Chiristianity can be harmful to children.

[Twilight Hue]

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-secular-life/201408/does-christianity-harm-children

Is it a good idea to expose young impressionable children to depictions of violence and cruelty?

The articles interesting because I remember when I was a kid and first saw the crucifixion that scene pretty much haunted me for many years joining the proverbial monster under the bed and the Boogeyman in the closet.

Do religions such as Christianity in this case have a responsibility to not terrorize their children prior to their understanding of what death, execution, and human brutality is.

While I do think it's unhealthy to unrealistically cloister children in a protective shell away from things like this, I do think there should be a discernment of when something is introduced too fast and too soon before kids have a proper understanding of what they're seeing and hearing.

What do you think? Should children be exposed right away to the fact that the real world is not a nice and kind place? Or should people wait till they develop an understanding first, so they're not unduly traumatized with something they don't completely understand yet?

It does strike me as a bit strange when you have children sing about Jesus loves me and all that and then walk into a room where all they see is their object of affection nailed to a cross with blood and thorns and a spear wound all with blood streaming out of it.

For all people exposed to Christianity as children, what did the crucifixion do to you at a young age when you first saw it?

 

[BSM1]

As a product of a Christian childhood which included a father as an aspiring preacher before he died, I think that adults grossly overestimate the ability of children to understand the concepts of the meaning and visual impact of the crucifixion. It took me many years after I left the stranglehold of the church to put some true meaning to my beliefs. And, yes, like you I had a problem in actually looking at a crucifixion depiction (and don't even get me started at the dichotomy I felt when singing "Onward Christian Soldiers" while saluting the Christian battle flag).

 

[shmogie]

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-secular-life/201408/does-christianity-harm-children

Is it a good idea to expose young impressionable children to depictions of violence and cruelty?

The articles interesting because I remember when I was a kid and first saw the crucifixion that scene pretty much haunted me for many years joining the proverbial monster under the bed and the Boogeyman in the closet.

Do religions such as Christianity in this case have a responsibility to not terrorize their children prior to their understanding of what death, execution, and human brutality is.

While I do think it's unhealthy to unrealistically cloister children in a protective shell away from things like this, I do think there should be a discernment of when something is introduced too fast and too soon before kids have a proper understanding of what they're seeing and hearing.

What do you think? Should children be exposed right away to the fact that the real world is not a nice and kind place? Or should people wait till they develop an understanding first, so they're not unduly traumatized with something they don't completely understand yet?

It does strike me as a bit strange when you have children sing about Jesus loves me and all that and then walk into a room where all they see is their object of affection nailed to a cross with blood and thorns and a spear wound all with blood streaming out of it.

For all people exposed to Christianity as children, what did the crucifixion do to you at a young age when you first saw it?

You are attempting to create a tempest in a teapot.

I was raised in a Christian family and raised my children in the faith.

Being a Protestant, I cannot speak for Catholics, I have a view but it isn't relevant to my response.,

There are always exceptions, but my children and I were taught the love of Christ, universal and for all people.

Bible story books for young children did not address the Crucifixion, they were not exposed to the story of the Crucifixion except in the most general and innocuous terms, there were no statutes, or pictures of it to which they were exposed.

By about age 10, my children, and I began learning of the concepts of atonement, a fallen world, and finally the crucifixion and how it was a critical and ultimate expression of the love of God.

Healthy deliberate and responsible exposure to reality

 

[shmogie]

As a product of a Christian childhood which included a father as an aspiring preacher before he died, I think that adults grossly overestimate the ability of children to understand the concepts of the meaning and visual impact of the crucifixion. It took me many years after I left the stranglehold of the church to put some true meaning to my beliefs. And, yes, like you I had a problem in actually looking at a crucifixion depiction (and don't even get me started at the dichotomy I felt when singing "Onward Christian Soldiers" while saluting the Christian battle flag).

Christian battle flag ? All Christians are in a battle with spiritual evil and are soldiers in that war. Metaphor, right ?

 

[metis]

Religion is a lot like having a car that can be used for good or bad. Catholicism teaches both good and bad things may happen but that we shouldn't be doing the bad ourselves. Now, exactly what's "good" or "bad" can be and has been debated, so there's definite room for disagreement.

I think young kids need to be somewhat sheltered when they're young, but by the time they're young adults they also need to be realistic about what's happening. IOW, we can be too sheltering, but we also can be too uncaring as parents as well, plus each child is different, so the "one size fits all" approach all too often doesn't work out too well. As an example, we have three "kids" (and eight grandkids), and yet they are all different from each other but fortunately are very compassionate towards all, and I have no doubt whatsoever that the Church very much has helped us and them to make them that way, especially my wife whose been a very devout Catholic all her life.

