Posted on 01/03/2008 8:41:55 AM PST by Mr. Silverback
In his book, The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins argues that religious belief is—what else?—delusional. He mocks the irrationality of believing in something that you cannot subject to scientific scrutiny; he rails against the so-called “immorality” of the Bible, like the sanctioning of slavery—untrue—and the alleged way that religion, especially Christianity, stands in the way of scientific progress—also untrue.
Just in case his readers are not convinced, however, he then pulls out the really big gun: Religious belief is a kind of child abuse.
By “child abuse” Dawkins is not, at least not principally, referring to the scandals involving sexual misconduct by Catholic priests. He means that teaching a child about Christianity can damage them psychologically and emotionally.
According to Dawkins, however “odious” sexual abuse is, he “suspect[s] that it may do them less lasting damage than the mental abuse of bringing them up Catholic in the first place.”
The “mental abuse” Dawkins refers to is the result of teaching children that nonbelievers will spend eternity in Hell. Dawkins calls this doctrine “an extreme threat of violence and pain” and “mental terrorism.” He rhetorically asks, “If you can sue for the long-term mental damage caused by physical child abuse, why should you not sue for the long-term mental damage caused by mental child abuse?”
Obviously, what Dawkins writes about Catholicism is equally true about any Christian tradition whose teaching is grounded in Scripture.
Dawkins’s accusations of child abuse are so absurd that it is hard to take them seriously. But someone will, so it is important to correct the record.
Yes, Christianity teaches that there is a Hell and that the unrepentant wicked will spend eternity there. But it also teaches that through His death and resurrection, Jesus freed those who believe in Him from that fate. To leave Jesus’ saving work out of any discussion of Hell is a distortion of Christian teaching.
What is also unfair is to criticize Christianity for its teachings on the afterlife without discussing the atheistic alternative presumably preferred by Dawkins and the other “new Atheists”: that is, when we die, we become worm food, and the universe soon forgets that we ever existed.
Now, that’s the stuff of real childhood nightmares! The idea that there is nothing beyond the grave is the stuff of countless anxieties. And, as Dostoevsky wrote, without belief in a God who judges us, human evil goes unchecked—that is, there is no justice.
In addition, Dawkins’s account of the effects of religion on children is, to put it mildly, incomplete. Surely, there is more to religion and children than teaching them about Hell.
There certainly is: Sociologists Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton studied the impact of religious practice on American teenagers. They found kids who were described as “devoted” or “regular” participants in religious activities did better than their un-churched counterparts. They did better at school; they were more active in the community; and, contrary to what Dawkins says, they scored higher on measures of “emotional well-being.”
In other words, Dawkins is completely wrong about the impact of faith on our kids—so wrong that, if he were consistent, he really might call atheism a form of “child abuse.”
I guess to get my point across succinctly I need to be as blunt as Dawkins here: If there's no Hell, God is a spiritual rapist. So, if one teaches a child that God is not a rapist, that's child abuse in Dawkins' world.
Yeah, he's so much brighter than me, I just feel ashamed thinking about it. Yeesh.
There are links to further information at the source document.
If anyone wants on or off my Chuck Colson/BreakPoint Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.
BreakPoint/Chuck Colson Ping!
If anyone wants on or off my Chuck Colson/BreakPoint Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.
The tools provided to the lefties by the righteous right will now be used against the righteous right. Nope, didn’t see that coming at all!
People who believe in Science have their own religion. It starts by accepting on FAITH that the universe is rational and can be explained. Therefore, there is no room for miracles in the mind of the true believer of Science.
And as with all zealots, if others believe differently, they are “irrational” at best and at worst, are heretics and deserve death.
Not any more abuse to a child than the public school systems, is it?
I subsequently read an interview with Summerhill graduates. They were not doing very well. One said he "mostly just listened to music." Of course, in a welfare state like Britain, this is a viable life style.
I like and accept science while holding on to my faith.
I'm curious how Colson arrives at this remarkable conclusion. The Bible, particularly the OT but also the NT, takes slavery very much for granted as a part of life.
It doesn't order people to practice it, but it never once implies that they shouldn't.
The concepts of human dignity and equality that eventually led to the end of slavery are embedded in the Bible, but it seems pretty clear that those living at the time didn't make the connection.
