When Should a Care-Giver Teach a Young Child About Hell?

[stvdv]

@Samantha Rinne: That sounds very healthy, thank you. I never think about hell. Did a bit today, but reading your chapter made me much more happy

 

[idav]

When, if ever, should a care-giver teach a young child (seven or younger) about hell in such a fashion that the child might come to believe they could be subjected to eternal torment?

A better time to even attempt teaching kids about Gods eternal love and mercy for things like global flood genocide and eternal torment, is when they stop believing in Santa Claus.

 

[Mock Turtle]

I hate this "religion is child abuse" crap. Suppose we said forcing a child with joy of life to see the world as a cynical secular type who always sees death as the end, and sees alot of loved ones dying. Which of these is abuse?

Crap? Harsh - how about not being true. When you can definitely provide the truth of any religion then many of us might back off! Until then, the religious are the ones doing the abuse - as in not providing the truth for children when they are incapable of defending themselves. You'd rather see a life of fairy tales? It's quite simple - just don't teach them about religions until they are old enough to question such teaching.

Edit: See this thread:

Why might religious teaching of the young be classed as abuse?

 

[djhwoodwerks]

When I see that a large number of people disagree with some position I hold, it makes me stop and think, “hmm - maybe they have a good reason for disagreeing with me. I should check out their position and see if there’s anything to it.” You don’t do this?

Does the amount of people that believe something make it more true? I should base my belief on the majority consensus?

 

[Mock Turtle]

Does the amount of people that believe something make it more true? I should base my belief on the majority consensus?

Quite. It's a common fallacy.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Does the amount of people that believe something make it more true? I should base my belief on the majority consensus?

No. Did you read my post? It seems like you didn't get my point.

 

[Ponder This]

When, if ever, should a care-giver teach a young child (seven or younger) about hell in such a fashion that the child might come to believe they could be subjected to eternal torment?

I don't know that it is necessary to teach children about Hell, but I also don't think the notion that they could suffer eternal torment is an obstacle to the teaching about Hell.
You might ask when is it best to teach children about death. That a child will come to believe that they could die is not an obstacle to the teaching.

So really the question is better phrased: How should you go about teaching children? and not if you should.
One way to teach a child would be instill them them with a deep abiding fear that will pursue them the rest of their lives. Is that necessary? Maybe it's just better to teach them as the question arises. In fact, it may even be that we (as "adults") will gain new fresh insight into these questions by allowing our children to express naturally their own inquisitive nature.