Is religious indoctrination of children a form of child abuse ?

ascarta2

its brainwashing

Michael B

Great question and should upset a few people.
I guess it could be if left alone with a priest. And we all know it happens. Sorry its a cheap shot at the church but truth hurts.
If you choose to have your children pray to their imaginary friend and fill there heads with half truths and fear then maybe it is.

Rance D

I don't think it's a form of abuse. Many people just consider it as part of a child's upbringing. It is an attempt to indoctrinate the child into a system of ethics that they wish the child to adopt. The only really problem with this is that the child is raised with blinders on. They are taught that there is only one way to speak, one way to see, one way to hear, one way to think, one way to live. In doing so the child is closed off from the "bigger picture." Unfortunately this often leads to a very bigoted view.

Mesa P

Perhaps, but there must be some basic moral tenants or the child will not know right from wrong. In the U.S., we've opted to allow this type of moral imprinting to be handled by the parents.

It isn't difficult to say that this is a better method when comparing this system to governmentally provided indoctrination, which is the alternative.

Keep in mind that this issue can cut both ways, criminalizing indoctrination would also prevent you from passing down your own values to your children

Primrose

I think so.
I think all religion is basically inherited from one generation to the next.
Let's face it.
If President Bush had been born in Iraq... to Iraqi parents, within an Iraqi community, with Iraqi relatives....he would have been raised as a follower of the Koran and thought Allah was the ONE and only.
The two words that scare religious communities throughout the world are:
Free Thinkers.

ZynyxL

No, religion is a good thing. It is a tool we have created to help us deal with what we don't and may never know. A person without religion will go through life asking impertanent questions that have no real bearing on their current path in life. Religion is not meant to decieve you, it is the people manipulating religion that are deceiving you. Jesus is good, Mohammud is good, any religion is good.

Roadrunner58-79

NO!!!

lil_lemon_honey

sure, if you think wanting your children to lead moral lives and go to heaven is abuse.

kathy059

What, are you one of those who also thinks telling a child "NO" damages their psyche too?

sprcpt

yes, but unfortunately it is not prosecutable unless the existence of the religion in question pisses off enough Christians, then it's called a cult. But that is just the pot calling the kettle black.

jyd9999

yup

Veteran Garfield

Ben s says it all! What are you thinking?

1,1,2,3,3,4, 5,5,6,6,6, 8,8,8,10

What is religion and what is indoctrination? If by religion, you mean the world view of the person, then we have no choice but to teach our children this! It would be suicide for a society not to teach the children what it knows about the world.

ben s

oh, for the love of god

BECKBY

Religious indoctrine may be if it is one that rapes and brainwashes it's kids or makes a kid not be able to think for himself due to prosecution by his church or fear of the law. Christianity is for believers of God and there isn't brainwashing going on there. Christians believe in everyone making a choice for themselves because God allows us to make choices.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: