Of Sheep and Shepherds

It is stated in the Net that social attitudes toward children differ around the world. A study found children in the United States coddled and overprotected while another found Italy more child-centric,Holland less child-centric, with other countries like Austria, Great Britain, Ireland, and West Germany, falling in between. I really don't know what all these mean but I remember very clearly what one Buddhist monk said about children: Children, he said, should be left to explore as far as religion is concerned. He should be exposed to all religions; the library at home perhaps should be stocked with books on all religions and the child should be allowed to grow up and choose his own religion. This Buddhist monk, I suppose is very open but sometimes, I wonder if this kind of openness should have a limit. The sheep do need a shepherd sometimes and in cases where there is no shepherd or the shepherd is irresponsible and unreliable, the sheep would all be led astray. Children with a mind like a blank sheet of paper, would get tainted and like the sheep, wander off, sometimes too far to return...

Children of the World...