Why does religion teach young children about violence, war and murder?

Question

Yesterday at a Mother's Day family lunch (In Italy), my sister-in law asked her 3 year old son to "tell the story" of Jesus.

The boy stood on a chair and stated the following ;

"Judas kissed Jesus so everyone got mad and started to stab each other. Then the Romans came and killed everybody with spears and stones. Then they gathered up sticks and made a cross and put Jesus on it and stuck him to it with huge nails until blood came out of his hands and feet".

My 3 year-old nephew attends a Catholic day care center, run by nuns.

My sister-in-law said "he'll learn the story better when he gets older".

Answer 1

Maybe the worst thing it teaches them is a path to justify hurting/harming our fellow man. When I was very little it taught me the first things that ever sullied my mind, my first encounters of inhumanity, fear, angst, guilt,(without going into the real vivid horror stories) concern for the world and all but the Christians in it being bad, man it took a lot of work to heal the wounds and get over it, but I'm far stronger than I could have ever been. Indoctrination, in my own opinion is abuse (albeit not realized by the parental perpetrators). Peace, scary isn't it?

Answer 2

There were at least 30 something (if not WAYYYY more) prophecies about the "Son of Man" in the Old Testament coming to save mankind. The kiss from Judas (a friend who would betray him "with a kiss" is just ONE of the prophecies and is THEREFORE important) at least in a religious sense and in a "yes, it DID LATER HAPPEN THIS WAY" sense of being. The Judas Kiss is tantamount to proof in some respects of the authenticity and accuracy of the Holy Bible (at least its prophecy's).

The fact that Christ Jesus (Christ = Anointed) DID NOT DIE ON A CROSS seems to be a MINOR thing, but IT IS NOT! Jesus Christ (or Jesus THE CHRIST) died on a Torture Stake, thus ripping the veins from around his heart away, killing him of a "broken heart" (if you will). Its a far WORSE death than a Crucifixion would have been, literally tearing you apart inside from the gravity of hanging by your hands. Its brutal in the extreme, and yes, the Romans used the Torture stake as readily as the Crucifixion. If you want to learn where the Crucifixion REALLY came from (and its pagan origins around 3,000 B.C.), read "The Two Babylons" by The Rev. Alexander Hislop on the Internet.

Its important to pass these stories along, however, the 1st and 2nd century church (THE EARLY CHURCH) had NO "Sunday School" and EVERYONE, from infants to Adults learned THE EXACT SAME THING AT THE EXACT SAME TIME! That is, infants were required to study and learn as adults, thus ensuring they would be ready to "preach the good news of Christ's Kingdom" as the Adults were.

Answer 3

Christianity has a bloody and violent history and I guess some of that is going to seep through to the babies. It's to get them ready for the next class when they will learn that unless they are very careful they'll soon be packed off to hell.
Religion should have an X certificate (not suitable for under 18s) though I'm sure it scares the life out of some adults too.

Answer 4

The Bible scares and confuses the children!!

Believers have claimed that God had His reasons to murder anyone He chose to murder, and so does every murderer on death-row have his or her insane reasons for being there, right?

Under the law, blind justice, in determining guilt, does not peek to see who is accused of the crime.

What motive or reason did the Biblical God Character, real or fictional, have to murder all these people? And why do people still support, promote and finance this (probably fictitious) God / Character?

Think about it, God is the most miserable, angry and jealous character in the entire Bible - because His plan never worked for His Own pleasure - unless pain, misery and murder was God's Own pleasure.

For example:

Genesis 19:1-26 God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He murdered all the people, including all the innocent children. Lot’s wife turned to look at the carnage. God murdered her by turning her into a pillar of salt.

Exodus 14:6-28 God forced the Pharaoh and his army to chase the Jews. God parted the Red Sea for Moses’ people. God collapsed the sea and murdered the Pharaoh's Army who had followed the Jews into the sea.

Leviticus 22:9 God commands: Obey My rules or I will murder you.

Would you like these things done to you or imposed on your family?

Answer 5

That unprovoked violence, vengeance, and war- as long as it's initiated by The Good Guys, and it's for for the right reasons as determined entirely by The Good Guys- are morally acceptable if done in the name of God. And, that when something bad happens to you, someone else has to pay... whether you're certain that you have the right person is irrelevant, since living a good God-fearing life exempts you when your reckless actions harm the innocent.

Answer 6

Not all religions, sweetie ... Buddhists don't teach any of those three.

At what age to they start teaching about the rape and incest?

It was a good job the kid obeyed his parents though - or they would have had to kill him for disobedience.

I really do worry about the Christian obsession with blood.
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Answer 7

When my daughter was your nephews age, an in law bought her a Bible & started reading it. With not even one page read I tossed the Bible & my sister in law out of my house. Needless to say I was the out law for years to her but I didn't care.

Answer 8

Because religious dogma is the product of males. The way to power and control is thru war. To the victor goes the spoils is a very meaningful statement. Males need war, either passive or aggressive to establish their dominance. That need, in itself ,is the best indicator of the fragility of the male ego.

Answer 9

And yet some cry foul at what they see in pop culture. I see no difference in learning that or letting a young child watch a violent television program. Both is as bad as the other.

Answer 10

That poor child -- hopefully he will learn to think for himself as he grows up and not let those scary images bother him. Just as importantly, let's hope that he can make his way without being intimidated continually by those who want to control other people.