mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate) (08/23/84)
> = rlr >> = Mike Ward > Taking away "rights" from parents to mold their kids to their OWN > (parents') desires instead of allowing the child to create his/her > individuality does NOT transfer those rights to ME or ANYONe ELSE!!!! [later in the same article] >>The question is, if the parent is not to decide how best to raise a child, >> who will? > The point is that parents Do get to do the deciding, which is unfortunate > for the many children who have parents with limited competency at > parenting. [Still later] > The only beliefs "acceptable" to teach children involve ensuring their > independent thinking and rationality as the grow up to become adults. A few observations on these statements: (1) It may be unfortunate that some parents teach their kids undesirable beliefs. It is also uncontrollable, unless you are willing to bring in some other authority to make sure they get taught right (which according to Rich, means not at all). I am not so willing. (2) Kids are taught moral and religious strictures whether an overt attempt to do so is made or not. An attempt to suppress the teaching of these values can only (correctly) be perceived as attempt to suppress everything except the very bland strictures of Rich's style of humanism. For one thing, unlike humanism, most religions have a history. How are kids supposed to find out about it if teaching it is forbidden? (3) I was raised in a moderately strict, non-fundamentalist christian household. I think for myself, and while I have retained a lot of my parent's values, I am not afraid to differ with them. My suggestion is that people who grow up without being able to question beliefs might have this problem however they were taught. ------------------------------------------------------------------ UUCP: {seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!mangoe Charley Wingate CSNet: mangoe@umcp-cs ARPA: mangoe@maryland