I might be proposing an Utopian idea,but then its better to propose an idea rather than keeping mum and passing on from existence.Religion has done humanity more harm than any other factor over the centuries.I am not a fool to believe that a day will come when humanity lives in Utopian bliss , but we can at least try to make the world a better place while we are here.
Most people follow the faiths that they are born into.If you are born into a Hindu family,chances are that you will follow Hinduism, similarly if you are born to practicing Muslims,you would take up Islam and so on.This is a blind practice which parents impose on their children.Teaching and forcing tenets of a religion to innocent young minds is child abuse in my opinion.And what of the parents?They are following their faith because their parents followed the same and the cycle goes on.Thus the possibility of a child opening up his or her mind is brought to null.
I am suggesting a scenario where schools teach all children about different religions,about agnostic views,about atheism ,about the good and bad that religion has done to the world.There is no bigger testimony to an idea than the events in History.A child should be given an opportunity to learn history & present his moral and spiritual views at different ages - say 15, 20 ,25 , 30.He/She should also be given the flexibility to choose a faith which is different from his parents.He/She should also be given the option of moving from an agnostic to a believer to an atheist.
When a person learns about different approaches and faiths , the plasticity of the brain automatically increases and the person becomes more receptive to ideas ,criticisms and new lines of thought.Such a brain would discard superstitions and any practice that claims exclusivity to God.
I myself over my course of life at various points have switched between being an agnostic to a non believer to a hard core believer and I admit that my concept of God changes over and over again.I am sure its the same for majority of human beings.But many of them have been brainwashed from childhood over exclusive ideas to God & carry on practices which have been fed into their sub conscious from childhood without ever getting a chance to question why they do what they do.
I firmly believe that more the plasticity in the brain , the lesser of fundamentalism there would be on mother Earth leading to a more peaceful life.
Hope that day is not far when human beings can laugh at all Gods including the one's their parents worship for the Gods would be laughing when you are laughing.
Anand SK
Follow me on twitter at @Anand10051985
Most people follow the faiths that they are born into.If you are born into a Hindu family,chances are that you will follow Hinduism, similarly if you are born to practicing Muslims,you would take up Islam and so on.This is a blind practice which parents impose on their children.Teaching and forcing tenets of a religion to innocent young minds is child abuse in my opinion.And what of the parents?They are following their faith because their parents followed the same and the cycle goes on.Thus the possibility of a child opening up his or her mind is brought to null.
I am suggesting a scenario where schools teach all children about different religions,about agnostic views,about atheism ,about the good and bad that religion has done to the world.There is no bigger testimony to an idea than the events in History.A child should be given an opportunity to learn history & present his moral and spiritual views at different ages - say 15, 20 ,25 , 30.He/She should also be given the flexibility to choose a faith which is different from his parents.He/She should also be given the option of moving from an agnostic to a believer to an atheist.
When a person learns about different approaches and faiths , the plasticity of the brain automatically increases and the person becomes more receptive to ideas ,criticisms and new lines of thought.Such a brain would discard superstitions and any practice that claims exclusivity to God.
I myself over my course of life at various points have switched between being an agnostic to a non believer to a hard core believer and I admit that my concept of God changes over and over again.I am sure its the same for majority of human beings.But many of them have been brainwashed from childhood over exclusive ideas to God & carry on practices which have been fed into their sub conscious from childhood without ever getting a chance to question why they do what they do.
I firmly believe that more the plasticity in the brain , the lesser of fundamentalism there would be on mother Earth leading to a more peaceful life.
Hope that day is not far when human beings can laugh at all Gods including the one's their parents worship for the Gods would be laughing when you are laughing.
Anand SK
Follow me on twitter at @Anand10051985
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