Religion/Youth/Indoctrination

[Logician Man]

At what age do you think children are able to use logic and critical thinking skills of their own accord to discern whether or not religious claims are fact or fiction?

 

[EMNofSeattle]

At what age do you think children are able to use logic and critical thinking skills of their own accord to discern whether or not religious claims are fact or fiction?

What is your purpose in asking?

I joined the Catholic Church at age 16, I wasn't raised in the Church, my parents never made me go, none of my close friends were Catholics. But I decided I wanted to be and so I was baptized and confirmed 6 months after turning 16.

 

[Elora]

LM, mine were taught from infancy, well, really, while still in the womb...took them until the ages of at least 25 or later to decide for themselves that what I taught them was the truth and then to make it their own way of life...

 

[Logician Man]

What is your purpose in asking?

I joined the Catholic Church at age 16, I wasn't raised in the Church, my parents never made me go, none of my close friends were Catholics. But I decided I wanted to be and so I was baptized and confirmed 6 months after turning 16.

My purpose in asking is to get input from others.

 

[Angel]

At what age do you think children are able to use logic and critical thinking skills of their own accord to discern whether or not religious claims are fact or fiction?

There are old men posting in this forum who seem to have escaped endowment. Your question is frivolous.

 

[zyzygy]

At what age do you think children are able to use logic and critical thinking skills of their own accord to discern whether or not religious claims are fact or fiction?

I was seven when I started attending Sunday school and I didn't believe a word of it.

 

[Angel]

I was seven when I started attending Sunday school and I didn't believe a word of it.

And that 7-tear-old wisdom has carried you through. Heart-warming.

 

[EMNofSeattle]

My purpose in asking is to get input from others.

But your question is very broad, and your thread title includes the word "indoctrination" which while accurate by definition, has a negative and not neutral connotation in today's society.

There is no one age where someone is old enough to know how they feel. A child may hate church because they are mature enough to know better, an adult may not want to go because they feel they are so mature they know better. This isn't a question with a universal answer.

I literally had to do nothing to remain agnostic. Becoming Catholic was a process that took a lot of my time during my high school years.

 

[beancounter]

I would say age 8 or 9...but still, if they have parents, peers, and "authority figures" constantly reinforcing a set of beliefs from day 1, it takes a very strong individual to push their programming aside, and think for themselves.

And religious indoctrination is specifically designed to reduce the possibility of a "rouge" thinker.

 

[Conaeolos]

At what age do you think children are able to use logic and critical thinking skills of their own accord to discern whether or not religious claims are fact or fiction?

Typically speaking 21.

 

[RAMOSS]

At what age do you think children are able to use logic and critical thinking skills of their own accord to discern whether or not religious claims are fact or fiction?

It entirely depends on the child. Some can use logic and critical thinking skills as young as 2 or 3. There are some that never learn them.

 

[Elora]

I will say none of my kids were ever taught the first doctrine...the Bible was their learning tool...what was contained in the Bible and nothing else...if it was not in the Bible, it was not taught to them...

 

[Logician Man]

There are old men posting in this forum who seem to have escaped endowment. Your question is frivolous.

The 'I don't like the question being asked, therefore it is frivolous Fallacy."

 

[Angel]

The 'I don't like the question being asked, therefore it is frivolous Fallacy."

No, the "the question is frivolous, therefore it is frivolous Tautology."

 

[Logician Man]

No, the "the question is frivolous, therefore it is frivolous Tautology."

update: I don't like the question being asked, therefore it is the frivolous Tautology Fallacy.