I Was Raised By My Parents

I was raised by parents who, during my childhood, were trying to find their religious identity. They were both born in China and exposed to some Buddhist teachings in their village, although not enough for them to declares themselves Buddhists. Eventually, they immigrated to Maryland. Immigrating to America, a largely Christian nation, was a huge culture shock for my parents; they did not expect religion to be so influential here. Given the ubiquity of Christian churches in America, it is no surprise that my parents began exploring Christianity.

As a child, I had no choice but to follow my parents’ religious journey. At the height of my parents’ involvement with Christianity, I was enrolled in a Sunday school. However, my enrollment was short-lived, as my parents decided to turn back to Buddhism. While I did not understand the concept of religion, I knew that they made a change and chose something over the other. I simply could not rationalize their decision; I could only follow their steps. Despite choosing Buddhism, my parents did not become religiously active and only practiced quietly.

Parents are undeniably the major force behind spreading religion. Children do not find religion on their own; their parents introduce them to religion. According to research by the National Study of Youth and Religion, 82 percent of children raised by highly religiously parents were religiously active as young adults. In contrast, only 1 percent of teens raised by non-religious parents were religiously active as young adults.

The problem with teaching children religion is that they are taught what to think instead of how to think. Parents are authority figures, and children do not know any better but to listen and follow their parents uncrit...

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...ies do not exist but rather the lack of belief in deities. Theists, on the other hand, make the claim about the existence of a deity and are thus responsible for satisfying the burden of proof.

No religion is more valid than another, as no theist has provided the necessary evidence substantiating his or her claims. Unfortunately, many children are indoctrinated into their parents’ religion and are taught that questioning their faith is a sin, creating an endless cycle of credulous believers. In the face of extraordinary claims, the rational position to take is that of skepticism.

Karl Yee, 19, was born in Silver Spring, Maryland on December 17, 1996. Currently, he is a rising junior and pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. Some of his interests include solar energy, control systems, and electrophysics.