Religion

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78. wow! the logic is astounding!

Mon Jul 28, 2014, 07:24 AM

Jul 2014

fantasy play where everyone knows it's fictional is a good thing, therefore religious mythology is a good thing.

ironically, that might justify atheist parents reading biblical tales to their kids, explaining that it's no more true than aesop's fables or harry potter.

but the argument that fantasy play where everyone knows it's fictional in no way justifies teaching religious mythological stories as truth.

most things in life, especially parental decisions, have both good and bad aspects. good parents simply try to make the decisions which, on balance, have the most good and the least bad.

i don't see why a believer can't accept that a childhood delay or even permanent difficulty in distinguishing fiction from fact can result from mythological teaching, but that on balance the benefit of such teaching outweighs the harm.

but to insist that somehow an inability to distinguish fact from fiction is actually a good thing is... beyond belief.

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Is religion good for kids? [View all] cbayer Jul 2014 OP

Conversely, is absence of religious teaching bad for kids? merrily Jul 2014 #1

I don't think there is a strong case either way. cbayer Jul 2014 #5

Exactly my point: not a strong case either way. I think more turns on merrily Jul 2014 #33

I agree with you for the most part. cbayer Jul 2014 #38

Disney fits the perimeters of a religion... Tikki Jul 2014 #2

I have no idea what this means. Do you want to expand on it? cbayer Jul 2014 #14

Disney meets all the criteria in the sentence below.. Tikki Jul 2014 #16

Ah, I hear you and I agree. There are many ways for children to engage in cbayer Jul 2014 #19

And do you think edhopper Jul 2014 #25

As there is nothing substantial to either prove nor disprove religious beliefs, cbayer Jul 2014 #28

It is extremely easy to disprove the religious belief in physical miracles, "all" we "ask" for. Brettongarcia Jul 2014 #58

In general I say yes except when it is strict and abusive. hrmjustin Jul 2014 #3

It's too simplistic a question. Whether it is good or bad for kids depends on cbayer Jul 2014 #6

Agreed! The question is not a simpld yes or no. hrmjustin Jul 2014 #7

The style of the religion is very important IphengeniaBlumgarten Jul 2014 #15

I'm pretty much on the same page as you. cbayer Jul 2014 #18

It depends if you think being able to discern fact from fiction is Warren Stupidity Jul 2014 #4

There are other edhopper Jul 2014 #8

I agree that there are certainly other ways, but I don't think there is necessarily better ways. cbayer Jul 2014 #11

As I said edhopper Jul 2014 #17

Lots of fantasy play never says it is pretend. cbayer Jul 2014 #23

Just look at the polls edhopper Jul 2014 #27

Because the bulk of the world doesn't think it's pretend. cbayer Jul 2014 #31

I have nothing to back up edhopper Jul 2014 #35

Sure there are things where there is actual data supporting that some cbayer Jul 2014 #39

I was talking about teaching religion without edhopper Jul 2014 #44

You can't say they are imaginary anymore than you can say they are real, cbayer Jul 2014 #45

You keep making this argument but you can't prove a negative. JNelson6563 Jul 2014 #48

So, do you think you have more standing to say that there is no god cbayer Jul 2014 #50

So the existence of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is fact. Good. GoneFishin Jul 2014 #53

Who said it was fact? Where did you get that idea? cbayer Jul 2014 #54

I did. GoneFishin Jul 2014 #55

Oh, ok. Good for you. Believe whatever you want. cbayer Jul 2014 #56

Well, "almost everyone" has no more authority on that point than I do. GoneFishin Jul 2014 #57

Exactly right. They have no more standing than you do. cbayer Jul 2014 #59

I've explained this before but you seem to forget. JNelson6563 Jul 2014 #66

Well, I am a very forgetful person. cbayer Jul 2014 #67

Quite honestly, one of the reasons I like coming to this forum... trotsky Jul 2014 #81

wtf? where is the data that ghosts aren't real? Warren Stupidity Jul 2014 #61

It's a tool. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Jul 2014 #9

Which most religions don't do edhopper Jul 2014 #10

Again, I would ask you for data that shows any correlation between being taught religious cbayer Jul 2014 #13

