Ch. 16: Is Religion Child Abuse?
Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 5:44 pm
God is Not Great
Ch. 16: Is Religion Child Abuse?
Ch. 16: Is Religion Child Abuse?
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Maybe we could at least agree that the term "child abuse" should not be used casually to refer merely to child-rearing practices we don't agree with or think are wrong. I think if we can agree, we'd get out of the way the matter of whether every parent sending kids off to Sunday school is abusing them: in most cases, of course they're not.
I haven't read Hitchens' book yet but I'm familiar with Dawkins' argument which I assume is more or less the same. I do agree with DWILL that the term "child abuse" does not apply to the teaching of religious traditions. Parents will naturally rear their children in a manner consistent with their own beliefs. Yes, that may include teachings that foster intolerance, racism, and discrimination. But we cannot mandate what parents teach their children any more than we can mandate what people believe. We live in a free society. Only in extreme cases such as withholding necessary medical treatment should the government interfere in how a parents choose to raise their children.Suzanne wrote: The doctrines in many religions if practiced and believed by children will continue to affect them as adults. The fear of God, the fear of not going to church, fear. Symptoms of child abuse oftentimes do not present themselves until adulthood.
I disagree with your above statement. I believe that rigid religious practices exposed to children and enforced in the home can have devastating affects. Examples include: hate, intolerance, elitism, also, low self esteem, alienation from family, and sometimes death. Below find a link that shows the effects of people immersed in religious beliefs.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26469519
Man is master over woman, beware if you do not follow. FEAR! Hate those who are different, shun those who live different. These principles are found in most religions practised today. The effects of these principles can be found in the KKK, and gay bashing, suicides and murder. Again, many symptoms of child abuse do not present themselves until adulthood. Rigid religious beliefs instructing children to hate and fear, in my opinion is child abuse.
Suzanne
Suzanne,Suzanne wrote:Hello DWILL:
I was raised Methodist, I went to Sunday school, and Bible camp in the summer. I suppose my words were harsh, but Catholic children do not go to Sunday school, they sit with the rest of the congregation, and boy, a lot of the words they hear are harsh. I didn't want to offend, so I did not separate different forms of Christrianity. I suppose in doing so I offended everyone.
I belive Hitchens when speaking of religions that are a form of child abuse he is reffering to those that have such strong beliefs, that if taken to heart by children and reinforced by parents can produce effects that are damaging. I feel teaching hate is intolerable, and this teaching can affect children as adults. Suzanne
I don't disagree that religious indoctrination causes much harm and can be especially damaging to children. In that sense, religion can be viewed in the same context of a cult, which uses the same kinds of brain-washing techniques. But the fact of the matter is that it's not religion itself which is damaging to young (and old) but the beliefs behind it. And like it or not, belief in spiritual entities is encoded into our genetic makeup. Humans gravitate towards supernatural beliefs, some religious and some not. A parent can cause untold psychological damage to a child with or without religion, which is why I feel it is not accurate to say religious indoctrination = child abuse. Religion itself is not the culprit. In fact, very many folks who are exposed to religion are perfectly normal and healthy. And I do acknowledge that Christianity in some respects has been a positive force through history, although as an atheist I hope that religion will fade and that people will gravitate away from supernatural and towards a naturalistic worldview. This will happen through attrition just as the idea of slavery is now morally repugnant. We as a society, of course, must continue to condemn extremity in all forms. But in my opinion saying religion is "child abuse" is not going to be very helpful to this ultimate goal.Suzanne wrote:I was raised Methodist, I went to Sunday school, and Bible camp in the summer. I suppose my words were harsh, but Catholic children do not go to Sunday school, they sit with the rest of the congregation, and boy, a lot of the words they hear are harsh. I didn't want to offend, so I did not separate different forms of Christrianity. I suppose in doing so I offended everyone.
I belive Hitchens when speaking of religions that are a form of child abuse he is reffering to those that have such strong beliefs, that if taken to heart by children and reinforced by parents can produce effects that are damaging. I feel teaching hate is intolerable, and this teaching can affect children as adults.
Suzanne
I would be very interested in understanding this concept, you say it with such confidence. Spiritual practises, religious practises are cultural, culture is taught through mores and values. Religion is certainly not encoded into our gentic makeup. If this were true, there would be no discussion on atheism, it would not exist.And like it or not, belief in spiritual entities is encoded into our genetic makeup.