The Baby Bible Bashers

I watched a TV programme over the weekend, showing kids as young as 7 being taken on the road by their parents as "young preachers" in the old "fire and brimstone" style. I was apalled.

One kid just 7 years old, was regularly "spanked" by his mother as part of his "education" and his father made him get up and preach the "word of the lord" in New York in front of a very hostile crowd. The child ended up crying his eyes out.

In Brazil, one father whose daughter also preaches to mass congregations, admits they "sleep together" in the same bed! This is not NORMAL Christian behaviour is it? The father also admits to a term in prison and being "the worst of the worst, a formerly very evil man"

Is it right to push kids of this age in this direction?

Christian extremists in the USA are becoming almost as greater threat as the Islamic extremists are supposed to be - preaching some real nonsense and condemning people for their "sins". Wasn't it Jesus himself who allegedly said "let he who is without sin cast the first stone"?

Everyone is entitled to free speech and free opinion, regardless of race or religion, but should kids this young be allowed to be exploited in this way?

Ross

You couldn't wait till I finished editing it? I had only been working on it a few mins

If you think "Christianity" is responsible for inbred jed and his woman then you better prove it rather then use your faith specific hatred and bigotry to single out an entire religion especially when you haven't even displayed a shred of proof, no news story no report nothing to substantiate anything other then you are just another freethinker agent provacateur.

Tiger Woods Dad used to make him Golf at three years old, your best Ballet Dancers start at ages 3-up, Gymnasts are brought to strict coaches at age 6 -up If this kid grows up to be a sensational preacher, one that can make a difference then get off his neck.

I realize you guys got nothing better to do then post smack about Christianity and make jokes about Christians but if you want to suggest Christians are extremists in the same regard as Muslim extremists, I suggest you go there and talk the way you are here.

You guys can't get out of bed without blaming Christianity for the reasons you have to change the sheets.

I have seen them pose as Christians who make videos of "The Christian Riech" I have seen them pull so much of this crap If you think the kid was being abused,,, THEN CALL CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, CALL THE POLICE for gods sake.

Jeeziz I see thousands of Christians all week and in ten years I have never seen any extremism an Atheist seems to "Just bump into it" on a daily basis without even going to church. You allude to the idea you are Christian but your post is patent Sam Harris propaganda down to the impersonating a Christian but saying something as dead a giveway as "didn't jesus allegedly say" Call me paranoid I really don't care for either one Atheist's OR luke warm Christians

I guess the logic is this ,, if enough people keep seeing alarming comments about how bad Christians are,, then they will become a differen't kind of intolerant ignorant extremist

Secular extremists??

Mmmm I like the sound of it.

- Con

[edit on 19-2-2008 by Conspiriology]

[edit on 19-2-2008 by Conspiriology]

Goodness! Somebody seems to have a chip on his/her shoulder! I too saw a similar documentary not so long ago and was also appalled at the sight of this little boy doing the whole fire and brimstone preaching - shouting, sweating, jumping up and down. I don't think its as big a problem as Conspiriology thought BUT I do believe, contrary to nomadrush, that there are many extremist Christians out there (as well as Muslim, Jewish, etc) who give the rest of the Christians a very bad name. I had two knock at my door this weekend and no matter how much I asked them to leave, they refused and kept knocking on the door again. The last time I opened it the one guy tried to put his foot in the doorway to prevent me from closing it so I said I would put my dog on them and they eventually left!!! This "disturbance" by a bunch of extremists lasted for almost half an hour. Next time I will definitely call the cops - after I have set my dog on them!

I consider the indoctrination of children to be one of the most sinister aspects of religion. Why not wait until your children are old enough to decide for themselves what religion, if any, they want to follow rather than forcing them not just into your religion but to follow your own method of worship?

all i have to say is: sick, sick, sick

Oh,, ha ha they don't give Christians NEAR the bad name Neo Atheists do.

That chip you are talking about?? Yeah I wouldn't be telling the truth if I didn't tell you I consider Atheists like thos run amuck here with no life

a "Punch in the Face Waiting to Happen"

Ironically they are very timid when I meet them tete a tete

must be an internet thing

- Con

That is a bit sensational don't you think? Having a child preach to the masses seems to me a far cry from beheading sinners and using suicide bombers on innocent people.

The question is "are these childern being pushed"? If so it is wrong. Just as wrong as the masses of lslamic children in "madrassahs'(sp?).

There are children who are chosen at a very you age to teach. But it is more likely these children are being pushed to make money. The fire and brimstone angle is correct. It coming and SOON.

Damn,, I was right,, you are a Sam Harris reader worse, you read Dawkins. I read all his "Stuff" too and like your sig,,

I consider evolution to be one of the most sinister aspects of Atheism .




atheist have come right out and exploited every possible form of media in order to push their agenda.

