Posted on 12/22/2012 3:36:40 PM PST by marshmallow
Raising your children as Roman Catholics is worse than child abuse, according to militant atheist Richard Dawkins.
In typically incendiary style, Professor Dawkins said the mental torment inflicted by the religion’s teachings is worse in the long-term than any sexual abuse carried out by priests.
He said he had been told by a woman that while being abused by a priest was a ‘yucky’ experience, being told as a child that a Protestant friend who died would ‘roast in Hell’ was more distressing.
Last night politicians and charities condemned the former Oxford professor’s views as attention-seeking and unhelpful.
The remarks are due to be broadcast tonight by Qatar-based TV network Al Jazeera.
Interviewer Mehdi Hasan asked Professor Dawkins about previous comments he made, when he said: ‘Horrible as sexual abuse no doubt was, the damage was arguably less than the long-term psychological damage inflicted by bringing the child up Catholic in the first place.’
Mr Hasan asked: ‘You believe that being bought up as a Catholic is worse than being abused by a priest?’. Professor Dawkins replied: ‘There are shades of being abused by a priest, and I quoted an example of a woman in America who wrote to me saying that when she was seven years old she was sexually abused by a priest in his car.
‘At the same time a friend of hers, also seven, who was of a Protestant family, died, and she was told that because her friend was Protestant she had gone to Hell and will be roasting in Hell forever.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I stated Dawkins had a lock on going to hell. That means I am sure he is going there. How does that make me agree with him?
Sorry, misunderstood your post. My apologies.
I think I misunderstood your post. I thought that you said Dawkins seems to understand the teaching of the Catholic Church very well. Upon rereading your post it seems you may have actually been trying to say that Dawkins is highly likely to wind up in hell. That statement is less problematic than the first, IMO.
The way I heard it, rooms 6, 10, 17 etc. had the harps, glorious robes, and starry crowns, but Room 8 had the beer.
Room 8 for me, please! :)
Never heard that version - thanks!
A Methodist told me that joke once with Baptists in room 8.
It’s a one size fits all sort of joke.
Hopefully there will be room for me ! :)
You always default to the latter. Goes with the command to love one’s enemies . . .
Dawkins uses one anecdote from one woman...to prove that 1 billion Catholics abuse their children.
Yet he admits that he was sexually abused in not one but two schools (one Anglican and one secular). Yet he doesn’t go around saying that bringing up a child secular is evil.
Only a liberal or a crazy person talks like this.
Good one - thanks + Merry Christmas!
Mr. Dawkins “What is your sin”?
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