Paul Kemp wrote:Unfortunately, this petition is only for the U.K but I think something like this should be started here, too.
http://www.stopthenightmares.org.uk/Repeatedly threatening children with brutal torture in the form of eternal damnation is psychological child abuse, and has extremely negative, long-term effects on their mental health. It's bullying, it's disgusting, and we need to put a stop to it.
http://richarddawkins.net/article,2703,n,n
Do parents have the right to scare the bejesus out of their kids in the name of their God de jour?
Hi Paul, you've certainly riled the waters with your very simple and direct, non-prejudicial question. Unless folks believe simply asking questions, though possibly tinged, is in fact edicting a law, without due process?? From the article referred to above:
We would not tolerate it if religion were not involved. Every year millions of children suffer nightmares, depression, chronic fear and the detrimental long term effects of being repeatedly threatened with torture. This is not a trivial issue, and it needs to be addressed. Religions in the UK routinely threaten and bully people of all ages in their attempts to evangelise. Religious schools describe the dreadful physical tortures that will be inflicted on children as young as 5 if they do not do as they are told, and believe what they are told. Street preachers threaten passers by with dreadful fates in the hope that they will be terrified into signing up. An atheist behaving like this would be arrested and fined, yet our society tolerates this behaviour from members of numerous religions as though it were perfectly acceptable.
Seems in Jolly-olde, you have the same rights/rites as we do in North America. Imagine that, eh. The right to opinions, to advocate, protest, question questions and, to get bloody-angry to the point of going public with an issue that offends one. The purpose being to see if that issue ofends others. Tis a good process...Magna Carta and all that good stuff, long before there was a Caucasion America...
I expect, little did you know how seriously is taken the ancient British credo, "An English man's home is HIS castle!" in Ye good olde USA, eh?
Interesting this comes on the heels of FLDSism being raided by the Law Folks of Texas, with not a lot of public sympathy... Back to the question of fear-mongering children: Tis an ancient tradition, recall Grimes Fairy Tales :-). It is the bottom pedogogical rung that most folks teach from.
In their state of ignorance--"...it worked for me..."--it is simply applied from one generation to another. Until some one questioned: child-labour, education as a right--not a privilege, physical abuse of women and children, water-fountains of your choice, etc. etc...
Personally, i think it advisable to eliminate severe psyche intrusions on children, youth AND older folks. THE key is EDUCATION not indoctrination. Actually i'm quite surprised by the negative responses of some posters here. I expected a little less reactionism. But what ya sees is what ya gets.
It does help, "getting to know you...Getting to know all about you..." from some old song...
Six pages in a very few days! Makes it an exceptionally good topic! Congrats Paul! Warm regards, Roger