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Make them believe in something young, then they have a chance of controlling them as adults. By then they are preconditioned to a belief as something viable. Not what it truly is, which is simply an unproven thought.
Should children be treated this way with beliefs?
Should adults be treated this way also?

"See the problem"

HerbertNewsam 6 Dec 25
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17 comments

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1

To much religious indoctrination.

0

Learn and b taught

Source:
trx1 Level 4 Dec 26, 2019
2

Proselytizing and teaching the young that God is the explanation for the world sets people up for a lifetime of acceptance of supernatural things and predisposes people to accept religious ideas. Sure did for me. Not until I saw that the Bible was false did I question the existence of God and find the truth. Sure wish I had not been indoctrinated. That would have saved years of pain trying to appease the supernatural forces that I lived to please.

4

Never underestimate the power of wishful thinking. That said, I'm not particularly fond of the idea of lying to children for any reason. It sets a bad example. Unfortunately, since most parents do it, everyone tends to get caught in the game as a sort of peer pressure. Gawd forbid you be the one parent spoiling the fairy tale adventure.

My father was pissed when he found out I told my children Santa wasn't real. As I told him, I wasn't going to lie to them. His only response was that I ruined my children's childhood.

3

I believe that children figure it out about Jesus also. The problem is that due to conditioning they keep on playing that same old game. They know it but still play it. Part of this is because there is no Church of Santa where they refresh it all week to week.

4

Religion: insane people convincing the sane people sanity is an mental illness.

...and lies are the truth and wrong is right. Fuck 'em all.

2

Santy is once a year, zeus is every sunday and sometimes daily.
If I recall correctly the aztecs believed their god would return dressed in black, when the conquistadors landed they fit the legends. Simply put if you teach a civilisation a fable it creates its own reality, echoing from all quarters, a belief that will be clung to even unto death.We want to believe in magic

Is it because the reality of living in a world of eat or be eaten scares most of us and such beliefs gives a glimmer of hope, that never materializes? A repetitious scenario we cannot escape, where as with true reality we know for certain what is up. Life and death for us is as it is the rest of life here. Since it takes every bit of life here to support individual lives here, we are not special ones, just a part of it.. my thoughts on it anyways.

@HerbertNewsam no

0

You sound like Lenin. Like overly zealous religious fundamentalists, he believe that if one indoctrinates children early with a total system ideology, they will likely become permanent captives of that ideology.

Problem is i lived it, been through it and understand it. This type of indoctrination does happens irregardless of any bs about Lenin. So he seen some of it, so what, dosen't mean it doesn't happen. It does happen. Not all the time but most that do continue to believe. My biggest issue is, why even consider beliefs? They are not necessary in an eat or be eaten world...they make it easier to get eaten.

0

Beats me

bobwjr Level 10 Dec 25, 2019
3

I have always contended that the religious indoctrination of children
should be classified as felony child abuse.

Adults are free to believe whatever bullshit they please, but children
should never be subjected to the religious delusions of adults.

3

I hate to play in opposition, but since this is such a rational and thinking group, it must be obvious to all those here that children can and often do shed what is taught. The proof is that most of here were raised with some sort of faith which we have all shaken off. I don't think kids should be taught that nonsense, but parents must maintain the autonomy to teach their kids what they see as right. Otherwise, someone else may decide what your children will be taught.

I understand the sentiment here. The key words for me is, " maintain the autonomy is necessary, but "what" they see as right, is an issue. If what they see as right, isn't, which if it isn't reasonable then creates problems. Beliefs are not reasonable in a world of reality. They are actually dangerous.

@HerbertNewsam I understand, but there are many who think what we believe (or don't) isn't right and shouldn't be taught. ... We must maintain control over our own children.

@JustAskMe
The best way, always be proactive with the truth to them. Agreed the children need controlled guidance, constantly with truths. It is a systemic problem of parenting to deal with for sure. To many want to hide things away from children then are subject to learning bs from others...

0

My question was, "Should we be treated this way?" I contend we shouldn't be. I think solid education on the subject is pertinent to proper parenting. If we end using old out dated fear control tatics and bring the fear factor down a few notches, it seems to me reasonable.

I've never had children, but I believe a lot of parents rely on the "fear factor" to reach children and get them to "behave" I don't think it's right, but the decision about what to teach children and how, is primarily in the hands of parents, schools and family members.

4

Because when you don’t believe in Santa he does not send you to to the special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish where you will live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever till the end of time .

But he loves you

@HarrySlick and he needs your money.

1

It is a known scientific fact that the human brain is more malleable impressionable and capable of learning at a younger age. This fact has been exploited for countless generations.

In and of itself, this fact is not necessarily a bad thing. It becomes an issue, as mentioned earlier, when this fact is not used with the young persons best interest in heart or to a lesser fact, when incorrect beliefs are passed on to the young person by a well meaning but wrongly informed authority figure.

The latter has caused many adults to sit on countless therapist chair. The positive thing is that scientists have come to the realization that the brain of an adult is still malleable and we can come to change our beliefs well into old age and beyond.

As kids, we are not able to actively choose our beliefs, most of it, we learn from our parents and society as a whole. However as we grow older and we experience new people, new experiences and new knowledge, we shake off some of those old establish beliefs. This can indeed be a lifelong endeavor, but it is possible to get rid of the beliefs that we learn early in life that no longer serve us in our adult life.

0

Because their parents tell them so. Most young religious people are unquestioning until they start associating with people of different beliefs.
This usually happens at college, but now there's the internet and TV, if they have free access to it.

6

Some kids grow up to understand that they have been deceived...we are called atheists! Happy winter solstice all!

My mother was a Presbyterian "believer" and sent me to Sunday School as a child. At an early age, maybe about 6 or 7, I began to question what I was being told. "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the bible tells me so." Really? I thought love was a serious emotion, but I had never met Jesus; Jesus didn't know me, and I didn't know him. So I didn't believe that one. Then there was all the "God is love" stuff, which came along with " Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before! Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe, Forward into battle, see his banner go!" Really? Love and battle and soldiers? Then something that REALLY got me was the "god is omnipotent, god is omniscient" stuff coupled with god's much touted need to be worshiped. Really?. God is THAT needy? Why does such a powerful and perfect being need to be worshiped by flawed people like us? So, for me it wasn't so much that I was being deceived. It was that I simply didn't believe what I was being told. I had that figured out by the time I was about 7 or 8. In short, I was never a believer.

@Itiswhatitis I knew it was bullshit when my "godly" family insisted on exhibiting a serious lack of compassion, understanding, acceptance and love for anyone not white and fundamentalist Christian. They never practiced what they preached.

3

Kids continue to believe largely because all the adults around them believe. It is usually only when they are on their own...college, in the workforce, etc that they begin to really think about what they've been taught.

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