It is easy to make snap judgments about people we don’t know, and it is just as easy to be wrong about them. It is unfair to assume that someone’s parent is the sole source of their beliefs. While a parent may shape their child’s values, there are many other factors, such as their friends, the media, and the wider culture, that can have an influence.
People have the capacity to form their own beliefs and to think critically about the world around them. It is quite possible that your friend’s parents merely provided a framework and guidance for them to do so. It is likely that more than one person has had an influence on their beliefs, and that it is the combination of these contributors that has shaped their thought process.
It is important to remember that we cannot completely control what children grow to believe. We can provide them with our own values, but ultimately it is up to them to form their own opinions and to decide what is right and wrong. We cannot force our beliefs onto our children and should instead focus on teaching them how to think for themselves. It is wrong to assume that a parent is solely responsible for a child’s beliefs.