 

[icehorse]

Is it a good idea to expose young impressionable children to depictions of violence and cruelty?

It might have been necessary for survival two thousand years ago, but now it's counter-productive.

Christianity offers a small handful of good moral teachings, and a large basketful of bad and/or incomprehensible moral teachings.

Would we teach children that sometimes 2+2 = 5? We would not. Not if we wanted healthy children. Christianity's messages make growing up harder, not easier. That some of you individuals claim it didn't harm you personally makes little difference. I would say that if you are in fact healthy (I'm happy to grant you that), then you're healthy in spite of Christianity, not because of it.

 

[osgart]

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-secular-life/201408/does-christianity-harm-children

Is it a good idea to expose young impressionable children to depictions of violence and cruelty?

The articles interesting because I remember when I was a kid and first saw the crucifixion that scene pretty much haunted me for many years joining the proverbial monster under the bed and the Boogeyman in the closet.

Do religions such as Christianity in this case have a responsibility to not terrorize their children prior to their understanding of what death, execution, and human brutality is.

While I do think it's unhealthy to unrealistically cloister children in a protective shell away from things like this, I do think there should be a discernment of when something is introduced too fast and too soon before kids have a proper understanding of what they're seeing and hearing.

What do you think? Should children be exposed right away to the fact that the real world is not a nice and kind place? Or should people wait till they develop an understanding first, so they're not unduly traumatized with something they don't completely understand yet?

It does strike me as a bit strange when you have children sing about Jesus loves me and all that and then walk into a room where all they see is their object of affection nailed to a cross with blood and thorns and a spear wound all with blood streaming out of it.

For all people exposed to Christianity as children, what did the crucifixion do to you at a young age when you first saw it?

It haunted me as a child. Is this what they do to good people, nail em to a cross. I thought it was a brutal way to remember somebody. Later, i admired those that suffer and endure for the right causes. Then finally i came to realize that Romans were often brutal people, and the story was awful fiction.

Being raised Christian left me with a guilt complex. I felt like no matter what i could do no right. There was great pressure to conform, or else.

 

[BSM1]

Christian battle flag ? All Christians are in a battle with spiritual evil and are soldiers in that war. Metaphor, right ?

Nope. Actual flag.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

You gotta love those ultra-gory crucifixes you sometimes find in Catholic churches:
A Gory Crucifix at Basilica of Bom Jesus | Photo

Yeah, it's not really the most positive thing. But I get told that my positive, life-affirming gods are false and demons. Go figure.

 

[Salvador]

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-secular-life/201408/does-christianity-harm-children

Is it a good idea to expose young impressionable children to depictions of violence and cruelty?

The articles interesting because I remember when I was a kid and first saw the crucifixion that scene pretty much haunted me for many years joining the proverbial monster under the bed and the Boogeyman in the closet.

Do religions such as Christianity in this case have a responsibility to not terrorize their children prior to their understanding of what death, execution, and human brutality is.

While I do think it's unhealthy to unrealistically cloister children in a protective shell away from things like this, I do think there should be a discernment of when something is introduced too fast and too soon before kids have a proper understanding of what they're seeing and hearing.

What do you think? Should children be exposed right away to the fact that the real world is not a nice and kind place? Or should people wait till they develop an understanding first, so they're not unduly traumatized with something they don't completely understand yet?

It does strike me as a bit strange when you have children sing about Jesus loves me and all that and then walk into a room where all they see is their object of affection nailed to a cross with blood and thorns and a spear wound all with blood streaming out of it.

For all people exposed to Christianity as children, what did the crucifixion do to you at a young age when you first saw it?

When I first saw an image of the crucifixion, I thought this was merely a symbol of man's inhumanity towards man. I didn't realize then this was a depiction of our Lord and Savior being tortured and rendered unconscious for our sins.

What did you think of the crucifixion when you first saw this image?

 

[shmogie]

Nope. Actual flag.

Oh, I know there is a flag, I am sure that it is simply a Christian emblem. As I recall, the cross is predominant

 

[nPeace]

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-secular-life/201408/does-christianity-harm-children

Is it a good idea to expose young impressionable children to depictions of violence and cruelty?

The articles interesting because I remember when I was a kid and first saw the crucifixion that scene pretty much haunted me for many years joining the proverbial monster under the bed and the Boogeyman in the closet.

Do religions such as Christianity in this case have a responsibility to not terrorize their children prior to their understanding of what death, execution, and human brutality is.

While I do think it's unhealthy to unrealistically cloister children in a protective shell away from things like this, I do think there should be a discernment of when something is introduced too fast and too soon before kids have a proper understanding of what they're seeing and hearing.

