Is teaching religion child abuse?

I am not talking about religion being taught in public schools!I am asking,do
you believe, teaching children about religion,is a form of child abuse? If your
answer is yes,I would like for you to explain why.
There are so many atheists screaming about children being brainwashed by
religion.Why are atheists afraid of a subject they deem to be nothing but fairy
tales and myths? What harm could there be in telling children stories of Jesus,
or any other religious figure?
Here is your chance to voice your opinion.Is teaching children about religion
child abuse?

reply to post by mamabeth

What harm could there be in telling children stories of Jesus, or any other religious figure?

I believe there is not any harm in telling children stories of Religious figures, so long as those stories are balanced. By balanced, I mean teaching children that there are many different beliefs in this world of ours, some very similar and some very different. If a child is exposed to a wide array and allowed to grow and develop and make up their own mind than I see it as educational. I respect that others believe differently than I and I will hold others to that same respect for me.

Here is your chance to voice your opinion.

Why did you not voice your own?


[edit on 4-1-2010 by LadySkadi]

The difference in thought between a atheist and a person of religion is not something you can really grasp until you become one. From some atheist view point teaching religion is the same as people getting mad at someone for teaching their kids Barny is the all powerful lord and you must do everything for him. To some atheist since there is no god he is the same as any made up figure

noone can prove or disprove anything in that respect.... so
is teaching no religion child abuse ?

I don't believe at all that teaching children religion is child abuse. That is possibly the silliest argument I have ever heard!

There is nothing wrong about teaching anybody anything! It is not about what knowledge is being taught, but what knowledge is being practiced. There is nothing wrong about teaching your children about drugs and drug abuse? How would they know about it and how to deal with it if they had never been taught about it?

Forcing your child to participate in religious activities, or to force them to believe in something against their will is a different story however.

That is abuse in my books.

[edit on 4/1/1010 by Monts]

I can't really say it is child abuse but I do think its not the fair thing to do.
Why is it not a fair thing to do to a child??
The child is in development stages of his life so therefore he is being guided and told how things are as opposed to waiting til the child is an adult and using his own brain to make his decision.

If the child has never heard of religion before then when he gets to the age of reason he will have an unfertilized brain to make his decision with.

Most adults i know questioned it as an adult...the child can do the same without influence if we leave them alone until they are older.

They will still know right and wrong and that should be taught instead.

Now...a question for you.
Why would someone put something as precious as your childs soul in the hands of an aquaintence like a pastor or priest instead of in the hands of your own child.


[edit on 4-1-2010 by DrumsRfun]

[edit on 4-1-2010 by DrumsRfun]

reply to post by mamabeth


As a self-proclaimed agnostic I say no. I grew up Catholic and while I do not believe in the BS I see nothing wrong with teaching religion. Hey I even did the teaching/babysitting for my parish's pre-k sunday school. Even then [I was 17] I saw nothing more than a attempt to try and instill some good to the kids. Teaching things like god loves everybody, the Ten Commandments, etc. Religion is a personal choice, but when you are a child you are too young to make that choice. So if you have a religious family, you tend to receive instruction in your families faith[s]. The watered down things they teach boil down to things everyone should do. Taking out God in the commandments, what is so bad about them? As a Catholic once you make your confirmation you are an adult in the church's eye. That was when I made my choice based on my own learning and ego.

Atheist have taken a stance that anyone who is religious does not get to openly display it. Why is that? That actually is defeating the whole freedom of religion that we have in the US. "Back in the day" prayer was a part of day to day life, even in school, if you didn't want to partake you didn't. Considering how society is today I think that the atheist crusade against religion does more harm than good.

Originally posted by mamabeth
IWhy are atheists afraid of a subject they deem to be nothing but fairy
tales and myths? What harm could there be in telling children stories of Jesus,
or any other religious figure?

The story of Jesus is almost never presented as a fairy tale or myth, but something very real - often including tales of hell and so forth. Lying to children and filling their heads with convoluted concepts and tales of a hell is mental abuse. I've known too many people whose lives and mental states were disrupted by zealous parents inculcating their children with religious hogslop and still reel from the effects far into adulthood.

