I wouldn't characterize it as child abuse; rather, an unwise method of parenting. Sadly, I indoctrinated my kids but as we eventually left religion behind, I both supported their decision and stood by my own. I apologized for their earlier indoctrination. We have agreed to move forward in logic. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing because they had knowledge of it to be able to recognize and reject it in favor of rational thinking.

I did 1 year in episcopal and 6 years in catholic school. They failed to convert me. My story.

Yes. I don't think it's deliberate because they don't see it that way- but threatening your kid with eternal damnatuon and saying that they are inherently bad and sinful certainly sounds like abuse to me.

I don't think it is deliberate abuse, but the damage can be profound, as evidenced by the violence of humanity. If we do not teach the profound beauty and importance of life and the world around us to our children, with equal reverence to a god, people will gravitate to being told what to do instead of think for themselves, which ultimately enslaves them. Religious questions end in god. Science has no end, only more beautiful questions.

I do think it's right to force parents to vaccinate their children and seek medical attention when they're sick (since faith heals nobody). I think schools should be required to teach evolution as the well-supported scientific theory it is. As for stopping parents from indoctrinating children... I really want to. I don't think it rises to the level of abuse in most cases, though. Most parents believe in the watered-down version of their religion that allows one to function in modern society. There is harm, no doubt, but it isn't usually grievous harm and I do believe organized religion would quickly decline without childhood indoctrination but....

I think good parents religious or not try to teach their children to think for themselves. They don't indoctrinate their child into their cults they explain what they believe and why but, allow the child to make up their own minds without passing judgement upon them when they do. I was lucky I had parents like that and wish everyone had.

Yes, and Fast! It’s why what’s taught, or not taught in school remains a battle. And one of the sickest rackets going are untaxed (US) church facilities used as preschool ‘day care’ centers. Indoctrination chambers are what they are, feeding off the fact two incomes are generally a necessity…

Good luck enforcing that. Children absolutely need to be encouraged to form a value system one way or another. It is hard for us to convince all of society that our way is the only acceptable way. I absolutely support the proposal for mandatory comparative religion classes in school to counteract the Sunday school single-minded indoctrination. Kids have the right to form their own opinions about spirituality, but those need to be based on information rather than merely indoctrination.

It's life. It's genetics, doing what it can, sometimes misguided, to propagate the species. I would not persecute the individual who are acting by instinct. In the long run, education will fix this.

Of course the religious indoctrination of children is child abuse.

It absolutely is child abuse, mental abuse.