RE: Indoctrinating Children in Religion
March 12, 2015 at 4:50 pm
(This post was last modified: March 12, 2015 at 4:53 pm by Zenith.)
Regarding the education of children by the theists (christians, jews, muslims),
What I'd appreciate from theist parents:
- If you don't teach your child about the perils of hell and Satan (in the meaning, that himself is in danger of them) until he reaches an age like 16. If you teach your 10 years old child that he may suffer for eternity, you'll only traumatize him.
- If you teach him more & talk to him more about God than about Satan. Really, there are christians out there who only talk about "Satan's there, Satan's there, Satan's trying to do this to you, that to you, etc." It sounds a bit more appropriate, and nicer, if you talk more about a positive, good willing God, than if you talked about the evil Satan. Besides, no matter how angry or capricious or fastidious the God you preach actually is, he's a much nicer imaginary person to talk about, than Satan. I even heard once a mother shouting at her ~3 years old child, when he dropped a candy on the ground, "Don't touch it, it's the Devil!"
- If you allow him to forsake his faith, once he becomes an adult (i.e. 18 years old) - i.e. do not treat him badly if he is does, or threaten him that you would kick him out of your house or never speak to him again, or etc.
- If you understand that a child (e.g. 10 years old) is not a christian, nor a muslim, nor anything else. At that age, he is far from understanding the term God as you do, and whatever he believes, it cannot be considered "faith".
- If you do not consider him a true christian / muslim / etc. until he reaches an age like 18. Pentecostals & baptists do not baptize babies, and that's okay, even though they kinda strongly influence (even, force) their children to be baptized, and thus accept the religion when they're 15 or 16 years old. It's quite fucked up to "teach" / indoctrinate your child in your religion, and when he reaches an age where he can consent (or reject), to call him that he "became an apostate" if he forsakes the faith he... never actually had. Also, it is equally bad to force a child to accept your faith officially when he reaches the age where he can consent / reject it.
- If you focus your religious teachings more on moral values (i.e. treating the others nicely, basically the "good" teachings in the Bible), than rituals or submissiveness to the clergymen or donating money to your church. It's the things he'll understand as with higher priority. Focusing on rituals will only turn him into a great hypocrite (where he pleases God even though he's a total asshole). Focusing on submitting himself to the clergymen (priest / imam / pastor) will only make him a mindless slave.
What I'd appreciate from theists, regarding their own behaviour:
- If your religious traditions / doctrine have nothing to do with corpses or their desecration. Those things are quite "unholy".
- If you don't count your country as a "Nation of God", i.e. as if everyone who lives in your country must live by your faith and by your rules. You think a specific thing is a sin if you do it? Don't do it then, but don't try to force nonbelievers into following the commandments of your God.
- If you don't insist in converting people: If a man answers "no", leave him alone!
- If you don't pollute the atmosphere by noise & threats like "Accept my doctrine or go to hell!" A statement like "If you don't do what I say, you'll burn in Hell for eternity" is no less offending than, "If you don't do what I say, I'll beat the shit out of you!" Besides, you don't want to be harassed by atheists knocking at your door insisting that you must forsake God, nor do you hear atheists on the streets shouting "If you don't forsake God, you're a retard!" In other words, bother only those people who agree on talking to you on the subject. Religious Forums are also a good place to talk, because people there expect discussions on the subject.
What I'd expect from the State (whichever country), regarding religion:
- If it prohibited religious conversion of minors. Really, this should be considered a crime. Talk with a child on religion, perhaps, but ask him to accept your faith, that's bad.
- If it didn't register any child as belonging to a particular religion. When someone reaches 18 years old, then, himself should go to register himself as a Christian Orthodox or Christian Baptist, or Sunni Muslim or whatever. The state should not consider a child "muslim" or "christian orthodox" or anything.
- If it stopped giving money from the taxes of non religious people to any religious institution.
- If its officials stopped talking about God or making declarations of faith: It is discriminations to all unbelievers. The politicians & governors & mayors & etc. must serve all citizens equally, regardless of their religion.
P.S. Something I consider very disturbing is when I see a minor (e.g. 12 years old child), of atheist / agnostic parents, who converts to Islam (or became a Jehovah Witness), because he "found the truth" or "found meaning in life" or whatever. And whenever I hear an agnostic / atheist, say adult, who converted to a religion like Islam because he "found peace" there, or "had a hole / gap in his life that was now filled", or "found meaning in life", or whatever, it's somewhat weird. I see him as man with emotional deficiencies falling into the net of a religion, where they sell him emotions, and they take away his life.
