At what age should a child be introduced to religion?

[arewethereyet]

Ideally, this is something that the public, secular school system should be doing, say, in a World religions class.

I took 'World Religions' at Catholic school.  
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I didn't introduce my kids to religion but I didn't shield them from it either...how could I have when it's everywhere.  I let them go to church with friends and among the three they pretty much were exposed to most flavors of Christian groups.  From hellfire and brimstone revivals to Pentecostals speaking in tongues to whatever they call services at a JW Kingdom hall.  I answered a lot of questions with "some people believe".  Yes, there was a Bible in the house and there was a children's Bible when they were young.  I had hopes that they were bright enough to come to their own conclusions if allowed to explore.  Their belief or lack of needed to be theirs not mine.

[Jehanne]

My wife and I did not expose our kiddos to religion, either, but did allow them to go to church. For awhile, my oldest son was atheistic while still believing in the existence of Santa Claus. A few of his elementary public school teachers threatened him with "hellfire" after he went to school one day saying that he believed in Santa but that there was no God.

[AFTT47]

From what I understand, logical thinking starts kicking in around age 12 so no earlier than that.

[vulcanlogician]

From what I understand, logical thinking starts kicking in around age 12 so no earlier than that.

Around 12-13 is when I'd feel comfortable making the case how I personally feel about religion. But before then, the child is going to be exposed to religion in many ways. They'll need to learn the basic facts of it. So before their capacity for logic fully matures, I'd simply give them the facts about it, as impartially as possible, and let them make up their own mind.

When they're old enough to know I'm not any kind of authority on the matter, I'll let them know why I think it's bullshit.

[LadyForCamus]

My seven year old knows nothing about god or religion. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I’m basically flying by the seat of my pants.

[brewer]

What ever age the parents want.

[Anomalocaris]

So what do you think at what age should a child be introduced to religion?

At the age when the child dies of old age, when, if ever one of the religions is true, it will introduce itself to the child without yours or anyone else’s bother.

[polymath257]

When they ask about it. Sort of like when you start to discuss sex.

At first, explain that people believe these things, but that different people believe different things. Than give a text on world religion, possibly along with books on Greek and Norse mythology (and/or Egyptian).

Later, go into the history of the subject and perhaps the philosophical issues.

[Disagreeable]

The sooner the better. Just make sure they understand that there’s no real difference between ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ and ‘The Sermon On The Mount’.

Boru

That's exactly how it was with me.

My dad read me Aesop's Fables each night. So when I got read bible stories in the day I never saw the difference. Except that Aesop's were more fun and always had a clear moral to them.

[arewethereyet]

The sooner the better. Just make sure they understand that there’s no real difference between ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ and ‘The Sermon On The Mount’.

Boru

That's exactly how it was with me.

My dad read me Aesop's Fables each night. So when I got read bible stories in the day I never saw the difference. Except that Aesop's were more fun and always had a clear moral to them.

That's how I have always compared Bible stories.  I saw them as not all that different from Aesop's Fables.  I was actually surprised when I found out that some people take the Bible stories as literal reporting of events.