Is Teaching Kids About Hell Child Abuse? (gospel, tradition, myths)

[Scott C.]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

Is it child abuse to terrify a kid with tales of hell and damnation? Why or why not?

I believe heaven and hell are real and the way we live our lives impacts where we go in the next life. I won't go into all of the details of my LDS beliefs right now. But, I think there are certainly better ways than others to teach our children of heaven and hell. I'm not interested in trying to motivate my children to choose good by giving them horrifying threats of what God will do to them if they don't. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is "good news" and this is what we should emphasize to our children. Now, I will add that as an LDS, I see hell as having purpose to help people to repent, progress, and grow and to eventually be redeemed (released) from hell. In that sense, there is a positive spin to the idea of hell. All things are done by a loving God for the benefit of His children, in my view.

[Bouncing Ball]

They taught me about hell and I grew up perfectly fine. It's not child abuse..

[w00t]

Scaring children with hell-fire is spiritual abuse and should be illegal in the way physical and sexual abuse is. I was abused in this way as a child and suffered constant nightmares as I visualised myself burning in hell. All the while I hated the monster God who could do that to anyone, however bad!

[doppelgänger]

It is inevitable that religious mythology be taught to children in at least some concrete terms. "Santa Claus is really making his list and checking it twice, so be nice." But sooner or later the process of arriving at adulthood requires an individual to take some sort of journey of self-discovery to craft one's values, and ultimately come to grips with reality that Santa Claus is not concrete. But that growth also means understanding what "Santa Claus" represents and that even if Santa isn't real, the experience of the "Spirit of Christmas" very much is spiritually real (and no, it has nothing to do with shopping).

To accept the childhood metaphor as the end of that journey - as a concrete truth in and of itself, rather than the starting point for a journey of self-discovery - is to remain in a state of arrested spiritual development.

[GabrielWithoutWings]

I never really understood the concept of Hell when it was explained to me as a child, just as I never understood the concept of God, either.

I would teach a child that there is a consequence for every single action you take, whether good or bad, and that they are responsible for their own actions.

I wouldn't teach about Hell no more than I'd teach them about the Boogie Man (my mother loved this one).

[Sola'lor]

We're talking about Santa Claus again. Where's FFH?

[doppelgänger]

Originally Posted by Sola'lor

We're talking about Santa Claus again. Where's FFH?

No. We are talking about "Santa Claus."

[kai]

we are not talking about teaching children right from wrong here, we are not using it to tell them off for being naughty , its indoctrination we are telling them they will go here
Hell (infernus) is a place of eternal punishment after death for the damned, and for demons

The reality of eternal Hell after death is very clear in the Bible and the Koran, and the believe of most of 3,000 million people today on earth.
The Holy Bible is quite explicit in teaching the eternity of the horrible pains of Hell. The torments of the damned shall last forever and ever (Matt.25:46, Rev.14:11, 19:3, 20:10). They are everlasting just as are the joys of Heaven (Matt.25:46).

especially if they are not good christians or muslims, not if they are naughty

[Don Penguinoini]

I dont think most kids would find it too bad, but some kids would find it disgusting.

I think it is terrifying to to teach children about that sort of stuff.