Is it fair to brainwash religion in to kids?

[morbidenigma]

IMHO its a form of pyschological abuse

opinions people?

[M Dogg™]

Depends on what you mean. I was raised Catholic, maybe the greatest offender of what you consider pyschological abuse, yet I saw no form of brainwashing. People are religious, and they want to spread their religion to their kids. Now my wife, she was also raised Catholic, but due to the way it was ingrained into her, she left he church for a while, and now is basically Catholic in name only. Her more harsh background has made her resent the church were my more spiritual upbringing has kept me more likely to stay. Each parent wants to raise their kid in their religion. If you go to church, each Catholic mass ends with, spread the world of god... which basically saying tell you neighbors, random people, be a preacher, so of course these people are going to spread their religion to their kids.

I never thought of teaching your kids religion was bad, I do think that it can be abusive and in those cases we have to have a system that looks into it. It's downright scary the way some of these religious camps take these kids and brainwash them. It's a way of keeping the conservative base of the country intact for the next generation, and if you are doing this in mass, then it has to be investigated. This is an attempt to brainwash people in large numbers, and these people never even learn the choices they have in life.

[Elevz]

Fair? Who's talking about fair? What's fair? Would it be fair to teach kids about science, as if that's not another paradigm - albeit a more "reasonable" one? If you wanted to play it fair and honest with young children, you'd have to start by telling them nothing's ever certain - not science, and certainly not religion. That would surely be a nice way to psychologically break them. Kids need desperately need context when they grow up. Grown ups can't do without either. A frame to use, so they can explore the world and make it their own. When you're young and you don't know anything, that's precisely what you need. Something to rely on, and to explain things.

It would be a true psychological horror for kids to start off as nihilists. Such children wouldn't have a chance to develop an identity or even any self-esteem. They would most likely die the first time they entered the street on their own. A truck is approaching? So what. Trucks don't exist, I don't exist, maybe that's not even a truck that's approaching. I might just sit here and see what happens. But even then, how can I ever know that what I think is happening really is happening?
You see how ridiculous such thoughts are, and how confusing they would be for a young child (not that they'd grasp any of it). For the sake of one's psychological wellbeing, everyone needs a paradigm to make sense of the world. You can't escape that. Kids need to be handed a paradigm.

Now whether that would be an atheist paradigm, preaching the values of science, objectivism, humanism, socialism, whatsoever, or any sort of religion on the other hand, that's merely a matter of taste. I'd personally say kids being raised into socialists is a far worse type of psychological abuse than kids being raised into Christians. What's worse: the thought of yourself as an individual being of no importance, not even to your own life, or the thought of being created by the ultimate goodness who ultimately hates you for something Adam and Eve did thousands of years ago, yet he does listen to and care about the prayers of you as an individual...? I'd say religion is the less cruel option there; the point is that religion is more stubborn because socialism is relatively new and has never been absolutely dominating. There has always been a reasonable doubt surrounding political paradigmas, whereas religion "is, because it is". From that perspective, religion might be more cruel to be raised in, because there's hardly any escaping it once you've really grown up in it. All doubts are taken away from you, which ultimately leads you into being a mindless follower. Religion numbs. Is that a horror worse than socialism's denial of the individual's existence?

[The King]

Religion is a form of brainwashing. Just think, you're parents before you were born determine whether you'll be religious or not. As a growing kid, your church, your parents, tell you God exists, the Bible is true, and faith is important. Before you you develop any reference frame in life, or any mental capacity, people tell you what to believe. You don't doubt them because you're not smart enough too, nor is their any reason to doubt it. Jesus walking on water makes a lot more sense when you're 5 years old. People tell you what you should think, and your growing brain is then directed into a certain way of thinking. The very point that, religion is taught to you at a young age, is brainwashing at it's purest form. If you're parents tell you God created all life, then 15 years later a teacher tells you life evolved, you'd be more inclined to believe the former. The other thing I greatly disagree with his the redundancy of religion, Muslims have their God, Christians their own God, and which God you believe in only matters in which country you happen to be born in (for the most part).

Science is fact. A teacher will tell you that the continents move around as plates. Maybe you believe it, maybe you don't. So then you can go out to the ocean and measure it, see it, look at the evidence. Science promotes skepticism and debate. You shouldn't believe everything a scientist tells you. But the great thing is, if you don't believe it, you can go out and find the facts, make up your own mind. It can be proven to you. People tell you God exists, but how do you know? You can't see him, theirs no evidence of him, nothing in our lifetimes will give evidence of him existing. Religion being taught to people before science, biases them towards faith over fact. Creationists really piss me off. What the hell is a fossil? How the hell was the earth created 6000 years ago? It's fucking insane.

Religion isn't the source for all morality in this world. You're parents can teach you whats right or wrong, evil or good without God. It seems more of an excuse, be good, and you will go to heaven. And if you're bad, well, as long as you feel bad about it, you'll still go to heaven. I have a much greater respect for Islam then Christianity for example, because Islam is you're life, you follow it to the point, it tells you how to live. Christianity, in my experience with these people, is casual, a convenience. If I want to lie and swear and sleep with this 15 year old, I will. But when my brother is dieing in the hospital, I pray for God (not me specifically).  When religion is inconvenient, you ignore it. Most Muslims I know won't even eat an oreo cookie, or eat a hamburger, or even go into a restaurant where people are drinking alcohol. That's a dedication. Most Christians I know drink and drive.

It would be a true psychological horror for kids to start off as nihilists.

