Do atheists indocrinate their children into their belief system?

[S.A.M.]

SAM, you can educate your children about whatever you like.

Thats very generous of you. Unfortunately some secular humanists are concerned that indoctrinating children with the thiest parents beliefs diminishes the childs propensity for atheism and is child abuse. Clearly as a victim of abuse at the hands of my ignorant parents, I am not equipped to make these decisions.

 

[(Q)]

So...yes, I would say that athiest parents do indeed indoctrinate their children.

Indoctrination: teaching someone to accept doctrines uncritically.

So, if your parents demanded you to accept whatever they said, uncritically, that would be indoctrination. Is that the case?

 

[S.A.M.]

Don't tell them stories to scare them about non-existent demons and spirits that watch you everywhere.

Can I tell them that atheists have a tendency to turn into genocidal mass murderers?

Due to a lack of moral values and any creed to guide them?

They don't have to accept it uncritically of course, I could show them pictures of What Atheists Did.

 

[wsionynw]

Thats very generous of you. Unfortunately some secular humanists are concerned that indoctrinating children with the thiest parents beliefs diminishes the childs propensity for atheism and is child abuse. Clearly as a victim of abuse at the hands of my ignorant parents, I am not equipped to make these decisions.

Interesting, so do you resent your parents indoctrinating you into the Muslim faith?

Anyway, it's not true that all children taught to believe in a religion by their parents carry that belief for the rest of their lives.

 

[wsionynw]

Can I tell them that atheists have a tendency to turn into genocidal mass murderers?

Due to a lack of moral values and any creed to guide them?

They don't have to accept it uncritically of course, I could show them pictures of What Atheists Did.

You can tell them that, and tell them it's also true of theists.

 

[Avatar]

Mhm, Bible is full of God sanctioned mass murder.

 

[S.A.M.]

Interesting, so do you resent your parents indoctrinating you into the Muslim faith?
.

No I resent having my parents being called child abusers by an ignorant ****wit.

Anyway, it's not true that all children taught to believe in a religion by their parents carry that belief for the rest of their lives

Yeah, my parents have always been pretty secular in their outlook. Fortunately, they taught me neither dogma nor prejudice. And often, were quite insistent in opposing my views. Which defines them as child abusers, apparently, since presumably I should have known better if they had just let me loose to make my own way.

You can tell them that, and tell them it's also true of theists.

The theists were obeying God, of course, the atheists were clearly just insane.

 

[SnakeLord]

Unfortunately some secular humanists are concerned that indoctrinating children with the thiest parents beliefs diminishes the childs propensity for atheism and is child abuse.

The issue, when there is one, comes in the form of forced indoctrination into a specific religious belief. There is a vast difference between education and indoctrination. It's nothing to do with "diminishing the childs propensity for atheism", which is perhaps the most nonsensical statement I have seen you make since, well, at least yesterday.

This entire thread you have been arguing for choices for children, that an atheist family should indeed open their children to theism. The same argument would mean that theist families should open their children to other religious beliefs, as well of course as atheism. You have seemingly been trying to imply that not doing so would be abuse, and yet here seem to whine against the idea. Bizarre.

 

[Syzygys]

Can I tell them that atheists have a tendency to turn into genocidal mass murderers?

There are so many things wrong with this question that we should revoke your internet access...
(since you obviously don't use it for education)

 

[GeoffP]

Indoctrination: teaching someone to accept doctrines uncritically.

So, if your parents demanded you to accept whatever they said, uncritically, that would be indoctrination. Is that the case?

If you're implying he gave no reasons, then obviously not. But theists give reasons for their children to believe in God also. It's a fair comparison.

 

[Avatar]

The theists were obeying God, of course, the atheists were clearly just insane.

Obeying voices in their head is generally seen as insane.

During my psychiatry studies such cases were frequent. One man nearly killed his neighbour with an axe because God had told him that his neighbour is the next Antichrist and that he must save the world and kill him.

 

[spidergoat]

Atheism lacks moral values because it's a philosophical position. Atheists themselves do not typically lack moral values.

 

[S.A.M.]

The issue, when there is one, comes in the form of forced indoctrination into a specific religious belief. There is a vast difference between education and indoctrination. It's nothing to do with "diminishing the childs propensity for atheism", which is perhaps the most nonsensical statement I have seen you make since, well, at least yesterday.

This entire thread you have been arguing for choices for children, that an atheist family should indeed open their children to theism. The same argument would mean that theist families should open their children to other religious beliefs, as well of course as atheism. You have seemingly been trying to imply that not doing so would be abuse, and yet here seem to whine against the idea. Bizarre.

I'm arguing against an ideology that cherry picks what some thiests do and applies it to all thiests (I hear it quite frequently addressed to me) quite happily ignoring the fact that athiests are not exempt from it.

 

[GeoffP]

BTW:

Indoctrination: the process of teaching a partisan or sectarian point of view.

www.gssm.k12.sc.us/gssmweb2/English/invisible.html

You didn't mention that one in your comment. Or how about:

Indoctrination is instruction in the fundamentals of a system of belief (such as a philosophy or religion).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indoctrination

Is atheism neither a philosophy or system of belief?

Best

Geoff

 

[S.A.M.]

Obeying voices in their head is generally seen as insane.

During my psychiatry studies such cases were frequent. One man nearly killed his neighbour with an axe because God had told him that his neighbour is the next Antichrist and that he must save the world and kill him.

So do atheists hear voices in their head? Or do they just get a god complex, pick up a gun and shoot people to cull them from the gene pool?

 

[GeoffP]

Obeying voices in their head is generally seen as insane.

During my psychiatry studies such cases were frequent. One man nearly killed his neighbour with an axe because God had told him that his neighbour is the next Antichrist and that he must save the world and kill him.

Other men kill people because they say their dogs tell them to.

Solution: ban dogs?

Geoff

 

[Avatar]

Other men kill people because they say their dogs tell them to.

Solution: ban dogs?

Geoff

No, don't imply that only atheists are mass murderers.

 

[spidergoat]

Atheistic responses to religion that include murder do not derive from atheism, unlike specific directions within religion to murder, such as stoning for adultery. If you can find an example of murder due to atheism where another ideology like Marxism is not present, I would like to hear it.

 

[SnakeLord]

I'm arguing against an ideology that cherry picks what some thiests do and applies it to all thiests (I hear it quite frequently addressed to me) quite happily ignoring the fact that athiests are not exempt from it.

Most certainly not. Of course to be honest with you I have yet to meet one parent that has 'indoctrinated their children into atheism'. Yet the opposite is quite well observed as you will no doubt be aware - and yet, you are the one that seems to be adopting double standards. It is ok for you to instruct your child in the matter of Islam and Islam alone, but when it comes to an atheist you whine like a sissy pants if they don't force their children into forms of worship. Bizarre.

 

[wsionynw]

No I resent having my parents being called child abusers by an ignorant ****wit.
Yeah, my parents have always been pretty secular in their outlook. Fortunately, they taught me neither dogma nor prejudice. And often, were quite insistent in opposing my views. Which defines them as child abusers, apparently, since presumably I should have known better if they had just let me loose to make my own way.
The theists were obeying God, of course, the atheists were clearly just insane.

Teaching a child about religion is not abuse. Denying them access to material, activities, people, etc, based on the parent's prejudices is a form of abuse.

I'll teach my son to live and let live, to treat people as you would wish them to treat you. I think most parents would agree with me.