where the child lives, of his own views and of his parents ones.
So, slowly we reached the third subject which is about parents influence on their children believes. I think that everybody agree such influence exists and it is a great one. The reason is that a child depends on his or her parents not only in physical or material aspects, but also in moral one.
So, in conclusion I want to express my opinion about how a child makes its moral principles. I think the first step do his or her parent, then comes the society influence and on these two fundaments the personal views are created.

Tom_The_Builder wrote: I totally disagree with you in the part of vegetarianism.
It is very dangerous to keep children on vegetarian diet. Their nutrition must be balanced and they have to get all necessary food elements. And some times it is difficult to do even with normal nutrition. Often children are very selective in foods. Being a vegetarian you should be very careful with your diet and for fast growing children it is unacceptable to be a vegetarian. Maybe only when they become teenagers and will be able to control their nutrition and also be prepared for vegetarianism spiritual.