What I'd appreciate from theist parents:
- If you don't teach your child about the perils of hell and Satan (in the meaning, that himself is in danger of them) until he reaches an age like 16. If you teach your 10 years old child that he may suffer for eternity, you'll only traumatize him.
- If you teach him more & talk to him more about God than about Satan. Really, there are christians out there who only talk about "Satan's there, Satan's there, Satan's trying to do this to you, that to you, etc." It sounds a bit more appropriate, and nicer, if you talk more about a positive, good willing God, than if you talked about the evil Satan. Besides, no matter how angry or capricious or fastidious the God you preach actually is, he's a much nicer imaginary person to talk about, than Satan. I even heard once a mother shouting at her ~3 years old child, when he dropped a candy on the ground, "Don't touch it, it's the Devil!"
- If you allow him to forsake his faith, once he becomes an adult (i.e. 18 years old) - i.e. do not treat him badly if he is does, or threaten him that you would kick him out of your house or never speak to him again, or etc.
- If you understand that a child (e.g. 10 years old) is not a christian, nor a muslim, nor anything else. At that age, he is far from understanding the term God as you do, and whatever he believes, it cannot be considered "faith".
- If you do not consider him a true christian / muslim / etc. until he reaches an age like 18. Pentecostals & baptists do not baptize babies, and that's okay, even though they kinda strongly influence (even, force) their children to be baptized, and thus accept the religion when they're 15 or 16 years old. It's quite fucked up to "teach" / indoctrinate your child in your religion, and when he reaches an age where he can consent (or reject), to call him that he "became an apostate" if he forsakes the faith he... never actually had. Also, it is equally bad to force a child to accept your faith officially when he reaches the age where he can consent / reject it.
- If you focus your religious teachings more on moral values (i.e. treating the others nicely, basically the "good" teachings in the Bible), than rituals or submissiveness to the clergymen or donating money to your church. It's the things he'll understand as with higher priority. Focusing on rituals will only turn him into a great hypocrite (where he pleases God even though he's a total asshole). Focusing on submitting himself to the clergymen (priest / imam / pastor) will only make him a mindless slave.
What I'd appreciate from theists, regarding their own behaviour:
- If your religious traditions / doctrine have nothing to do with corpses or their desecration. Those things are quite "unholy".
- If you don't count your country as a "Nation of God", i.e. as if everyone who lives in your country must live by your faith and by your rules. You think a specific thing is a sin if you do it? Don't do it then, but don't try to force nonbelievers into following the commandments of your God.
- If you don't insist in converting people: If a man answers "no", leave him alone!
- If you don't pollute the atmosphere by noise & threats like "Accept my doctrine or go to hell!" A statement like "If you don't do what I say, you'll burn in Hell for eternity" is no less offending than, "If you don't do what I say, I'll beat the shit out of you!" Besides, you don't want to be harassed by atheists knocking at your door insisting that you must forsake God, nor do you hear atheists on the streets shouting "If you don't forsake God, you're a retard!" In other words, bother only those people who agree on talking to you on the subject. Religious Forums are also a good place to talk, because people there expect discussions on the subject.
What I'd expect from the State (whichever country), regarding religion:
- If it prohibited religious conversion of minors. Really, this should be considered a crime. Talk with a child on religion, perhaps, but ask him to accept your faith, that's bad.
- If it didn't register any child as belonging to a particular religion. When someone reaches 18 years old, then, himself should go to register himself as a Christian Orthodox or Christian Baptist, or Sunni Muslim or whatever. The state should not consider a child "muslim" or "christian orthodox" or anything.
- If it stopped giving money from the taxes of non religious people to any religious institution.
- If its officials stopped talking about God or making declarations of faith: It is discriminations to all unbelievers. The politicians & governors & mayors & etc. must serve all citizens equally, regardless of their religion.
P.S. Something I consider very disturbing is when I see a minor (e.g. 12 years old child), of atheist / agnostic parents, who converts to Islam (or became a Jehovah Witness), because he "found the truth" or "found meaning in life" or whatever. And whenever I hear an agnostic / atheist, say adult, who converted to a religion like Islam because he "found peace" there, or "had a hole / gap in his life that was now filled", or "found meaning in life", or whatever, it's somewhat weird. I see him as man with emotional deficiencies falling into the net of a religion, where they sell him emotions, and they take away his life.