Nihilism isn't that extreme. They don't believe "nothing" exists, they just believe the human race, and our actions towards each other, are unimportant. Which is something I agree with. We are just another species, like a fern, or a fish. Our emotions are just chemical reactions, everything is just atoms rubbing together. Is the human race that important? Society says we are. But religious people tend to over exaggerate the importance of human life. That's what the Bible says. Human's have a dominion over all other species. Why is some fetus more important then a tree? Because we have feelings? Humans are a very selfish race towards nature. I don't believe every life is precious, but I do believe every life is equal.

Children should be taught to think for themselves, be skeptics, develop common sense through facts. Saying God created it, God did it, God's way, is all excuses for a lack of a functioning mind. It's a lot easier to say God did it, then to take the time and get an education. It's not good for society. Isn't being against gay-marriage discrimination? Weren't the slave owners 100 years ago religious as well? The values or morality liberals adhere to IMO are better for society. Why do people need to think their important to live a happy life? Why can't someone believe in society over themselves? Too many people have the attitude, this is my life, I'll do what makes me happy. Isn't that selfish? Shouldn't a person strive to do whats better for the population over the individual?

[Sikotic™]

It does fuck up kids. They're entire logic is surrounded by religious beliefs. I know so many people who have religious practices, and when I ask them why they do it, they can't even answer why. They do it just because they have done it their entire life. I know kids who are subjected to strict religious practices who are awkward and damaged for the rest of their lives, unable to be fully productive in society.

I don't have kids, so I can't speak on how I would approach the idea of religion with them. However, I probably wouldn't force them to become dependent on a certain religion emotionally. I would hope they could become strong individuals on their own without depending on the drug known as religion.

[pootypooty]

The better question is, is it fair to brainwash culture into kids?

[M Dogg™]

Fair? Who's talking about fair? What's fair? Would it be fair to teach kids about science, as if that's not another paradigm - albeit a more "reasonable" one? If you wanted to play it fair and honest with young children, you'd have to start by telling them nothing's ever certain - not science, and certainly not religion. That would surely be a nice way to psychologically break them. Kids need desperately need context when they grow up. Grown ups can't do without either. A frame to use, so they can explore the world and make it their own. When you're young and you don't know anything, that's precisely what you need. Something to rely on, and to explain things.

It would be a true psychological horror for kids to start off as nihilists. Such children wouldn't have a chance to develop an identity or even any self-esteem. They would most likely die the first time they entered the street on their own. A truck is approaching? So what. Trucks don't exist, I don't exist, maybe that's not even a truck that's approaching. I might just sit here and see what happens. But even then, how can I ever know that what I think is happening really is happening?
You see how ridiculous such thoughts are, and how confusing they would be for a young child (not that they'd grasp any of it). For the sake of one's psychological wellbeing, everyone needs a paradigm to make sense of the world. You can't escape that. Kids need to be handed a paradigm.

Now whether that would be an atheist paradigm, preaching the values of science, objectivism, humanism, socialism, whatsoever, or any sort of religion on the other hand, that's merely a matter of taste. I'd personally say kids being raised into socialists is a far worse type of psychological abuse than kids being raised into Christians. What's worse: the thought of yourself as an individual being of no importance, not even to your own life, or the thought of being created by the ultimate goodness who ultimately hates you for something Adam and Eve did thousands of years ago, yet he does listen to and care about the prayers of you as an individual...? I'd say religion is the less cruel option there; the point is that religion is more stubborn because socialism is relatively new and has never been absolutely dominating. There has always been a reasonable doubt surrounding political paradigmas, whereas religion "is, because it is". From that perspective, religion might be more cruel to be raised in, because there's hardly any escaping it once you've really grown up in it. All doubts are taken away from you, which ultimately leads you into being a mindless follower. Religion numbs. Is that a horror worse than socialism's denial of the individual's existence?

 

is that you Elvez???

The better question is, is it fair to brainwash culture into kids?

yes... lol.... my son will be named Emiliano so what you think my opinion is... lol.

[S P I C E]

NO ITS NOT FAIR!!  IT'S FLAT OUT ABUSE!!

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

Hell no it isnt fair. Id rather believe in Santa Clause. At least that muthafucka brought gifts...sometimes...

[jeromechickenbone]

I say hell no it shouldn't happen, but I also say that parents have the right to raise their children how they see fit.

I was raised catholic but I'm agnostic now.  I hate Church - just a bunch of fake ass, gossiping ass, show off your new clothes, bullshit. 

[M Dogg™]

I say hell no it shouldn't happen, but I also say that parents have the right to raise their children how they see fit.

I was raised catholic but I'm agnostic now.  I hate Church - just a bunch of fake ass, gossiping ass, show off your new clothes, bullshit. 

damn... my Catholic church just had a bunch of kids running around... though I miss all them fly ass Mexican girls in their skits.... the main reason why I drove my grandma to church every Sunday.

[pootypooty]

^^ Yeah, ex-Catholic here too. My family are still devout Catholics though. I always hated going to church and questioned a lot of things while growing up. So from the get-go, my bullshit detector was in full force as a young 'en.  I consider myself agnostic now. On top of that, I have a B.A. in Religion & Sociology, so I'm well equipped when it comes to debating these religious fundamentalists.

I have no problem with people having their religion and faith and all that, but please don't try and convince me that I should believe like you. I don't go around spreading my shit, so don't go around spreading yours.

[Elevz]

[...]

 

is that you Elvez???

Yes?

[Teddy Roosevelt]

Is it fair to brainwash anything to anyone?