Religion and morality are ideas that people “throw around” too freely, and I can say I am speaking from my own observations. I can actually tell of instances where a child has stolen something at school, hit someone, or told a lie and those of the church going class have stated that” If he just had some church, he would have known better.” This statement expresses the fact that many people choose to just accept the widespread ideas about one’s level of morality being defined by the amount of religion the person possesses. In my view, morality can “stand alone” without the influence of religion and still have good effects.

In my view, lessons in religion and morality start in the home and should naturally be taught by one’s parents. These lessons, whether they focus on religion or on morals, supply the child with an idea of what their parents believe. The relationship between religion and morality is simply this: parents must teach their children some form of morals and, if they are religious, instill strong ideas about religion into their lives. This will give their children something to believe in and though it may sound callous, something to fear. Mark Clayton

As a child, I vividly remember my parents warning me of the consequences of bad behavior. I was taught that if I followed the rules set forth by my parents, elders, and God, I would live a righteous life and would join Him in a better place when I died. At the same time, I was taught that if one behaved badly, illness, death, and misfortune would plague their lives. Later, when they died, their souls would spend eternity in hell. These were the ramifications of a persons’ behavior and would be enforced by God. I should also add that I was taught that His punishments could also come in the form of a scolding, a spanking, or grounding. Though these punishments sound harsh, there was the worse fear within me that if I behaved badly, God would make me pay for it. His punishment for my sins would also be worse, I thought, than anything someone living could do to me. Being so young, these lessons terrified me and so I tried the hardest to be good and not commit any sins, knowingly.

The fact that religion was incorporated into my life at an early age (complete with images of the punishments that would befall me) was useful in informing me that those who did bad deeds would pay for it later in life. Brandt’s essay on the effect of religion on children contrasted somewhat with the effects religion had on me as a child. He argued that the incorporation of religion into a child’s life is not abso

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