Happy Atheist Forum

Religion => Religion => Topic started by: GreatBigBore on January 19, 2010, 11:06:36 AM

Title: Could there ever be child abuse laws concerning religion?
Post by: GreatBigBore on January 19, 2010, 11:06:36 AM
I've recently found myself completely fixated on Richard Dawkins' view that inculcating religion into children is child abuse. I was taught as a child that I would literally burn in hell for eternity if I was bad. I'm now 43, and my rational mind tells me that there is no god, but I am still terrified of dying due to my admittedly irrational but quite real fear that I will experience eternal torment. I think that Dawkins is correct, but I'm thinking that the issue should be taken a step further. I am permanently scarred by what I was taught as a child. My quality of life is significantly diminished by my fear of death. Surely this is some sort of civil rights violation? Does anyone know whether a case could be made? Does anyone know whether someone has already thought of this, and maybe even pursued it, or sadly realized that it could never work?
Title: Re: Could there ever be child abuse laws concerning religion?
Post by: Neoncamouflage on January 19, 2010, 01:20:52 PM
I know exactly how you feel, and totally agree. I know I'm right, and I have nothing to fear. But that thought still scares me.
Title: Re: Could there ever be child abuse laws concerning religion?
Post by: GreatBigBore on January 19, 2010, 01:28:28 PM
I've created a Facebook group called "Atheists Who Still Fear Hell Due to Childhood Indoctrination". It's at

http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=atheists+who+fear&init=quick#/group.php?gid=263125521939&ref=search&sid=1553462539.216467415..1

I want to get a sense of how many people like us there are out there. Maybe if there are enough of us we could make something good happen.
Title: Re: Could there ever be child abuse laws concerning religion?
Post by: Dagda on January 19, 2010, 03:28:43 PM
I think a case may be made against your parents for severe emotional distress, but against religion itself I highly doubt the case would stand. This probably has something to do with eternal torment in Hell is a mistaken interpretation of Christian doctrine. Hell is distance from God which is supposed to be punishment enough. The fire and brimstone has nothing to do with the religion itself (although I am aware some sects still believe in the ‘Inferno’) and more to do with artistic hyperbole. Fire is easier to draw than an abstract concept like spiritual suffering in the afterlife through the abandonment of God.
Title: Re: Could there ever be child abuse laws concerning religion?
Post by: Mark L Holland on January 19, 2010, 04:17:58 PM
To greatbigbore

  I could see holding parents responsible for the actions of their kids, like a preacher who preaches hate against homosexuals and then a member of his church goes out and kills or beats a homosexual can be held accountable.  Or a KKK or Arian Brother Hood leader that advocates violence against minorities can be held  accountable if their followers act upon their teachings, but to classify religious teachings by parents to their children as child abuse is unlikely to ever become a secular law, unfortunately.

 :bananacolor:
Title: Re: Could there ever be child abuse laws concerning religion?
Post by: Jolly Sapper on January 19, 2010, 08:32:36 PM
There could be, but probably not in the good ol' USofA.
Title: Re: Could there ever be child abuse laws concerning religion?
Post by: Zyva on January 22, 2010, 03:55:26 AM
Great Big Bore, Sure, what they taught you when you were a little kid was scary and they were wrong for it, but you're an adult now and you should take responsibility for your own thoughts and actions.
If you're 43 years old and you are still afraid of hell, maybe you should do a little research on hell, to ease your mind. :D
Title: Re: Could there ever be child abuse laws concerning religion?
Post by: GreatBigBore on January 22, 2010, 04:45:56 AM
Thanks very much, but if it were that easy I would already have solved the problem. I wasn't asking for such help, but thank you for your attempt.
Title: Re: Could there ever be child abuse laws concerning religion?
Post by: Zyva on January 22, 2010, 06:15:10 AM
Ooops My bad.. didn't catch the satire in the first post.(I'm new, just ignore me)  Sue those bastards!!!!! :headbang:
Title: Re: Could there ever be child abuse laws concerning religion?
Post by: wullie1320 on January 30, 2010, 10:39:57 PM
I do think that teaching the bible in school should be banned, I was about 9 when I seen the fallacy that religion is. I seen that it just did not add up, So I ignored the crap that I was taught, Stopped bowing my head to say prayer. I feel to this day that had I believed the crap that was being taught to me I to would have ended up delusional, A drone and suppressed thinker like every other religious person, which in my opinion is abuse... so yes to answer your question, there should be laws in schools to stop the teachings of religion. There should also be a law to take religion out of politics. How about we only teach Logic and reasoning and teach every child to be a free thinker. I don’t think for one minute that would be acceptable to religious people. So why should Teaching Religion be acceptable.


Children are our future, If we keep teaching this crap to them the world does not stand a chance to moving forward. A Childs mind will believe any story it's told at a young age and I think that at a young age Religion should not play a part.
All I know (through lack of evidence) is that there is no god, No heaven and no hell. When we die, that’s it... Lights out.  


On another note, just to illustrate how dumb some Christians can be, A work colleague said to me (knowing that I’m an atheist) that I had not felt the power of god, I said there is no evidence.  She replied that she does not need evidence as she knows there is a god. So I asked who created god, and the god before him. She replied, there is only one god. So there is me somewhat dumbstruck.  :raised:
Title: Re: Could there ever be child abuse laws concerning religion?
Post by: AlP on January 30, 2010, 11:01:11 PM
Quote from: "wullie1320"I seen that it just did not add up.
Are you from Scotland wullie? I'm from Inverness and now living in CA. Good to meet you. I'll also note for our transatlantic viewers that in Scotland "seen" = "saw".
Title: Re: Could there ever be child abuse laws concerning religion?
Post by: GreatBigBore on January 30, 2010, 11:04:06 PM
Quote from: "AlP"I'll also note for our transatlantic viewers that in Scotland "seen" = "saw".

Thanks for that. I had dismissed him/her entirely. I thought that he was either trolling, or some backward hick from the villages of East Texas where I grew up.
Title: Re: Could there ever be child abuse laws concerning religion?
Post by: GreatBigBore on January 30, 2010, 11:08:56 PM
Quote from: "Zyva"Ooops My bad.. didn't catch the satire in the first post.(I'm new, just ignore me)  Sue those bastards!!!!! :headbang:
Sorry, no satire intended. I am literally scarred and I'm trying to learn whether it could be considered a civil rights violation. Not so I could sue my parents--if they had anything I would've done long ago--but to raise awareness at the least, and if I were to dream big, to somehow make it illegal (or at least harder) for kids to grow up scarred like I am.
Title: Re: Could there ever be child abuse laws concerning religion?
Post by: Zyva on January 31, 2010, 05:54:06 AM
Sorry again, :blush:
I've looked and I can't find anything even similar to what you are talking about, which is good, as it would be a new approach.
My advice to you is to call a civil rights lawyer and ask him.
 Most lawyers give a free consultation to decide whether or not you have a case. If you could find a lawyer to take it, it would definitely stir things up and get people thinking and talking about it.
Title: Re: Could there ever be child abuse laws concerning religion?
Post by: wullie1320 on January 31, 2010, 10:11:03 AM
Quote from: "AlP"
Quote from: "wullie1320"I seen that it just did not add up.
Are you from Scotland wullie? I'm from Inverness and now living in CA. Good to meet you. I'll also note for our transatlantic viewers that in Scotland "seen" = "saw".

The flag gave it away  :bananacolor: yes I am.

I don't know much about law in america, But over here I dont have a choice as to the Religious education in schools, So if your parents did not have a choice then you should start there.