Mental child abuse

In our first world culture at least, we strongly disapprove of physically abusing children – starving them or sexually exploiting them or severely beating them. Try that in America or Europe and you will be arrested and prosecuted, if you aren’t lynched first by angry parents.

So how come we let people mentally abuse our children in the name of religion? How come we let them terrify our little children with images of hellfire and damnation? How come we let them implant guilt feelings and feelings of unworthiness and sinfulness into our children that will haunt them for the rest of their lives? How come we let them teach our daughters that they are less important than our sons? How come we let them teach our children that there are questions they don’t dare ask and thoughts they don’t dare explore?

I don’t doubt that these teachers sincerely believe what they teach, but that is no excuse. I’m sure the priests who ran the Spanish Inquisition were sincere in their beliefs as they tortured and burned dissenters. I’m sure the 9/11 terrorists were sincere in their beliefs, and the daily suicide bombers around the world are sincere in their beliefs. But that sincerity doesn’t make them right or justify their actions.

If we were good parents we wouldn’t allow people do this to our young children. It’s wrong. It’s child abuse!