A friend of mine told me he as a child was horrorfied when his atheist parents told him that his beloved grandmother was" as extinct as a squished ant"and had no hope for his varied physical disabilities until he came to believe in a good and just God and in everlasting life and justice through a crucified and Living Savior. Do you have similar stories? What do you think? Should atheist parents"indoctrinate" their children with No- Life -After-Death?
2007-07-02 14:43:16 · 30 answers · asked by James O 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
This question came up when I read the same question from an atheist but" atheist materialism" was "religious". I though of my friend's childhood trauma.
2007-07-03 03:28:01 · update #1
As Dr Ignace Lepp wrote " There's neurotic atheism just as there's neurotic theism"
2007-07-03 03:29:18 · update #2
Yes, I can give you religious horror stories of mental child abuse too.
2007-07-03 03:30:24 · update #3
Indoctrination with Children is impossible to stop.
Most parents are sensitive to the need of a child. Children imitate the parents. That's normal
2007-07-02 14:52:50 · answer #1 · answered by j.wisdom 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think it is child abuse to teach small children that they are born filthy, worthless as rags, their souls blemished, and that there is nothing they can do about it on their own, but that they must believe in a man/god born of a god and a human virgin, who served as a human blood virgin sacrifice like the ancient pagan religions had, and then must pour that blood over themselves and be bathed in the blood, and then must eat his body and drink his blood, to be "saved".
If this isn't the most disgusting, horrifying, mental child abuse in existance, it's got to be damned close. It sounds like something out of Nightmare on Elm Street or something.
Telling a child that he has no hope for his varied physical disabilities unless he came to believe in a good and just God makes no sense. A good and just God wouldn't create children who have physical disabilities, now would he. That would be a mean, cruel God, and not too just to make innocent children suffer like that.
Telling a child that he will have everlasting life and justice through a crucified and living saviour, same thing. This won't cure his physical disabilities whatsoever. It won't help him. Might as well tell him the Easter Bunny will come and save him.
But, if he is a smart kid, educated in ancient paganism, when he is told that he will have everlasting life and justice through a crucified and living saviour, he should ask "which one?" because there were literally dozens and dozens of these whose story is exactly the same as that of Jesus in the christian bible - word for word even, including each one saying that "nobody gets to the Father except by me" and they are all killed as a bloody human virgin blood sacrifice for sin. Jesus was just one in a LONG line of ancient pagan traditions where this happened. They all went to hell for 3 days and "rose again", etc. etc. etc.
As far as "should athiest parents indoctrinate their children with "no life after death" ideas, well it's no better and no worse than what Christians indoctrinate their children with (see above). At least there is no burning forever in a tortuous hell while a god gleefully rubs his hands together in enjoyment as he watches crippled children's souls screaming in horror and pain for all eternity.
As for me personally, I wouldn't teach children either view. athiest or christian.
2007-07-02 14:56:41 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
OK, let me see if I have this right, atheists parents told there son that he had no hope for varied physical disabilities until he came to believe in a good and just god and in everlasting life and justice through a crucified and living savior? What is wrong with this sentence?
2007-07-02 14:49:47 · answer #3 · answered by punch 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I think it was the wording that upset your friend as a child. I know that if I were to teach my children of no after life I'd use gentle words like, "Grandma isn't with us anymore. But, now she'll be able to really give back to the Earth. Don't be sad- she's not in pain anymore." I'm /not/ an atheist and I'm /not/ anywhere near having children, but for an on-the-spot thing I don't think that was so bad.
So I see no harm in it. The child will have to learn of death eventually, it's a part of life.
2007-07-02 14:47:55 · answer #4 · answered by Diavola 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
No, it's not child abuse. Your friend's parents were wrong to equate his grandmother with an ant. But, indoctrinating children in atheism (reality) is a lot better than indoctrinating them in delusional ideas that refuse to acknowledge what has been proven by science.
2007-07-02 14:54:55 · answer #5 · answered by Dawn 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
well, we can all believe in the fanciful world of life after death, while where at it why not believe in pixies and santa clause as well. My parents are also Athiest i was taught that once you die you live on in peoples memories, the better person you are the more you will e remembered. I think this is a much more a releastic representation and closer to the truth than some mystical place that was taught to people to make them believe in god out of fear of going to hell. I think it's child abuse to force your child to believe in anything, why can't they make up their own mind in the same way they come to realise that the tooth fairy isn't real.
2007-07-02 14:47:51 · answer #6 · answered by marc 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
No, but raising a child in a religious household is.
Look... his parents handled it the wrong way. That was a mean thing to say to a grieving child. But that doesn't mean they should lie to him just because he'd feel better.
Knock it off. You have no right to poison your childrens minds with the hatred toward others that your religion teaches. Like it or not.
2007-07-02 14:52:41 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I do not know whether there is or is not an afterlife since I have not yet died. I am an "atheist"; however, I suspect there could be some sort of afterlife because it is a part of all human societies in virtually every part of the world.
2007-07-02 14:56:56 · answer #8 · answered by Deckard2020 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
hmm.. to put this is words is most difficult, i do not wish to impose my own personal beliefs upon any others nor to i wish for other to force theirs upon me. I do not believe in God. In fact i am quite certain that there cannot be a god. But maybe the reverse of your question is the answer. SHould parents of a religion indoctrinate their beliefs upon their children?
2007-07-02 14:48:04 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
I'm an atheist -- and I think there's a such thing as being brutally honest, no matter what one believes. For instance, you wouldn't necessarily tell someone who is struggling against cancer that they look like crap and you expect them to die soon. Based on the kid's reaction, the whole, squash/ant thing I think was brutal.
2007-07-02 15:04:47 · answer #10 · answered by Tim Elliot 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