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Is Teaching Children They Might Go to Hell Child Abuse?
- Thread starter Sunstone
- Start date
I would not call it "abuse" to simply teach the hell-concept to children; I WOULD call it abuse if the concept is shoved in their faces and down their throats, to the point where the only reason they believe in the God of their teachers is to stay out of hell.
averageJOE
zombie
I think "child abuse" is a little too harsh. I don't consider it child abuse, I consider it to be teaching your children to be ignorant. You'd basically be telling your children WHAT to think rather than HOW to think.
I think it would be more productive to tell your children "This is what Christianity believes...and as you get older you will come to your own conclusions."
I would never tell my kids "Did you break the lamp? Don't lie to me! Remember where God sends liars?" Nor would I tell my kid who asks why those two men are kissing "Because they are heathen homosexuals. And heathen homosexuals burn in hell for eternity. So don't become one!"
I think it would be more productive to tell your children "This is what Christianity believes...and as you get older you will come to your own conclusions."
I would never tell my kids "Did you break the lamp? Don't lie to me! Remember where God sends liars?" Nor would I tell my kid who asks why those two men are kissing "Because they are heathen homosexuals. And heathen homosexuals burn in hell for eternity. So don't become one!"
monta
.
I think it is wrong to teach a child that they are bad, or to paint any kind of grisly picture of torment that will contaminate a forming mind, but if they don't think that they are bad then introducing hell as an abstract concept is no more abusive, than introducing the concept of prison. kids love a good morality story and relish people getting their come uppance, in my experience, probably something to do with not having a huge amount of power.
No more so than telling children that if they are naughty Santa Claus wont come to them.
Breathe
Hostis humani generis
I don't think it's child abuse, but I think it's not healthy for a child - hell is something I think that should not be added into a religion until later on (though I see contradictions in a loving deity and hell) - telling it to three or four year olds for example, would be awful - but a lot of them probably wouldn't actually truly comprehend what "Hell" was and how long people are supposed to be there.
Telling slightly older kids is still something I would find unsavoury, too, and I don't think this kind of thing should be talked about until about 13 or something like that, if you're going to bring it up at all.
During my Christian years, I was an annihilationist, so I got myself out of that problem.
That was before I lost my faith in Christianity tho.
Are you saying there's no difference between telling a kid they will be tortured for eternity and telling a kid they will miss out on some presents at Christmas? I'm not arguing with you. I'm just seeking clarification.
whereismynotecard
Treasure Hunter
I don't know if it is child abuse... It's definately an *** hole thing to do. It might be considered mentally or emotionally abusive, but seriously, who here wasn't mentally or emtoinally abused by one of their parents?
Are you saying that you believe it's alright to tell a kid they are going to hell because everyone, in your view, has been mentally or emotionally abused by at least one of their parents?
Father Heathen
Veteran Member
It's not very healthy emotionally or psychologically.
sandandfoam
Veteran Member
Depends on a given child's understanding of hell doesn't it?
It might be on the same level as telling a child they're going to the silly corner.
Caladan
Agnostic Pantheist
I believe so. I dont think 'grown ups' realize just how fragile children are, with some being extra sensitive. the mind of the child takes shapes and forms during childhood that will escort them the rest of their lives.
So yes, I think that pushing kids to believe about the possibility of people ending up in a place like hell is grotesque.
whereismynotecard
Treasure Hunter
Nope. I'm saying it's an ******* thing to do, but that most people who are mentally or emotionally abusive to their children never get in trouble for it because there is no physical evidence and most people don't even think of such a thing as a crime, since it's only words. I'm saying that it sucks, but there's not much you can do about it.
Thanks for the clarification.
Although some parents who believe that for the good of the child, might suggest that they will go to hell if they are bad, I don't think that there are too many parents who paint for their child, the mental image of a soul burning forever in the flames of hell where they will be tormented and tortured until the ends of all time.
But as to your question, the answer is no, I believe that if parents chastise their children for being bad, by clipping them around the ear, this would be worse than a slap on the bottom, but I don't believe that either punishment is child abuse. Spare the rod and spoil the child; We will suffer physically or mentally for every wrong doing as we live our lives on this earth, and it is through the pain and anguish caused by our sin and mistakes that we evolve in knowledge, wisdon and insight.
Erebus
Well-Known Member
I had quite a liberal Christian upbringing and was taught that only really terrible people went to hell (murderers and the like) so the concept of hell didn't scare me as a young child.
When I got to about 13-14 however I found our copy of the Bible and read it cover to cover. Now that scared the s*** out of me and made me incredibly unhappy and anxious for quite some time, not just because I thought I might go to hell, but because I knew that with the huge amount of laws set in the Bible that, despite being good people, my family ignored, I realised that everybody I loved would be going to hell if the Bible was to be believed.
Pretty soon after this I lost my faith. I figured that even if the God of the bible did exist I wanted nothing to do with him...
... where was I? oh yes, is teaching children about hell child abuse...
Hopefully my example shows that teaching children about Hell isn't always harmful, it's only when a kid is taught that nearly everybody goes to Hell that it's going to cause some real trauma.
Who Will Jesus Damn?
Here is a partial list from just a few scripture verses:
Hypocrites (Matthew 24:51), The Unforgiving (Mark 11:26), Homosexuals (Romans 1:26, 27), Fornicators (Romans 1:29), The Wicked (Romans 1:29), The Covetous (Romans 1:29), The Malicious (Romans 1:29), The Envious (Romans 1:29), Murderers (Romans 1:29), The Deceitful (Romans 1:29), Backbiters (Romans 1:30), Haters of God (Romans 1:30), The Despiteful (Romans 1:30), The Proud (Romans 1:30), Boasters (Romans 1:30), Inventors of evil (Romans 1:30), Disobedient to parents (Romans 1:30), Covenant breakers (Romans 1:31), The Unmerciful (Romans 1:31), The Implacable (Romans 1:31), The Unrighteous (1Corinthians 6:9), Idolaters (1Corinthians 6:9), Adulterers (1Corinthians 6:9), The Effeminate (1Corinthians 6:9), Thieves (1Corinthians 6:10), Drunkards (1Corinthians 6:10), Reviler (1Corinthians 6:10), Extortioners (1Corinthians 6:10), The Fearful (Revelation 21:8), The Unbelieving (Revelation 21:8), The Abominable (Revelation 21:8), Whoremongers (Revelation 21:8), Sorcerers (Revelation 21:8), All Liars (Revelation 21:8)
Courtesy of the Landover Baptist website (yes I'm aware they're a spoof site, but unfortunately this list is pretty accurate).
rageoftyrael
Veritas
jerk thing to do, but words have never been considered abuse.
dawny0826
Mother Heathen
I think it depends on the context of the conversation you're having when you begin discussing hell.
I've talked with my children about hell before but no one in my household has been told that they might go to hell.
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Father Heathen
Veteran Member
Yes, they have. You don't think that a parent telling a child that they're worthless little mistakes and that they wish they were dead should be considered abuse?
monta
.
Don't forget the rich Matthew 19:24