[subego]

I'm regurgitating an argument I didn't read first hand, so my apologies to Richard Dawkins if I mess this up.

This occurred to me recently because of the seasonal discussion of how people were affected (often quite negatively) by the realization that Santa Claus didn't exist.

The idea is, roughly, that as bad as being molested by a priest is, it doesn't even compare to the mental molestation one is subjected to being taught the (I believe false) notion of hell.

When the quantity of physical molestation is put against the quantity of mental molestation, it doesn't even compare.

Ahem... Thoughts?

[Saetre]

Do many people teach their children the gory details of hell? I went to a Catholic grade school and we didn't go into it much.It was said that hell is a "bad place" where bad people go, and that was that. And I think we discussed the types of actions that would result in hell. So I'd say that the mental molestation was minimal or nonexistent. If the teachers would have read us passages from Dante's Inferno then I might now consider that a sort of molestation. Of course it might have helped that I never believed in hell or god or any of that stuff.

[subego]

It may be generational. I know my dad (in his 60s) was taught some really scary ****.

[Doofy]

Don't worry about it - kids are resilient. The "mental molestation" of teaching them about Hell is nothing compared with the mental molestation they put themselves through when they listen to their N Sync CD.

[subego]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

Don't worry about it - kids are resilient. The "mental molestation" of teaching them about Hell is nothing compared with the mental molestation they put themselves through when they listen to their N Sync CD.

Don't be preposterous!

Listening to *NSYNC (spell it right) makes children better consumers.

This is God's plan.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by subego 

Don't be preposterous!

Listening to *NSYNC (spell it right) makes children better consumers.

More prolific consumers, sure. But better? No. Better consumers would be buying Manowar CDs. You know, proper music.

[subego]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

More prolific consumers, sure. But better? No. Better consumers would be buying Manowar CDs. You know, proper music.

Keep your Devil's music away from the children!

[Atheist]

I think you're a little off in your statement that "mental molestation" (whatever that is) is worse then physical molestation. You can undo the "mental molestation" by telling the child that hell doesn't really exist and it was just used as a tool to control the child. You can NEVER undo physical molestation. It is something that will never leave your soul. I think you're doing a disservice to those that have endured the real life hell of molestation.

[PB2K]

This is a Bible camp

seems like hell

[subego]

Originally Posted by Atheist 

I think you're a little off in your statement that "mental molestation" (whatever that is) is worse then physical molestation. You can undo the "mental molestation" by telling the child that hell doesn't really exist and it was just used as a tool to control the child. You can NEVER undo physical molestation. It is something that will never leave your soul. I think you're doing a disservice to those that have endured the real life hell of molestation.

Well, I did make the added statement that quantity has something to do with it.

I am also not convinced of your claim as to the ease of undoing.

I know my dad grew up thinking that he was going to Hell for jerking-off, among other things.

How exactly do you erase that?

Edit: your claim also presupposes someone who is prepared to undo the concept of hell for them. If their parents believe in hell, they would be unlikely candidates.

[BRussell]

Yes, but 1) it's not just hell, it's the entire concept that the right people will go to heaven for eternal rewards and the wrong people will go to hell for eternal torture, and 2) it's not just children, what about adults who are surrounded by and endorse this kind of corrosive crap?