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Just read this thread and see for yourself what believers are willing to do to their children just to banish all doubts against their own belief. It's thoroughly low-down, shameful and cruel what this kid has to deal with at home, and his case is hardly the worst for kids who exercise their naturally keen and honest intelligence at such a horrible price. His parents and his brother are demanding they sell his honest personality and keen mind in exchange for their love, and no form of child abuse not resulting in death can be worse than that!
As an anti-theist, I have been maligned by many atheists on this site as "militant", and even "hateful". Neither are in fact true - I'm not militant unless it makes you militant to give more than a shit about protecting people from the undeniably real damage caused by practices which have proven to be so harmful that they should not be allowed to continue in any society which protects its citizens from predation, be that mental, physical, or intellectual. I don't hate true believers, but they need to be stopped from indoctrinating children with their beliefs because they truly are ignorant, cruel, and very hateful. I just cannot ignore real evil when I see it, and I refuse to ignore the undeniable connection between monotheistic religions and the evils which they visit upon the minds of children, which they so unconscionably feed off through the agency of believing parents in order to sustain their power in this world.
If you really weren't aware of such abuse in homes where so many of the children of believers must abide, and still after reading this you think it's best to just let others believe and teach what they will, then I just have to ask how can you in good conscience continue not to oppose religious teachings in your country, in your city, or in your neighborhood to children, or anybody who will ever become parents?
(February 17, 2016 at 1:34 pm)Excited Penguin Wrote: Your question is poorly phrased. Other than that, I agree.
You just love being a nitpicking dick, right or wrong, don't you? Maybe this is why nobody cares why you have to say, and neeeeeither do I, but it does happen to be on account of people like you that my positions sometimes need clarification.
Well . . . on this subject, as a religious abuse survivor, I have to agree. I'm in my mid-50's. The topic still makes me nauseous and I still have nightmares. So . . . no gory details.
Spare the Child: The Religious Roots of Punishment and the Psychological Impact of Physical Abuse by Philip J. Greven
A little dated, but still good. A Review:
An amazing book that gives some of the religious reasoning behind corporal punishment and the fallacies in that reasoning. It gives solid evidence to the harm of physical punishment through personal accounts and research studies. The consequences of physical punishment and the author is exceptional at striking the truth of these consequences.
"The family that prays together...is brainwashing their children."- Albert Einstein
(February 17, 2016 at 2:04 pm)God of Mr. Hanky Wrote:
(February 17, 2016 at 1:34 pm)Excited Penguin Wrote: Your question is poorly phrased. Other than that, I agree.
You just love being a nitpicking dick, right or wrong, don't you? Maybe this is why nobody cares why you have to say, and neeeeeither do I, but it does happen to be on account of people like you that my positions sometimes need clarification.
I just hope everyone understands you correctly. I did, but that doesn't mean everyone else will as well. I'm sorry if you took offense, man.
(February 17, 2016 at 1:29 pm)God of Mr. Hanky Wrote:
http://atheistforums.org/thread-41448.html
Just read this thread and see for yourself what believers are willing to do to their children just to banish all doubts against their own belief. It's thoroughly low-down, shameful and cruel what this kid has to deal with at home, and his case is hardly the worst for kids who exercise their naturally keen and honest intelligence at such a horrible price. His parents and his brother are demanding they sell his honest personality and keen mind in exchange for their love, and no form of child abuse not resulting in death can be worse than that!
As an anti-theist, I have been maligned by many atheists on this site as "militant", and even "hateful". Neither are in fact true - I'm not militant unless it makes you militant to give more than a shit about protecting people from the undeniably real damage caused by practices which have proven to be so harmful that they should not be allowed to continue in any society which protects its citizens from predation, be that mental, physical, or intellectual. I don't hate true believers, but they need to be stopped from indoctrinating children with their beliefs because they truly are ignorant, cruel, and very hateful. I just cannot ignore real evil when I see it, and I refuse to ignore the undeniable connection between monotheistic religions and the evils which they visit upon the minds of children, which they so unconscionably feed off through the agency of believing parents in order to sustain their power in this world.
If you really weren't aware of such abuse in homes where so many of the children of believers must abide, and still after reading this you think it's best to just let others believe and teach what they will, then I just have to ask how can you in good conscience continue not to oppose religious teachings in your country, in your city, or in your neighborhood to children, or anybody who will ever become parents?
I think that indoctrination is shameful thing but what really can be done about it? One can try to educate but that's the limit of one influence considering the regard in which religion is held. Also try to say that parents shouldn't force their religion onto children and see how quickly those interested in spreading the church influence will start crying about trying to rob parents of their rights.
I might be wrong and pessimistic but for me it appears that such indoctrination is something that won't go away soon if ever and we can't really do much about it without encroaching on freedoms of other people.
The first revolt is against the supreme tyranny of theology, of the phantom of God. As long as we have a master in heaven, we will be slaves on earth.
Mikhail Bakunin.
The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.
February 17, 2016 at 5:17 pm (This post was last modified: February 17, 2016 at 5:18 pm by God of Mr. Hanky.)
Ok, it did happen that I felt compelled to start this thread when I had a bit too much on my mind, leading to some grammatical / referential errors. They are stinking beyond my usual standards (thanks EP for pointing them out, with or without tact), and it's too late to edit, therefore I'm re-writing it. So if interested, see below:
If you believe in just allowing believers to be believers without the objection of sensible people, then just read the thread linked below and see for yourself what they are willing to do to their children. They don't just indoctrinate them with stupid ideas, they actively discourage learning and thinking in any child placed in their care. They do this to their own children because their religious ideas must be protected at all costs, therefore this need has replaced their sense of parental love. Therefore, there is nothing they won't do and nobody who they won't harm, including their own children, in order to banish all doubts against their own beliefs. Please see the linked thread thread below if you doubt this:
It's just thoroughly low-down, shameful and cruel what this kid has to deal with at home, and his case is hardly the worst for kids who exercise their naturally keen and honest intelligence at such a horrible price. His parents and his brother are demanding that he sell his honest personality and keen mind in exchange for their love, and no form of child abuse which does not result in death can be worse than that!
As an anti-theist, I have been maligned by some other atheists on this site as "militant", and even "hateful". Neither are in fact true. I'm not militant unless it makes you militant to give more than a shit about protecting people from the undeniably real damage caused by practices which have proven to be so socially harmful, enough that they should not be allowed to continue in any society which protects its citizens from predation, be that mental, physical, or intellectual in form. I'm also not hateful of true believers, but reasons for hating their beliefs aren't much disputed among us. Therefore, believers, who inevitably teach children who they are indoctrinating with their beliefs to be ignorant, cruel, and and hateful need to be discouraged from doing this. Not sure how this can be done, only that it's critical to the future of humanity! I just cannot ignore real evil when I see it, and I refuse to ignore the undeniable connection between monotheistic religious leaders and the evils which they visit upon the minds of children, which they so unconscionably feed off through the agency of believing parents in order to sustain their own power in this world.
If you really weren't aware of such abuse in homes where so many of the children of believers must abide, and after reading GeneralDog's story and those of so many other survivors of this sort of child Fundy child abuse you still think it's best to just let others believe and teach what they will, then I just have to ask how can you in good conscience continue not to oppose religious teachings in your country, in your city, or in your neighborhood to children, or anybody who will ever become parents?
