Is Forcing Religion On Children Child Abuse?

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Most people get religion in their youth, usually because of their parents. Thus the children of Mormons usually grow up to be Mormons, the children of Muslims Grow up to be Muslims, the children of Evangelicals grow up to be Evangelical Christians and so on. Sometimes an adult will convert to a religion, of course, usually for emotional, irrational reasons, but even in those cases (e.g., a lapsed Catholic who becomes saved by inviting Jesus into his heart and then adopts fundamentalist Protestantism) the person grew up in an atmosphere of belief where they were told God exists, Jesus (the Catholic Jesus) is real, etc. But what would happen if children were allowed to eventually make up their own minds when old enough to really reflect on the questions involved?

When I was a child I was a natural skeptic. My Dad became "born again" after my parents divorced, and on weekends when my sister and I stayed with him, we were subjected to church on Sunday. I always hated church of any kind, the whole thing was boring or silly to me, and I would ask questions about it. But not too many questions. I was very close to my dad, and as a small child you naturally believe what a parent tells you (how could they be wrong?) so I accepted the whole scheme for quite some time until I grew out of it. But even in those days I remember my doubts. My dad got involved with the Pentecostal movement, the tongues speaking, prophesying religion. I can recall a late night adults-in-a-circle speaking in tongues session during which I fell asleep on the floor of the house of worship. I thought to myself well, it must all be true, because how could they be talking like that if Jesus isn't real?. I was too young and ignorant to understand that the phenomena of glossolalia was just a bunch of gibberish.

The truth is though, that that's how religions perpetuate themselves, and those that don't eventually die out (as happened with the sex-forbidding, no procreation allowed, Shakers). That movement is a real world example of what happens when there are no children to indoctrinate with the faith.

But if God, Jesus, and Allah are real beings, why feel the need to force belief on kids? Wouldn't the overwhelming truth of the One True Faith overcome all objections? Wouldn't its reality be obvious, without cramming it down the throat of an innocent child? And if faith is so important to the idea of salvation, shouldn't parents want their offspring to see the truth of it all on their own? How valid can "saving" faith be when it's not a matter of real, unencumbered choice?

If parents routinely forced children to smoke and drink before adulthood, potentially polluting their young lungs and livers, most would consider it child abuse. How is polluting young minds with irrationality any different?

He really was dying inside

In my interview with George, I mentioned a little incident regarding an acquaintance who thought he had something wrong with him. I told him everyone had pains (and I think they do) but he went to the doctor anyway. Turns out he wasn't in the best shape. He had an infection and high blood pressure and was told by his doctor to stop smoking and drinking. He did stop and is now on the patch. Someone nearby mentioned that they also had stopped smoking (this is a young man, just in his twenties) and felt, after a couple of weeks of coughing up black stuff, as if he now had a third lung and was able to run and climb stairs like someone his age. The dangers of second (and now in the news, even third) hand smoke came up, but the first guy, Mr. Patch, said he still favors smokers' rights. In other words, just because he himself has stopped, he hasn't suddenly become an anti-smoking Nazi.

The discussion turned to the news that California, broke and out of money, will issue IOUs soon to those it owes money, including taxpayers due income tax refunds.

"Well," said Patch, "then I guess I'll issue them a promise to file my return later."

We talked of the money the state is wasting, and how if we as citizens fail to pay our tax on time, the state comes after us, often with a vengeance. California doesn't except IOUs when it's your turn to pay them, not even if you're broke and out of money. The subject of cans and bottles and California's CRV tax came up next. I don't buy my bottled water in California anymore for the simple reason that I'm now charged $1.20 extra per case of 24 (used to be about $1.00). In Arizona there isn't such a politically correct tax on cans and bottles, so I buy them in AZ. Everyone agreed the CRV fee was evil.

These young men (no women in this conversation, though from hearing some of their opinions previously, the females nearby lean toward busybody totalitarianism) all supported Obama in the recent election, mostly because of the Iraq war and the erosion of civil liberties under Bush, and yet they have an instinct for liberty and personal freedom deep within. Too bad the Republican party doesn't even pretend to stand for such values anymore. A lot more of such young people might have found a reason to support them if they did.

"They Took The Beach Away From Me"

I don't smoke and I've never consumed alcohol on the beach, but I had a conversation with someone who enjoys smoking and drinking while at the seashore. "They took the beach away from me," he said. How so? I asked him. "Well, I like to take a lawn chair, a pack of cigarettes, and an ice chest full of beer and sit on the beach listening to the radio." He then said he has stopped going to the beach because that was what he liked to do there. Was he harming anyone by his beach activities? I don't see how. He happens to be a fairly quiet, nice guy, who when he's not working enjoys growing tomatoes on his back patio. But because some people think, due to their personal preferences, that "there otta be a law," he can no longer engage in a leisure activity that was harming no one without risking being harassed, fined or possibly arrested by the police. Thanks Big Daddy government worshipers (you know who you are) for helping to ruin someone's innocent pleasures once again.
You see, alcohol and smoking have been turned into illegal activities at San Diego beaches. Someone might "get hurt" by, for example, second hand smoke, even though open air smoking doesn't even present an aesthetic unpleasantness the way smoking indoors does. Look at the words on the ridiculous sign in the photo above: "To protect the health and safety of residents and visitors, please keep City beaches and parks ... smoke-free." If it wasn't such a perfect example of the constantly encroaching Nanny State, it would be knee-slapping hilarious. Come to think of it, it is still pretty funny, and another example of politically liberal do-gooders run amok.