Should religious education be considered child abuse?

Question

Mark Twain said it was the first duty of a Christian mother to soil her child's mind. Isn't that what Sunday school is all about?

Is it fair to take a trusting child and fill their innocent heads with centuries old drivel, just so they feel guilty and unworthy? How does this differ from what the jihadists do to their children?

If it is a crime to harm a child's body, should it not be equally criminal to wound its spirit?

Okay, sorry about the grammatic error. Take a trusting child and fill his or her head with drivel would have been better.

As for whether it is worse to rape a child's body or mind, I have experienced both. The damage done by the mind messers still hurts after fifty years, and I have long recovered from the pedophile.

Answer 1

wait...i think I'm psychic.

Atheists will say "Yes".

Believers will say "No".


Anyone want to wager?

Answer 2

So does that mean Vegetarianism is child abuse? There is one case where a child did die because of parents kooky diets. What do you mean by forcing a kid to attend religious service? A parent has the right to raise their child in a way that is customary to their beliefs and ideology. You are focused on religion (must be an atheist), but you neglect to mention that some parents smoke and sell weed around their kids. I bet that A LOT of people call that child abuse. Some parents force their kids in show business or sports, some parents call that child abuse. You mention medical care. Since you mention religion I am sure that is a tie into Witnesses. Well did you know that some parents give their kids home remedies or would rather resort to a crackpot book for Barnes and Noble before taking their kids to the doctor. Morals don't come from evolution either, Even Darwin knew that the natural world was savage and cruel. Survival not morals trumps when it comes to evolution.

Answer 3

Of course it is not fair to "take a trusting child and fill their innocent heads with centuries old drivel."

This raises two questions:

1. Just how many innocent heads does this trusting child have?
2. How much drivel is required to fill each head?

I haven't done the math. But I agree that, at current rates, it's probably more economical to stick with the *new* drivel.

Hope that helps.

EDIT: Yeah David, and I'm sorry for pouncing on the grammar. It was an attempt at humor, which apparently failed.

Answer 4

Is raising a child without hope of justice in an afterlife child abuse?

I think it all depends on what the content of the religious or nonreligious education is

I also think that just about all the attempts in the past to intervene by government and others in this area have been disastrous

Answer 5

It is the duty of the parents to first find the path of enlightenment for themselves and then guide their children on the same path.

Scriptures dictates that if you can't show your kids the path of liberation then you don't deserve to become a parent.

Of course, Jihadis are fanatic, as killing innocenet people thinking I am the representative of GOD and I am qualified to take lives of others is simply a illusoray state of mind where the we loose all of our good intelligence.

By violence, no one ever made GOD happy, rathar he himself throws dives into the path of self destruction and invites a hellish situation in the subsequent lives.

Answer 6

This is what Dawkins has recently argued. I totally disagree. Children need some type of framework and as long as they are taught to respect ALL religions, there is no harm in educating a child in the faith of your choice.

The only time I think it's wrong is if extremist views are being passed on to the child. Then yes, I think it is totally unethical.

Answer 7

NO! Its totally not child abuse. Speaking of child abuse, lots of public schools have bin teaching evolution in a force full way. These public sh cools don't actual fiscally abuse them, they just don't let the students think for them selves.

Answer 8

Agreed, Religion is the worst form of mental abuse. It removes self reliance, replacing it with a false hope that "Praying" (What is that) to some imagined entity will change the course of a persons life. This removes the incentive to act one one's own behalf to control their own life, indofar as this can be done, and allowing themselves to be swept away by "god's Will"

It is certinly abusive mentally. The use of power assumed by clergy in all denominations, has been the souce of physical abuse as well. This eventually paid for by honest but gullible "Parishoners" who themselves were coerced by indoctrination into accepting the whole fabric of lies that has created the illusion of god in any form.

Answer 9

Religious Education as in teaching people about religions and what they teach - no, i.e. in school it was mandatory for me to take RE as a GCSE, but it wasn't RE in the sense that 'you should be religious' it was '"Eating animals is wrong" how far do you a agree? why would a Christian agree with this statement and why? why would a Christian disagree and why? why would a buddhist..."' etc etc.

But if u meant in the sense of teaching them that they should be religious, and that it is right: morally, no i dont think, but it doesnt matter, theyll grow out of it if they dont believe it (if they get proper education anyway)

Answer 10

If one CONSENTS to place their child under such teaching, it cannot be considered abuse, can it? If you don't believe it, don't expose your children to it. if you DO believe it, you're bound by your spiritual obligations as a Christian (or whatever faith you are) to "Train up a child in the way it should go......"

Answer 11

Wow. Religion is varied all over the world. Most people are free to teach their children what they believe in. Open your mind. You sound like someone who would sue the owner of a home if your child fell off his bike into the home owner's front lawn. Knowledge is power my friend. Enlighten yourself.