Emilia Symington
(PhD Candidate in Children’s Rights and Religious Freedom, Queen’s University Belfast)
The Church of Ireland has allowed Christianity and human rights to be deemed incompatible, or at the very least in tension. I vividly recall a conversation with a clergy member who, after I mentioned my PhD topic, immediately demanded to know if I believed human rights existed. Before I had the chance to respond, he added, “because you can’t be a Christian and believe in human rights.” But whilst mentioning human rights results in tension, discussing children’s rights verges on causing panic; I mentioned children’s rights to a church leader once, and he launched into a brief sermon about the connection between children’s rights and transgenderism. “You can’t give human rights to children,” he concluded. “It’s just not fair on the parents.” Such opinions are not demonstrative of all Christians, but there is a pervasive fear that human rights represent a secular, humanist framework that removes God’s omnipotent authority in favour of promoting individualism. Children’s rights, therefore, not only remove God’s authority, but deconstruct the authority of parents as well.
There is a certain irony to the Church of Ireland’s reluctance to acknowledge human rights, since the roots of the concept of rights can arguably be traced to Judeo-Christian traditions (Conrad, 2012). Furthermore, despite fears to the contrary, children’s rights treaties respect the role of the parent to raise their child according to their faith tradition. For instance, Article 14 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (‘UNCRC’, 1989) concerns the child’s right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and protects both the child’s right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, as well as providing that their parents/guardians have the right to provide direction. In the UNCRC, the family unit is recognised as an essential part of the child’s faith development.
There are, of course, limitations implemented with regards to the role of the parent. Article 14 details that parental direction must be offered in accordance with the “evolving capacities of the child.” The lack of definitive age is consistent with the rest of the Convention, meaning that as the child develops the competency to make religious decisions independently, the parental guidance should begin to yield. The concept of sufficient capacity causes tensions, because the child’s capacity will vary depending on the decision being made. Some States set a universal boundary; for example, in Norway children can choose their own religion at 15, whilst German law opts for 14 (Gesley, 2017). However, utilising an uncompromising age limit when determining religious maturity can prove problematic, and an individualistic approach is generally more consistent with the Convention’s guidance (Jahangir, 2009; Bielefeldt, 2012).
Yet, the question remains as to how the child’s civil right to freedom of religious thought should be balanced alongside their parents’ right to provide guidance. This is not a matter to be taken lightly; from a Christian perspective, the role of the parent is paramount and clear guidance is provided in the Bible. The first commandment given to humanity in the Bible is to have children, and a good parent is identified as one who raises their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Genesis 1:28; Ephesians 6:4). Raising children in the Christian faith is the most important task ascribed to parents, but how can they fulfil this role whilst also respecting the child’s right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion?
A starting place would be a theological re-imagining of children as independent agents, who are both morally fallible and not yet morally mature (Miller-McLemore, 2003). This suggestion emerges in response to the theological tendency to perceive children as ‘passive’ ‘innocent,’ and prone to corruption from the secular world. The reconstruction of this notion of childhood into one which recognises children as active and autonomous agents in their beliefs is more consistent with a rights-respecting approach to theology, and acknowledges the child’s right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
A rights-respecting model of faith parenting is one where parents have an element of control regarding their children’s development and religious experiences, but still provide the opportunity for children to exercise their right to freedom of religion. Participation in family prayers and religious practices, such as attending church, reading devotionals, and prayers before mealtimes, is encouraged as a method of creating a ‘family faith narrative,’ but once the child reaches an age of discretion, they can decide for themselves whether they wish to participate. Parents always have the right to intervene in their children’s lives if they believe that their wellbeing is going to be significantly and permanently compromised, and children are always afforded freedom of moral conscience. It is not, therefore, the case that parents always possess absolute authority, nor that children are always afforded absolute freedom; instead, the role of the parent to guide and direct is balanced with the child’s right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
The Church’s reluctance to embrace children’s rights is ultimately grounded in the fear that recognising the rights of the child would diminish the role of the parent. However, rather than seeking to lessen the rights of the parent, the UNCRC recognises the family unit and the essential role parents play in guiding and directing their children’s upbringing. Many children will choose to follow their parents’ religious beliefs, which is to be expected, but to deny them the choice would not only be a breach of their rights but could also result in future resentment, both against religion and against their parents (Willits and Crider, 1989).
Bielefeldt, H. (2012). “Report of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.” United Nations Human Rights Council. https://reliefweb.int/report/world/report-special-rapporteur-freedom-religion-or-belief-heiner-bielefeldt-ahrc1960.
Gesley, J. (2017). “The Relationship Between Church and State in Germany.” Law Library of Congress. https://loc.gov/law/2017/12/the-relationship-between-church-and-state-in-germany/
Jahangir, A. (2009). “Report of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.” UN Human Rights Council. A/HRC/10/8/Add.3.
Miller-McLemore, B. J. (2003). Let the Children Come: Reimagining Childhood from a Christian Perspective. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
Willits, F. K. and Crider, D. M. (1989). “Church Attendance and Traditional Religious Beliefs in Adolescence and Young Adulthood: A Panel Study.” Review of Religious Research 31(1), pp. 68-81.