Precious convictions can also come to be expensive for others – The faith of the parents and their children: Where do the children stand in this struggle for religious freedom?

At that time, many were convinced the Anabaptists would deny their children something vitally important when they didn’t permit them to be baptized. Parents have a care and protection responsibility for their children and this can be enforced by the state.

• How free should parents be in decisions based on their convictions when the children could suffer from them?
• Where do you see dangers of children suffering due to the religious convictions of their parents? Is it the responsibility of the state to set limits?

Current examples

• When parents are willinig to risk the lives of their own children. Article in German in the Tagesanzeiger newspaper
• Children, basic rights, religious freedom.Article in German in the Media and Information Center by Irene Nickel

On the other hand, the state by its intolerance at that time toward differing religious views not only persecuted the parents. This also endangered the wellbeing of the children.

• Where do you see the basic rights of children endangered by government measures today?

UN Declaration of the rights of the child