I stand before you as a survivor of forced religious indoctrination; born into a multigenerational Mormon family, I was systematically introduced and coerced into the tenets of a religion from birth. The doctrines about priesthood power and obedience rendered me particularly vulnerable as a young girl, denying me the rights of an American citizen and jeopardizing my life. Embodied in my experience is a nationwide issue that demands immediate attention and resolution - coercive religious upbringing of children in the United States.

In America today, it's an unfortunate reality that numerous children are being forcibly indoctrinated into certain beliefs imbibed by their families, their protected rights to form and follow their own faith ignored. The anti-establishment clause and the principle of freedom of religion enshrined in our Constitution ensure every individual's right to follow their own beliefs. Yet, many parents and guardians overlook this essential right and impose their religious beliefs on their children.

This practice is clearly unconstitutional. No citizen of the United States, regardless of age, should be forced to practice a religion. A child's right to freedom of belief must be upheld and they should be protected from forced religious observance. As a society, we must ensure that children are given the opportunity to choose their faith until they attain legal adulthood at 18.

Our nation's children deserve to make informed decisions about their faith, unburdened by familial or societal pressures. Acknowledging the harm caused by childhood indoctrination, we must unify our voices for the protection of children's constitutional right to freedom of religion. Please, sign this petition to prohibit childhood religious indoctrination and reinforce childhood religious freedom protections in the United States.