Is it mental abuse ...?

Question

If parents force their child to believe the religion they believe in and make them do all the ceremonial things that go with this religion after the child has explicitely stated they do not want to be part of their parents' religion?
Talking of a 10-year old child here ...

Answer 1

It could be. A lot obviously depends upon the sort of activities the parents are pushing the child into, what sort of tactics they use to encourage/coerce him to participate and how much the child is resistant.

Many of the answers above seem to assume the parents participate in the more mainstream religions, but what if it was some obscure cult with quite odd or unnatural practises?

(Which I count as all the mainstream religions, but that's a different story.)

You don't think so? Well, even in the mainstream religions, what about the many Catholics that have grown up with all their guilt and neuroses because they were indoctrinated with all the nonsense about shame, sin and eternal damnation? Their parents might not have meant to damage them, but they did. It could happen in any religion.

I have no idea if this is the Case with this child, but we just don't know what these parents are like.

Answer 2

It depends on what kind of ceremonies we are talking about here. If there are things going on too advanced or inappropriate for a child then yes, they shouldnt be subjected to it. Otherwise, a parent is just fine to teach their children a religion. I personally will not force a religion on my child. I will show her what I believe, teach her things about it, then let her decide what she thinks. I was forced to do the Christian thing and am resentful for it. Mostly because I think its very wrong to scare a small child with thoughts of hell. I was 4 or 5 years old and having nightmares every night about being in hell and not being able to find my mom. I was scared alll the time, afraid that if I couldnt find my momn, maybe she went up with the rapture without me and the beast was coming. It was horrible. I would consider all that PART of the inappropriatness I mentioned at the beginning, but by far no way limited to just that. Other religions have things that are inappropriate for the little ones. They need to be taught on a basis of their level of understanding and need.

Answer 3

Surley it would be mental abuse not to provide some sort of spiritual foundation from early on.

I'm sure the child will go their own way in time if they really want to. Children generally rebel when it comes to regularly going to a place of worship, but this does not mean that won't appreciate it later. Perhaps the parents could do more to make it more interesting for the child?

Answer 4

That's a very interesting question, because on the one hand, I do think it's a form of mental abuse, since it is a form of forced indoctrination. However, some parents might argue that it would be abusive to not make the children participate in their particular religion, because some parents believe that if they don't raise their children to follow that particular religion, their children will burn in hell for all eternity. I guess it sort of depends on how one defines abuse.

Answer 5

Parents are responsible for their child's welfare and,unfortunately,that includes forcing their religion onto that child,as well as,state sanctioned,genital mutilation,religion in many ways is above the law.In Britain.the only required subject to be taught at schools is religious instruction.I feel sorry for that ten year old child s/he is about to become brain washed.You can teach a child right from wrong without all the hypocrisy of the religion sh*t

Answer 6

It is not force or mental abuse to teach your child about God and the relationship that one has with God. A "child" of 10 years old barely knows the difference between right and wrong, and is not in the position to be telling the parents what to do. If the parents have allowed this child to rule the roost instead of the parents ruling the roost then all they want to do is be the childs friend instead of the childs parent.These parents need to discipline their child a bit better

Answer 7

Its not mental abuse to educate and inform your children about your own religion. In fact is its a beneficial thing.
Furthermore, its not abuse to encourage your children to follow the same path as you.
However, it is wrong to 'force' them to do it. Whether it is 'abuse' depends upon how you have 'forced' them.
We must remember that we can only answer this in the context of our societies values and how we consider it right to bring up children.

Answer 8

If that is mental abuse, then so is school.

If I explicitely state "I do NOT want to learn French in Grade six", I am STILL forced to learn French.

If forcing someone to perform religious ceremonies etc., then, by the same logic, it must be mental abuse to force me to learn French.

Answer 9

if the child has explicitely stated thay do not want anythign to do with it, then , i don't think it's in the parent's right to enforce it onto their child...at the same time, ths kid is only 10 and not an adult to do as he/she wills.. so you could say as only a child, he doesnt really know about it and the parent's are looking out for him/her...
but i have always been a strong believer in letting a child make up their own mind when it comes to religion/spirituality...
it could border on mental abuse, but i think it's just selfishness on the parent's part...

Answer 10

I was in that exact same position actually. So after I was dragged into church one Sunday I said out niceand loud so everyone could hear me, "Ma, this is all a loada bulls*** isn't it?" I never saw the inside of a church again, and to this day I've converted 12 people to atheism, including a born again christian, and I'm now writing a book that has resulted in me becoming a philosopher. Although it is most certainly psychologically and sometimes physically damaging, I can't say that it's impact on me wasn't positive.