What do you think? Should children be exposed right away to the fact that the real world is not a nice and kind place? Or should people wait till they develop an understanding first, so they're not unduly traumatized with something they don't completely understand yet?

It does strike me as a bit strange when you have children sing about Jesus loves me and all that and then walk into a room where all they see is their object of affection nailed to a cross with blood and thorns and a spear wound all with blood streaming out of it.

For all people exposed to Christianity as children, what did the crucifixion do to you at a young age when you first saw it?

Christianity? What is Christianity?
I ask that because I am Christian, and these are not true to what I am taught. So why is this atheistic view taken as true, when they are just his perhaps, observation on a few groups that fall under Christianity?
However, is it what Christianity teaches? What is Christianity?
Why do people say, in one breath say, they are various groups that fall under Christianity, with various different teachings, and then, in another breath, put all the groups in one basket, when speaking of teachings of a few?
Isn't that like taking one or two groups of Atheistic practices, and saying, "Atheist teach this. Atheist teach that."?

Many Christian parents, as well as some religions under the name Christianity, do not expose their children to gore, and if they talk of the Crucifixion, they usually do so, in a way that the child understands, without showing them gore.
For example, the David and Goliath story is very popular, and can be found in Children stories.
I have never in all my year from a child up, seen any gore.
Only in recent time, which glorify gore, have I seen pictures of David lifting the severed head of the giant, but usually, I see this done by adults, many of whom do not worship God.

I think the article is just one full page of anti-Christian propaganda.
On the other hand, he might just be referring to Christianity in mainstream religion, that he is familiar with. So I may be ranting for no reason. Perhaps some do need a good tongue whipping.

Oh, by the way, you should see what some parents are taking their children to see, these days, and crying shame when they are turned away, because of the mature content.

Oops, forgot.
On the question, I think parent ought to know when and how to teach their children, in an age appropriate manner.

 

[GoodbyeDave]

Children are more robust than you think — or they can be, if their parents aren't snowflakes. Think of the folk tales they were raised on in the past! And in a traditional society, they'd be familiar with seeing animals killed and butchered. I'm no friend to Christianity, but this sounds like unnecessary panic.

Admittedly the teaching of Christianity is ridiculous, but so is the pseudo-science of experimental psychology, which the blogger practices…

 

[metis]

Would we teach children that sometimes 2+2 = 5? We would not. Not if we wanted healthy children. Christianity's messages make growing up harder, not easier. That some of you individuals claim it didn't harm you personally makes little difference. I would say that if you are in fact healthy (I'm happy to grant you that), then you're healthy in spite of Christianity, not because of it.

I don't see it as an either/or dichotomy, so any source of basic moral teachings that can help parents was and is well welcomed by my wife and I.

Seems that in today's world we need as parents all the help we can get because there's so many pulls on them to go another way, especially from peer pressure and from sources that teach the kids "If it feels good, just do it!" self-centered approach.

 

[metis]

Perhaps some do need a good tongue whipping.

I really liked that when my wife did it to me.

 

[icehorse]

I don't see it as an either/or dichotomy, so any source of basic moral teachings that can help parents was and is well welcomed by my wife and I.

Seems that in today's world we need as parents all the help we can get because there's so many pulls on them to go another way, especially from peer pressure and from sources that teach the kids "If it feels good, just do it!" self-centered approach.

It just seems to me that in order to get good moral teachings from Christianity you have to do massive cherry picking, no?

 

[metis]

It just seems to me that in order to get good moral teachings from Christianity you have to do massive cherry picking, no?

I would use the term "some" over "massive".

For example, in Catholicism we're not scriptural literalists, plus it's recognized that there's very much a human element to be found within the scriptures. How much varies, but we are not anywhere near as literalistic as most fundamentalist Protestants or JW's for example..

Thus, what one could do as a Catholic would be to take what's in the Sermon On the Mount and pretty much just go with that to get at the inner core of what we should believe and do. I assume you're familiar with that, no?

 

[BSM1]

Oh, I know there is a flag, I am sure that it is simply a Christian emblem. As I recall, the cross is predominant

It is a battle flag. Trust me.

 

[icehorse]

I would use the term "some" over "massive".

For example, in Catholicism we're not scriptural literalists, plus it's recognized that there's very much a human element to be found within the scriptures. How much varies, but we are not anywhere near as literalistic as most fundamentalist Protestants or JW's for example..

Thus, what one could do as a Catholic would be to take what's in the Sermon On the Mount and pretty much just go with that to get at the inner core of what we should believe and do. I assume you're familiar with that, no?

Well I can list morally bad ideas in the faith. You could list morally good ideas and we could compare the size of our lists. My claim is that there are more bad ideas than good ones.

 

[shmogie]

It is a battle flag. Trust me.

What battles are being fought with it ?