I visited with a friend of mine the other day...her son has a record now because he was attacked by four boys at a public high school and he was charged with disorderly conduct because he hit them back. The principal told her she should spend the time he was suspended teaching him not to fight back in such a situation.
The Bible contains prescriptions for divorce as well, but God also says He hates divorce and Jesus said in one of the Gospels that a man who divorces his wife for any reason but adultery is himself an adulterer if he remarries. But never once does it say, "Never, ever get divorced."
By your standard, God sanctions divorce.
IMHO,
Religion it’s self isn’t abusive,
it’s how it’s taught and delivered to the child....
One of the most evil events branded in my brain as a teenager I was sitting next to a pregnant woman and her 11 year old daughter (They were trying to convert me from my ‘moderate’ church to their non-denominational-super-duper-yer-all-goin’tahell-brand).
She said “I know that if this baby is born and dies two minutes later, SNAP! it’s going straight to hell! Same with my daughter here. If she dies right now, she’s hellbound.” (all this was about a discussion of infant versus adult baptism and if you didn’t get it in time, well just too damn bad). I remember looking at that little girl and seeing real fear.
Granted, I was old enough and hardened enough to know that the only Satan in the room was that woman ;) Monsters walk and even carry babies.
So yeah, any religion can be harmful to a child if taught with an angry or hatefilled heart.
It’s only abuse when the religion is one you cannot tolerate...
I see your point, and agree to some extent. Of course, the funny thing about Dawkins is that he would consider that woman an abuser if she had said "God is love, and he wants every person to go to Heaven and avoid Hell."
Wow. The idea that that is a good form of education for the general population is insane. There are very few children who would do well in such an enviroment - I might have, but I wasn’t normal, as I spent my high school career taking twice as many science courses as I needed and trying to teach myself Latin just for the heck of it. The average kid would likely mostly bum around and goof off. Although I like the idea of the tech and art rooms being ‘drop-in’ - those rooms at my high school were very much like that. During your study hall or lunch periods, you could just come in and work on you projects even if a class was in session as long as you didn’t disturb the class or use any of the supplies/equipment they were using.
I think the first part of the sentence is enough..... talking to a child about hell can at first terrorize them, and then honestly after a while....they can’t process much more fear.
So yeah, parents who threaten their child with a God that will make them burn in hell forever ESPECIALLY after saying “He loves you-— but he’ll hurt you too!” doesn’t make that God seem like a good being that you can trust....not only are their parents after them, but the big mean God upstairs will get them.
They just sorta accept their fate and say “WTF can you do to me any worse than what’s gonna happen.” And you have a reverse effect of what you (the parent) have hoped for.... a child that is numb.
Again, it’s all in the attitude.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but by that standard telling a child that if they get hurt paramedics will help them is too traumatic. God doesn't send people to Hell, He rescues them from Hell.
I understand what you’re saying, I’m trying to say that some folks don’t deliver the message as intended to the point its abusive, traumatic and simply wrong.
That’s all.
—were you taught differently? If so, lucky you.
P.S. Maybe not the infant, but if you can walk, talk and sin, game over.
Saint Augustine said: “If you wish to be a Catholic, do not believe, nor say, nor teach, that infants who die before baptism can obtain the remission of original sin.” (III de Anima). He also said in a letter to St. Jerome (no. 27): “Whoever says that even infants are vivified in Christ when they depart this life without the participation of His Sacrament [Baptism], both opposes the Apostolic preaching and condemns the whole Church which hastens to baptize infants, because it unhesitatingly believes that otherwise they cannot possibly be vivified in Christ.”
I am sure there is an elegant explanation to it all, just not for knowing in this life.
Oh hun,
I was taught that if I breathed wrong I was going to hell.... to the point it was like “Ok, NOW, can I go outside and play?” Whatever.
Seemed though, that the more cruel, dark and mean the person, the more they used the term against others....co-inky-dink? I think not!
Which is one of the reasons I am numb to it all now....no threat or promise has an effect. Whatever. God can hate me he can love me...... it all feels the same.
I really believe that those who think that a child can go to hell are so evil that I don’t want to breath the same air. And those who would say something like that in front of a child deserve whatever pain life can give them.
As for Augustine, nice guy....too much thinking about something that was supposed to be so blindingly simple though ;)
I need to look for the book. I believe the BBC has done a tv-drama about Summerhill recently. The actress who will be playing Lavender Brown in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” was in it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.