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I Think Indoctrinating Children With Religion Is Child Abuse

Of course if you believe that indoctrinating children with religion is child abuse then you have to go on to say that indoctrinating them with atheism is also child-abuse. In fact you have to go on to say that indoctrinating them in any way and with any sort of value is child abuse, so let's close down the schools and stop all this indoctrination. Don't indoctrinate your children into road safety - let them find out for themselves what it's like to go under a lorry. I know people who take their child up a football match and indoctrinate them into supporting that team. How terrible that such child-abuse goes on! And for goodness sake don't let your children read books or they might get indoctrinated. And of course the greatest indoctrinater of all is the media. Do no Facebook, Television or Internet, have we got that clear?
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SW-User
also how is atheism indoctrination? it's the statement that 'I don't know and won't believe until there is evidence'. I don't see the point.
Speedyman · 70-79, M
Of course atheism is indoctrination. Why do you think the communists in Soviet Russia had special classes for children in which they indoctrinated them with atheism?@SW-User
Phire1 · 51-55, F
@Speedyman Why does Atheism seem to be a threat to you?
Speedyman · 70-79, M
Atheism is not a threat to me because it is untrue. But you missed the irony of my statement in that some in the new atheist movement consider teaching children religion child abuse while they do not consider teaching children atheism child-abuse also. I'm just trying to point out the double standard of these idiots@Phire1
SW-User
@Speedyman indoctrination is when you tell them what to believe. telling someone to check for evidence and seeking evidence before they believe anything is the opposite of indoctrination if anything. how do you manage to mix the two?
Speedyman · 70-79, M
And don't the new atheists tell people what to believe when there is no proof of their own beliefs? Didn't Richard Dawkins have a television programme telling people how atheism was the way forward? Sounds like indoctrination to me @SW-User
SW-User
@Speedyman what did Dawkins say? believe in atheism? don't be ridiculous. asking someone to be an atheist is asking them to seek scientific evidence before arriving at any conclusion.
Phire1 · 51-55, F
@Speedyman Using Dawkins as an example for every Atheist is kinda strange. Also, to my understanding, (most) Atheists would not disown their kids for becoming religious/theist like many religious/theists have and do of their own kids/family members
Speedyman · 70-79, M
Of course he does. You cannot use scientific evidence to prove or disprove God but Dawkins asks people to be atheists without giving them any evidence@SW-User
SW-User
@Speedyman man, I don't think you're getting the point. He is not asking you to believe anything. He is asking you to not believe things that there aren't scientific evidence for. the religions are very much contrary to scientific evidence.
newjaninev2 · 56-60, F
@Speedyman [quote]don't the new atheists tell people what to believe[/quote]

No.
How would that work?
Speedyman · 70-79, M
It was actually Dawkins who said that teaching children religion was a form of child-abuse. Don't worry I have known people to design their kids because they become theists when they themselves are atheists. I have a friend who was thrown out of his house by his father because he became a Christian. To use generalisations is a form of reductionism which is not helpful. Of course there are some religions who do disown their kids if they stray from the path of the religion but there are also atheists who do that. Under some communist regimes atheists removed children from their parents because the parents were believers. Of course it is on fair to say all atheists do that just as it is unfair to say all theists disown children @Phire1
SW-User
@Speedyman there's a disproportionately large number of theists who would do that, it's just statistics. you can hardly give an example of an atheist doing such a thing. numbers mean nothing to you?
Speedyman · 70-79, M
They had a big notice on the side of a bus telling people there is no God. Isn't this telling people what to believe?@newjaninev2
Speedyman · 70-79, M
Atheist regimes killed about 100 million people last century. Can you match that?@SW-User
newjaninev2 · 56-60, F
@Speedyman I think you might be conflating politics and religion
SW-User
@Speedyman Your argument is like a father of two killed stray dogs, so fathers are dog killers. No I can't match that level of stupidity, not today.
Phire1 · 51-55, F
@Speedyman Cite credible sources about said Atheist regimes that did such
Phire1 · 51-55, F
@Speedyman What's wrong with a notice on the side of a bus stating there is no God when theists post their views Everywhere
Speedyman · 70-79, M
All over the Soviet bloc it happens. During certain pages in China children had their ear drums knocked out with chopsticks because their parents were believers. Why has the church in China had to go underground for so many years? Why did the atheist Albanian regime try to wipe out religion completely? Visit the prisons in east Germany where Christians were toetured for their faith? @Phire1
newjaninev2 · 56-60, F
@Speedyman [quote]a big notice on the side of a bus[/quote]

Didn't it say 'there's [i]probably[/i] no god'?
Speedyman · 70-79, M
I am not saying that they should not have a right to do it, it's just that when they do it the atheists call it indoctrination. When some Christians put a similar notice on a bus that there was a God the atheists protested it was indoctrination. . @Phire1
Speedyman · 70-79, M
Yes it is a statement which is indoctrination. They are trying to indoctrinate people. Else why would they put a notice on the bus? @newjaninev2
newjaninev2 · 56-60, F
@Speedyman Fascist and Communist régimes insist on complete control by, and obeisance towards, the State. They're not concerned about religion [i]per se...[/i] they just don't want any competition.
Phire1 · 51-55, F
@Speedyman If you're referring to Hitler (as many theists do), he was Catholic
Speedyman · 70-79, M
No Hitler was not a catholic. He pretended to be religious until he came to power. I knew a former member of the Hitler youth who explained the Fuhrer!/ so called 'religious' views were a sham. . Once in office, Hitler and his regime sought to reduce the influence of Christianity on society.[@Phire1