Query about value of religious upbringing

[Ed Brayton]

Volokh, Eugene wrote:

>	I vaguely recall hearing or seeing someone -- perhaps even
>someone on this list -- make the following argument:  It's better for
>children to be raised in one faith rather than two (one from the mother
>and one from the father), because while religious doubt is an important
>part of religious thinking, it's better for people to come to doubt
>after a childhood of faith, rather than to start out with doubt as
>children.  
>
>	I'd like to discuss this briefly in my forthcoming Parent-Child
>Speech and Child Custody Speech Restrictions paper, and I wanted to cite
>a source if someone has indeed made this argument.  If any of you can
>help me out, I'd be very much obliged.  Many thanks,
>

Having been raised in the ultimate mixed marriage environment - one 
parent pentecostal, the other an atheist - I would take the opposite 
position. I am very happy to have been raised that way and I think it 
was strongly beneficial for me. The best thing it did for me was deprive 
me of the convenience of a "default" belief. Most people simply are what 
their parents are, but I didn't have that...I was gonna say luxury, but 
I don't think that's what it is. I think for most people, it's just a 
convenient escape from having to give any thought to something as 
important as religion (though certainly not consciously so). It meant I 
couldn't just be a passive recipient for my parents' beliefs, I had to 
be an active participant in finding my own position. There were times 
growing up that it was somewhat uncomfortable, but on the whole I think 
it did me a great deal of good. I think it means that my positions on 
such issues are much better thought out than the average person who 
never really had to consider alternative beliefs. It was an enormous 
encouragement for study and contemplation because that was a necessity 
rather than an option.

Ed Brayton


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