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To teach children that only the religion that is practised by their parents is the only truth is
tantamount to child-abuse in modern-day society.
Children shouldn't have any religion forced upon them until they are old enough to understand what
the consequences of following a particular religion are and whether they want to be involved in it
at all. Hence the teaching of atheism in the classroom gives children the choice.
In many ways it is more important that atheism should be taught more seriously than religion as we
now find ourselves in the 21st century, with science making astounding leaps in all subjects like
technology and medicine etc. We shouldn't be trapping children's minds and imagination in the
ignorance of the past. We should be endeavouring to give them every possible chance to see the world
with a completely open mind, free from belief systems based on ancient myths and legends.
It is vital that if we are ever to pull ourselves out of the mire of religious extremism, and the
terrible effect this has on so many people's lives, we must stop brainwashing the next generation
into believing fairy-tales and get them to believe in fact. |
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If you are going to teach religion, you should teach them all and then explain to the child why you
believe what you do, that way the child has a view of all sides |
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Instead of saying god is real. Say something more like i believe in god and tell the kid about what
nonbelievers think and you think so they can decide for them selves. |
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Not if you teach it to them from a neutral point of view (teach what the religion believes instead
of stating it as a fact) but what parents do that?
Most parents tell their children what they believe as if it was absolute fact, and the child grows
up believing that if they don't follow the same religion they will face eternal torment in hell.
Because of this, billions of people dictate their lives based on their parents' religon. Many of
them are unhappy this way but believe it is necessary, therefore their parents are responsible for
contributing to their general unhappiness throughout life. |
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Yes it should. Just like you don't teach your child 2+2=343, or you don't teach them that McDonald's
is healthy food. Science is no different. Just because your an idiot, your don't have the right to
teach your child something false. |
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I totally agree! Children shouldn't be corrupted before they can even make their own opinions! |
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I have to agree, along with dawkins. Certainly abuse. Since when are children under 6 months being
baptized able to understand the religion that they are being forced into? It's not fair to that kid
and parents should really start thinking about the damage this can do to kids once they grow
up....speaking from experience. Let your kids have a mind of their own please! |
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Telling a child that if they don't do as the bible says they will burn in hell for all eternity is
certainly abuse. |
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Not just child abuse. Pedophilia.
There are two reasons the religious insist on inflicting their beliefs on children:
(1) Children can't defend themselves.
(2) Like cigarette companies, if you don't get to the kids when they're young, you'll never get to
them.
Adults who have never been molested by religion as children have the mental faculties to fight off
being raped by religions. |
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 K9  27 Apr 2008 16:09
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Hidell--
"It's clear that the vast majority of people worldwide adhere to the religion their parents brought
them up in"
I assume you were raised in an atheist family, then. If not, why are you the self-exception to your
generalization?
I don't think you realize what you are proposing. But, if you want to run with it, I would propose
a "scientific study" where a large group of children are raised in absolute secular homes and
environments, that is the children can only be exposed to teachings, lessons, behaviors that are not
based on Christian worldviews. Such as no God, no ten commandments, no teachings of Christ, etc.
Then have a very similar group of children that are raised in fundamental Christian homes. Then as
the children grow into adults, see how they develop socially, morally, intellectually, relationally,
and so on. See if there is a statistically significant difference in the two groups.
Claiming religious teachings the same as child abuse is unsupportable and outrageous. |
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I am going to be serious for a moment because this is a debate that I have considered starting
myself.
It is completely abuse. It is brainwashing. Though I cannot agree it is as bad as kiddie fiddling
or physical abuse.
A child has an inbuilt condition to believe their elders. For one so young to continually trust
what they have been told/shown is vital to survive throughout the animal kingdom. Kids are
automatically trusting. To abuse this by feeding them religious nonsense from the moment they are
born is shameful.
This is why the term Muslim child or Christian baby is wrong. How have children had the
opportunity to make that decision. If it were not brainwashing why would virtually all Christian
parents have Christian children, same for Muslims, Jews, Hindus etc.
To any of you who disagree, how is it possible that kids believe in Father Christmas/ Santa (sorry
I'm trumpet to break it to you like this but it is really your parents)?
I was 11 before i was brave enough to question god's existence and I never had it banged into me
like some.
Brainwashing is abuse. |
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It's clear that the vast majority of people worldwide adhere to the religion their parents brought
them up in. They were brainwashed by their parents at an age when they were intellectually
defenceless. Because they lacked awareness of other competing belief systems, such as other
religions or even, dare I say it, atheism, their choice was not a free one. Until they reached
maturity, they were dependent on their parents for material sustenance. Therefore they were
effectively compelled to adopt their parents' belief systems. By the time they reach the age of
independence, the brainwashing process has been so thorough that, in many cases, they will go on
practising the religion of their own accord.
It's clear that these children have been intellectually abused, and this intellectual abuse is just
as shameful as the practice of physical abuse or paedophilia.
Therefore teaching religious beliefs to a child should be banned and social services staff should be
instructed to intervene as necessary to preserve childhood innocence, just as they do in cases of
physical abuse.
This may seem like an anti-religious measure but it really is not. Enlightened religious believers
should support this suggestion. At the age of maturity which could be, say, 16 or 18 years, it would
create a vigorous free market in religious beliefs as the newly-anointed adults became free to
choose their own religion.
There are many religious factions. If you, as a religious believer, think that your faction holds
the keys to absolute truth, you should believe that it can compete successfully in a religious free
market. It may even do better than it did before. Only if you fear the strong competition of ideas
should you be in favour of the current, closed-shop style system of religious adoption. |
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It may be brainwash but i don't consider it abuse. I'm not really sure how people commonly view the
relationship between brainwash and abuse, maybe its the same thing. |
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My mom aloud me to experience different religions. She 's a strong christian, so she suggested I try
her's first. I have tried her's and looked into many others and decided for myself at the age of
twelve which religion I wanted. She did it because she didn't want me to have any doubts in the
faith I had chosen to follow. I believe parents should be that way, give their kid's the right to
choose and if you raised them knowing right from wrong, their choice would be a good one. |
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Funny, funny, funny.
Heck, the conservative morons make it difficult for me to play on-line poker, now the liberal morons
are gonna spend billions figuring out what is religious.
Conservatives and liberals should be arrested, sent to "how to think without being hysterical"
school and names placed on the National Morons List. |
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No I disagree. Some people might take offense.
I think you underestimate children. They are far more discerning than you are giving them credit
for. Have you raised any children?
Child abuse. That takes the biscuit! |
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Wow... Where to begin...
Religion, as viewed to the world, is a choice of faith. What this faith is in is up to the
individual. Now your religion holds the same values and cost as your other choices- what to wear,
your attitude, etc. A parent who teaches religion to a child is no different than a parent teaching
their child manners. Now if one religion is correct or if one is not could be fought over for years
with no answer in sight. I am no way saying that any religion is false or one is true, although I do
stand firm with one faith, but instead I'm saying that religion is matched up with every-day
choices, beliefs, and actions. It is a parent's choice to teach their kid what their own faith is,
rather that faith be proven true or false when (or if) such a time ever comes that it would be
exposed.
My apologizes if that was just a jumble of words, I haven't posted here in months =P |
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Teaching a child religion, no. Brainwashing yes, but that's why I oppose cults. I was raised in an
atheist family with a clear Jewish religion being taught to me. My parents got me to 1 | | |