Yes I see all the people who believe biblical stories arevtrue edhopper Jul 2014 #20

Do you want to give that another shot. cbayer Jul 2014 #24

Adult belief in the supernaturasl edhopper Jul 2014 #30

And that is only your opinion. There is no data or studies or cbayer Jul 2014 #34

Comparing belief in god to belief in santa is a lazy and unconvincing argument. cbayer Jul 2014 #12

except of course that you cannot provide a compelling argument for why Warren Stupidity Jul 2014 #21

The author of the article compared them edhopper Jul 2014 #22

I agree that he is lay and unconvincing. cbayer Jul 2014 #26

Good to hear. edhopper Jul 2014 #29

Unconvincing to someone who has been inculcated with Erich Bloodaxe BSN Jul 2014 #32

Of course there is no need to convince those who don't believe. cbayer Jul 2014 #36

Only if they are not going to be sacrifi ... oh, you meant human children! intaglio Jul 2014 #37

That's a good one. cbayer Jul 2014 #40

A bit of spinning intaglio Jul 2014 #41

Aw, that's sweet. You don't find this cute?? What is wrong with you. cbayer Jul 2014 #42

(subsides into a quivering heap) n/t intaglio Jul 2014 #43

I'm agnostic and completely secular but some aspects of religion help kids cope w. anxiety. Smarmie Doofus Jul 2014 #46

I agree that kids should be encouraged to make up their own minds at some point. cbayer Jul 2014 #47

Actually the guardian angel nonsense caused me to first doubt at age 5 or so. JNelson6563 Jul 2014 #49

That is very sad and very understandable. cbayer Jul 2014 #51

Actually religion was a comfort to me. JNelson6563 Jul 2014 #68

I have read about your history previously. You write about it very well. cbayer Jul 2014 #69

This review topspins the real article; and it was written by an "executive" for an "e-commerce" co. Brettongarcia Jul 2014 #52

What the peer reviewed article actually said. Warren Stupidity Jul 2014 #60

Last time we had this thread, the phrase 'akin to child abuse' was used. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #62

"aid in the cognitive development of children" AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #63

Really? Do you have any data to back that up, or is that just a belief you have based on faith? cbayer Jul 2014 #64

Again if you think that the ability to discern Warren Stupidity Jul 2014 #70

Example: someone who thought "Snow White" was historical reality, might do badly on a History test Brettongarcia Jul 2014 #72

The data is in the study you cited. When I read my son 'The Hobbit' I am clear that none of it is AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #73

that's not what that study says at all. cbayer Jul 2014 #74

I think there is, if their kids can't tell the diff between fantasy and reality. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #75

It's part of being a kid to not be able to tell the difference. cbayer Jul 2014 #76

I view it as a problem. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #82

So every time you read your child a fairy tell, you tell cbayer Jul 2014 #83

I do not read my child 'traditional fairy tales' that require explicit differentiation from reality. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #84

That's quite the unusual child you have. cbayer Jul 2014 #85

If exposed to an idea, he might run with it, sure. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #86

He sounds like a great kid. cbayer Jul 2014 #87

"Unless there are problems, no one should tell you how to parent." trotsky Jul 2014 #88

I agree. The comments section of the WashPo review article, has a good comment on "imagination" Brettongarcia Jul 2014 #65

I'll take false dichotomies for 2000. Warren Stupidity Jul 2014 #71

Teaching empathy and morals yes. Religion no, teaches ignorance on point Jul 2014 #77

I agree that teaching hatred toward others not your kind is a bad thing, cbayer Jul 2014 #80

wow! the logic is astounding! unblock Jul 2014 #78

When parents read fairy tales and fables to their young children, cbayer Jul 2014 #79