Their message is clear and the same as always:

they are right and everyone else,,,

is wrong.


Dawkins states his opinion that that religious upbringing is child abuse and supports it with evidence from a few individual victims. This has no statistical significance. As he promotes the use of science to validate hypothesises, I would welcome a scientific study affirming Dawkins's hypothesis. I found one that is a very closely related study that has in fact been carried out in 2002 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the report is here: www.youthandreligion.org...

- Con

[edit on 20-2-2008 by Conspiriology]

In Arizona, we call that kind of thing "Home Invasion" and they would be lucky if they didn't get a bullet in the face for doing that.

Man that's crazy if they did that.

- Con

reply to post by Conspiriology

---

I still have no idea who Sam Harris is (*shuffles off to Google*), but I confess to being a supporter of Dawkins. Incidentally I have read nothing in Dawkins' work on religion that I had not considered myself, he simply puts it far more eloquently than I. I started off with The Selfish Gene and The Blind Watchmaker out of an idle interest in Biology and made my way on from there, I was an atheist before I read Dawkins. I have also read Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes and Life a rebuttal of Dawkins' works by Alister McGrath and found it less than satisfactory. I have even dabbled with The Bible.

What is notable from my education is that religion always told me what the score was and gave me no room for discussion; at school, however, we were given the facts and the opportunity for discussion, not everyone in my school agreed with the theory of evolution and none of us were told that it was "gospel", to use an appropriate analogy. Given the opportunity for open discussion I came down on the side of evolution as did the great majority of my peers. Religion never attempted to give me choice one way or the other.

*Returns to Google* Aaaaaah, Sam Harris! I have been meaning to read Letter to a Christian Nation for a while, but I couldn't remember who the author was...

The "extremist Christians" are not in any way carrying "God's word" and is it not notable that both the featured fathers in the TV series were ex criminals who had allegedly served prison sentences?

I believe everyone has the right to any belief system they choose, but just don't force it down the neck of others! People who knock on my door preaching at me (like Jehovas Witnesses) get the door shut in their faces - THAT is "home invasion"!

Exploiting children to do their dirty work is as one poster said "SICK".

Ross

Well I have to say this about you,, you are by far the nicest atheist on these boards. Yes I admire Dawkins eloquent command of the language and absolutley love his sense of humor. I like making fun of him as much as he does lol.

Like this


image source: http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m126/junesoft/evolution.jpg




[edit on 20-2-2008 by Conspiriology]

The key word being,,
"allegedly" If you are like most of us who respect the rule of law,, then they are worthy of due process just like they were innocent.




Then why are you being dishonest? didn't you JUST SAY





Not quite,, more like soliciting. As for forcing it down your neck, I think that is being discussed in another thread about water boarding and Torure.

The embellishment is a clever touch but only if you want to be seen as a lunatic and I am certain that is not your intent.



What was so dirty? I still have not seen the article or what ever it is.

- Con

Have you actually SEEN this show Con?

Your comments seem to show that you haven't as you are spending more time pulling quotes from me out, and criticising them rather than addressing the issues of concern - namely WHY kids are being exploited by these Christian extremists (because that's what they were SHOWN to be on the programme). Only when the kids are old enough to CHOOSE for themselves, should they be allowed to preach their chosen beliefs, not forced into it at the age of 7.

As a Father myself I felt tears in my own eyes when I saw the 7 year old child crying on a New York Street because he and his father were being verbally abused, after he was forced to "preach" hell and damnation to passing by new Yorkers.

So Con - watch the show, take it on its merit and then ask yourself whether you endorse kids being USED in this way.

Ross

No Ross, that's what I am trying to tell you, I have no idea what its called, what channel it was on, or what News Paper it was in moreover it is customary that when you make a thread with such extraordinary headlines, the onus is on you to provide proof to substantiate your claim.

If what you are saying is true, I am certain you would have me in total agreement. You also have to understand that there is a lot of bunk on these boards. I would be re-miss in my personal responsibility for bias and impartial commentary if I just took everyones word for such things.

Ok?

- Con

I don't believe in pushing your child to preach to adults (especially those who aren't in church)
Some children want to preach.
I think the Rev. Al Sharpton preached at 7 or9 years old!

[edit on 22-2-2008 by Clearskies]

The pendulum will inevitably swing in the other direction.

Children who are pushed the hardest against their will, will exert their will later in life to resist that very fundamentalism/extremism.

IMHO, the reason why atheism is growing amongst today's population is because of the oppression exerted by their elders at an age when they cannot and/or are not permitted to express themselves.