Geshtinnanna

I think your bias toward seemingly bad experiences with religion is making you make very sweeping generalizations about people of faith and how they raise their children. Your last paragraph reeks of hostility . It's like me saying how would you like some stranger to come down your chimney and eat your cookies and drink your milk?! And then come to find oh you mean Santa Claus? Your last paragraph comes off deceptively moronic in logic. Something that is so not like you. People of faith raise their children and teach about their God. They don't say OMG THERE IS THIS STRANGE MAN WATCHING YOU PEE! They explain that God knows all and sees all. So live your life knowing you are being judged on your actions. And be a good person. And when you are in need...know that same GOD is there for you to help you. They have a more positive outlook to explaining their faith then you are explaining their faith.

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greywolf90

i've been reserving my oppinion on this topic for awhile, but now i think i've reached my conclusion. as a former christian, i do not think teaching a religion to your kids can be considered abuse. however, i do think that in some cases, religion (specifically christianity; i cannot account for others) can be psycologically harmful. generally, those who have high self esteem (prehaps evan boardering on arrogance) will feel that god loves them and they are pure and perfect in gods eyes etc. the problem is with those who have low self esteem. i was one of these, and i went through phases where i sometimes hated myself because of my sins. i could only see my own imperfections, and occasionally i thought it to be impossible that god could love me when i had willingly disobeyed him. there were times when i felt that the only way to repent for my sins was by physically harming myself. i never cut myself or anything like that, but i do remember feeling strong urges to. now please remember that this was only a small phase of my life. overall, religion was very beneficial for me, and i still consider my self a spritual person; i just don't believe in the same things that i once did. but even though it was a phase, it could have been dangerous if i continued that type of thinking, and it might have even been fatal.

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"is all that we see or seem
but a dream within a dream?"- poe

Geshtinnanna

I agree with you. So in short: Crazy people bad, sane people good. So far that has nothing to do with religion and all to do with parents.

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romansh

So is it OK to home school one's kids and teach them as literal fact that:
1) Mankind is only 4000 y old and wave off all the evidence to the contrary?
2) The earth was once completely flooded and wave off the evidence to the contrary?
3) Various miracles actually happened, including: ascending into heaven, water into wine, walking on water, healing by the laying of hands, feeding multitudes with a few fishes and loaves, parting the Red Sea, baby Jesus talking. Waving off our experience to the contrary?
4) A religious text is fact?

I'm glad my parents did not do that to me!

The Santa and tooth fairy abuse did eventually stop... my teeth eventually fell out and after awhile I was expected to provide presents for others.

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There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened. ........... Douglas Adams

Geshtinnanna

romansh, if parents who are not teaching only facts to their children were to be arrested, we would have no parents at all. Not one single parent. For all the parents out there...ask yourself......has every word out of your mouth to your children been fact? Really now.

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greywolf90

is it not ok to teach your kids what you believe to be the truth?

__________________
"is all that we see or seem
but a dream within a dream?"- poe

romansh

I don't think we can do otherwise?
I think my concern is taking a child and not teaching the alternatives.
For example our son did his kindergarten in a Catholic school. I did not have a problem with that.

As I said tried to say in a previous post how think is more important than what one thinks. Now an integralist (marmalade?) would perhaps be happy to use intuition and not seek a complete rational explanation? To teach with-holding belief or faith until we have evidence to me seems logical.

But I think as Geshtie alluded before ..... I would just want to turn my kid into a mini me..... albeit a superior one...

__________________
There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened. ........... Douglas Adams

Geshtinnanna

and here is my point. To someone else this might seem abuse. When you point your finger to one belief you point your finger to your own.
And with that I bid you guys night night

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romansh

I'm not suggesting parents go to jail..... but when I have seen children home schooled because of religious reasons .... well I just feel uneasy.....

I have not lied to my child by commission at least not knowingly.... by ommission definitely. When talking about Santa Claus I always tried to phrase it as a question. Trust me I never told my child that Santa exists... but I did not disabuse him of that notion either .....

So answer my question ...for you personally is OK to teach your kids that religious texts are literally true?

__________________
There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened. ........... Douglas Adams

romansh

Correct .... it may taken as abuse by some..... but that does not make it logical..... sweet dreams

__________________
There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened. ........... Douglas Adams