What are some of the first few fallacies children learn concerning religious belief?

Question

What are some of the first few fallacies children learn from their parents, church, others concerning a religious belief?

Bandwagon fallacy? Everyone else believes. Appeal to fear? Believe or suffer forever.

Are children taught to think fallaciously throughout the indoctrination period? Or do children learn to use specific fallacies when naturally questioning some of their beliefs?

Are the children taught to ignore irrationalities while learning religion? (As a child, I didn't spot that Adam/Eve were held responsible for doing wrong before they knew what wrong was. It's almost like punishing a person who is incompetent.)


(This may be a loaded question; ie, I assume children are taught to think fallaciously when they question things. However, it's possible they just never learned to think critically. They may even learn to think critically, but learn to avoid doing so in certain situations.)

fireball: I'm flattered, and I think it's sad, that you consider my vocabulary full of $10 words! Book Learning isn't only for the atheists anymore, the Church lets you guys read now.

rick T: appeal to authority, I'm familiar with your fallacy. Logical deduction will never reach the supernatural; you need "faith." You can see how creation (faith) science (evidence) is an oxymoron.

emperior: The American society was definitely more evil, although not "sinful," when more people actually believed in the bible (witch burning, slavery). The church condoned torture of sinners and heretics. Less people nowadays believe in the bible, we may have more "sin" but it's a lot more humane.

Answer 1

From infancy, children are conditioned to think that obedience is a virtue. Religious teachings reinforce this fallacy.

Declining to obey authority is the original sin of Adam, the core key to the ethics of Judaism and Christianity. As for Islam, the very word "Islam" means submission to external will.

In 1845, Max Stirner saw what is done and wrote an essay about it: "The Ego and Its Own." Well worth reading and pondering. He sees that the inculcation of obedience to authority is forced on you not just by religion but by a virtual conspiracy of church, parents, government, schools and media.

Few people see how they can be bamboozled into obedience. I think Thomas Jefferson was one. Percy Bysshe Shelley certainly was - he wrote " ... Obedience, bane of all freedom...". So was Margret Sanger, and Benjamin Tucker.
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In Christianity, look at Paul: "Be in subjection therefore to the authorities, for they are ordained of God," etc.

Then there's the fundies. Wiliam Jenning Bryan, leading creationist, named as his favorite hymn:
Trust and obey
For there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus
But to trust and obey.

The goal of the promoters of obedience is to reduce human beings to the status of whipped dogs, trained, as submissive as a Muslim wife, perceiving God and the government as being in charge of their lives and responsible for them.

So they advocate slogans that promote the idea that you owe obedience to an authority, such as "One nation under God," and try to put sets of Commandments in public buildings since obedient subjects live by commandments, taking orders and obeying them like trained seals at Sea World.

Answer 2

Here is the problem. It really does not matter what you teach kids. The job of the school is to socialize kids and make them citizens of the country, that is about it and that is true in any country. It really does not matter what subject you teach, some of the kids are A students, a few more are B students, the majority are C students and then you have the D and F students. Any classroom or indeed school, will have the students fall into a standard bell shaped statistical curve. 20% at the top of the curve, 20% at the bottom of the curve, and 60% on the middle. Even if you teach critical thinking, it will only be the 20% at the top who get it. Of that 20%, probably one or 2 percent will actually understand it. Go into any classroom that teaches Logic, or other critical thinking skills. There will be a few A students who just eat this stuff up. There will be other students who just pass the tests and many who struggle to pass. There will be a couple who can not pull their weight and either drop out or fail. Now, how much do you actually remember from your childhood classes. I have probably forgot all the math and history that I ever knew. The difference between me and the average person is that I read and ask questions. I am currently reading, Dirk Gently's Detective Agency, The Book of Enoch, God the Delusion, and God is Not Great. I just finished Holy Blood Holy Grail, The Passover Plot, The Lost Symbol, and The Jesus papers. Along with these I have my nose in the Bible, reading and checking on the facts. (I love this stuff.) In short, I really don't think people can be taught critical thinking skills. Yes, they can be exposed to it, but how many Christians do you imagine have been exposed to it and still **** it down? It is easier to have faith and belief and know the answers than it is to continue studying and questioning. I don't think critical thinking classes would have any impact at all on the beliefs of Christian Children or on their parents. Look what happens when you try to approach the religious with logic? What do you get? (I rest my case.)

Answer 3

The first fallacy is always: The Invisible, unprovable force written about in this book (pick a religious book) that formed the world with magic really, really exists and sees everything you do and think in order to judge if you are a worthy human being.

Answer 4

Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, tooth fairy are the first fallacies dumped on kids to create distrust in their parents. Of which I have never taught my children to believe in.

Truth I do teach:
I do teach God as the Creator, and when they wonder why kids are so mean I teach them about sin and the selfishness of a sinful nature, and a need for a Savior and the principles of love, forgiveness, and sharing because we all have to give an account of our actions one day. God blesses marriages and familys with Biblical values.

In contrast I teach them what evolutionist teach, relativism and its bi-products, that bad behavior goes unchecked when no one believes in right or wrong so bad kids get worse, and they will grow up to attack your faith in God because it's antagonistic to their sinful lifestyles. And Sho' enuf they prove me right!

Answer 5

Following is a list of critical thinkers, scientists, who believe in creation/Bible. (Including Nobel Prize winners) Ask them your loaded question, but you may be expected to DEMONSTRATE your critical thinking more than you do in your "question".


A creation scientist is a person who is formally trained in a science discipline, but who approach their field of study and/or research from the belief that the universe was created by God. This listed here have at least a Masters degree in a science discipline. Many are actively engaged in research and publish in peer review journals.

Answer 6

Well, the absolute, very first thing that any good Christian child is taught is to see right though people and understand where they are coming from and to avoid them, like you, for example.

Answer 7

Awe is the best tool for converting a child.

Answer 8

im not sure about this word but many parentsare teaching the truth and theres no need for rudeness...why are you here?
try talking without $10 words....you sound full of yourself

Answer 9

That only science deals with truth and religion only deals with belief/opinion.

Answer 10

How about the "Don't Question" fallacy?