Lets say the religion you believe in turns out to be the right one, then might I ask, is it not child abuse if you deny your child the chance of salvation?

reply to post by mamabeth

If your
answer is yes,I would like for you to explain why.

How 'bout you explain your stance before demanding it of others..? Or, did you have an agenda not yet talked about..?

It is not child abuse to teach a child a particular religious dogma no more than it is child abuse to teach a child that there is a Santa Claus and Tooth Fairy, that the sky is not blue, or that one day their prince will come and save them and they'll live happily ever after.

If one wants their child to respect them and continue to respect them as they grow older and more knowledgeable of the world around them, then they will teach their children many different view points with honesty. If a parent teaches their child that Disney movies are true, and that one day their prince will come and rescue them and they'll live happily ever after, then all that parent is doing is ensuring that their child will grow up to be disappointed, jaded and cynical (and most likely resentful towards them for filling their head with unreasonable expectations for life). If a parent raises a child to subscribe to the same faithful convictions they do, then all that they will ultimately ensure is that their child will reject those beliefs when they are older and discover differing points of view from your own.

I personally teach my daughter to discover the world for herself and come to her own conclusions. I have raised her to be a moral person, and to be respectful and tolerant towards everyone. She is free to explore any or every religious belief, or free to denounce them all and become an atheist if she so chooses, and regardless of what she decides, she can count on me both questioning her for her choices, as well as respecting her choices and freedom to choose for herself.

However, that's no better nor worse than a parent a who chooses to raise their child as a devout Catholic or Fundamentalist Xtian, or even a Muslim or Hindi.

However, I do think you get into some distinctly Grey Areas when it comes to denying children inalienable rights under the guise of Religion. If a child is dying and you refuse them medical care under "Religious Belief", then that is treading into Child Abuse territory. However, teaching a child about your religion, or about other religions, is perfectly acceptable, and should be encouraged.

Originally posted by pilot70
noone can prove or disprove anything in that respect.... so
is teaching no religion child abuse ?

Almost all religions can be disproved. It's the god or gods supposedly behind them that cant.

Yes, its abuse, when taught as fact and not as story.

reply to post by Monts


In your opinion,this thread is silly,I've seen worse! A thread, I was on earlier,inspired this thread.One poster made a comment that taking a
child to church was child abuse.

The documentary 'Jesus Camp' gives a firm yes to this question.

Teaching children about different religions is not child abuse.

HOWEVER...

FORCING a religion on children IS child abuse.

Child abuse, probably not.

Now, is it right to force a parents belief on the child? NO. How can the child have an open mind and form their OWN beliefs if the parents keep the child's mind narrow?

As a side note, I find it amusing that religious parents frown upon children having "imaginary friends" when, all the while, these same parents are praying to their "imaginary friend".

Just my 2-cents

[edit on 4-1-2010 by Aggie Man]

Whatever the case. a kid can believe in religion when they are a kid.

As adults they will separate naturally into agnostics, gnostics and atheists according to their own conclusiions and limits to what they will buy as fact.
My own family were not strong religiously but I went to Sunday school and church afterwards, I believed when I was young and glad I did.

But as an adult I started asking questions and looking and got no real answers and my logic went into overdrive.

I am now agnostic leaning mostly to atheism.

If it can be considered brainwashing, it can be reversed, but those who are not very analytical or inquisitive their beliefs can be overly fundamentalist, some of those people are scary and self righteous. Most people being average, have beliefs that are quite socially tolerable.

Brainwashing?
Depends on the individual.

You can teach your kid to be a freaking genius...

Or you can teach him to be a loving religious husband/wife that always looks up for the answer.

reply to post by happygolucky


I just wanted to give others a chance to voice their opinion on the subject.
They have to explain why they feel that way.I don't have a hidden agenda.

reply to post by mamabeth

They have to explain why they feel that way

Interesting choice of words...