Threatening Children With Hell.. - Religion - Nairaland
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I Hate Being Threatened With Hell / Let's Stop Joking With Hell Fire!!! - By Sunday Akanni Moshood / Why Threatening Children With Hell Fire Is Wrong (2) (3) (4)
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| Threatening Children With Hell.. by johnydon22(m): 8:22am On Sep 24, 2015 |
[b]Was looking outside just seating and looking at the activities outside. My eyes were drawn to a dog who was struggling to scratch the back of it's head but couldn't reach it, it even tried scratching the itch on the floor but from the way it continued struggling i was sure that didn't work either. Another dog that came along and within seconds it had used its teeth to scratch exactly the point of the itch on the other dog. I was touched by the act of kindness even a dog that we consider a lower animal in intellect could exhibit and what made me smile was: These dogs know nothing about a threat of punishment if they fail to be good but they help each other because they care about each others well being. And yet again; Barely 2 days ago i was seating just outside my yard in the evening and saw a little boy of maybe 5 years running. Turns out he didn't want to share his biscuit with another, his mother came out fuming with anger and yelled at him. "If you don't share your biscuits then you are a son of satan and you will go to hell where satan burns people forever" I was shocked at this, i was infuriated but i couldn't say anything. The little man didn't share the biscuit but anyone who looked could see the fear and guilt in his eyes, the fear that he was going to burn and the guilt that he was now the son of a satan. Yes the mother thought she was impacting a sense of morality on the young one which brings me to my question. Is it right to threaten Children with the image of hell? I remember telling a pastor who wanted to preach to me "You cannot tell me about morality until you and i have agreed on what we see to be moral. Because to me frightening children with burning in order to instill morality is abuse, disturbing and wicked" The idea of a hell is one that can be found in the world major religions even in far ancient religions like Egyptian religion. Where such concepts are used to ensure submission to the moral dictates of the religion. I was raised in a Christian home, i remember at a very young age right from the time i learnt how to talk we were moulded in the church, we were taught that bad people will burn forever and good ones will go to heaven. When i was still in primary 5 i got to kiss a girl for the first time, Childhood love and stuff i was 9. I know the fear and guilt that haunted me because of that one act, not just for few days but this guilt lingered on in my mind for years. The guilt that i have broken the commandment of God, the fear that i have increased my chances of going to hell, this mental image tortured my young mind, haunted me for almost more than 2years. Could you imagine a little boy living with such trauma instilled by psychological fear of an abstract concept, my parents never noticed i was passing through this because it ate me deep inside my mind and i know they thought they were doing good by trying to impact morality into my young mind with the use of a hell or heaven. They too are also victims of this indoctrination so i wouldn't blame them. But our young ones are coming up and i keep asking is it ok to frighten them into submitting to our idea of morality by using the threat of a hell and the promise of a heaven? I remember telling Urheme, " I was a victim of this cruel threat if i subject my kids to the same psychological abuse will simply be an act of idiocy on my part" Teach the young ones the very essence of goodness which stems from being good because they want to be good. Because it is good to be good, show them goodness and kindness. Teach the young ones to be nice to people because it is good to be nice to others. Hypatia of Alexandria said "To teach superstition as truth is horrifying, the mind of a child accepts them and only through great pain or perhaps tragedy will they be freed of it. To my young ones i am strong in my conviction that i will never teach them to fear anything, they will never grow up with fear of anything. Not the fear of me, not the fear of any deity or the fear of a mythical burning furnace. I can only teach them to always think but will never force or impose on them what i want them to think, they are the ones to decide and make their choices when they are old enough. I intend to raise them to "Be Good for goodness sake" i intend to teach them to place humans first before ideas. To look on the scientific method and consistent logic in other to make sense of the world. I intend to show them that only their actions towards others is what makes them either good or bad and nothing else. I intend to show them that their nature as humans is not fallen, broken or sinful but very beautiful, intelligent and strong. And i will never teach them myths as truth or fables as truths But rather i will teach them myth as myth and fables as fables and reality as reality. The young minds know nothing like hatred, intolerance, racism, sexism, indoctrination, bigotry, homophobia, prejudice, misogyny. They do not yet understand things like Love, tolerance, joy, compassion, acceptance, human decency, empathy, integrity, beauty and truth. nor disturbing emotions like fear, greed and jealousy. For the first and most important formative years of their lives they will only know what you teach them. So choose well. I know some might be asking will your children be atheists too? The answer is "NO" I am an agnostic atheist and i will neither raise my kids as ATHEISTS or theists because that will also be indoctrination of the young minds into my own ideology. No i will let their mind be free and for them to decide what they believe or what they don't when they are grown enough to do that. . I cannot decide for my Children, i will simply show them the world as it is and their decisions should run their lives not mine....[/b] 17 Likes 9 Shares
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| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by dalaman: 9:03am On Sep 24, 2015 |
Humans need some kind of fear to be in line sometimes. That is just the reality. Religions like christianity and islam use the fear excessively to their advantage which I personally feel is asinine. 2 Likes 1 Share |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by mmsen: 9:51am On Sep 24, 2015 |
Without the ability to frighten children into accepting their nonsensical doctrines most religions would die out within a generation or regress to cult status. If someone approached you as an adult and told the xtian story of how a virgin gave birth to a child you would look at that person as if they were crazy. 6 Likes 1 Share |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by johnydon22(m): 9:56am On Sep 24, 2015 |
dalaman:[b] I think this is so because humans have always been taught there is need for a catch to coerce the mind to conformity, this shouldn't be so. Man prizes himself an intelligent being, this being should not be threatened into conformity but rather this intelligence should be utilized in a basic sense of societal decency. I have only the problem when young children are being coerced by this scheme of instilling the fear of a vengeful deity who is going to burn them. This young ones still do not know the difference between myth from truth, when you do this you instill this psychological fear into the young minds and this i find to be abusive, disturbing and wicked. If a mind grows independently free of absurd indoctrinations and you introduce the adult to these ideas and they subscribe to. Then we would understand that they were in control of their decisions and not simply indoctrinating a little child into these ideas when they cannot even make decisions or question anything you teach them... [/b] 9 Likes 5 Shares |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by Nobody: 12:05pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
One thing I like of this world is that, as we grow on, we keep on discovering many absurdities. But as for indoctrinated indoctrination, I think sometimes.,it isn't our fault cos some do believe in the adage that "SEEING AND NOT TELLING IS ELDERS FAULT WHILE HEARING AND NOT ADHEARING IS KIDS FAULT" SO WHO IS TO BE BLAMED? |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by johnydon22(m): 12:17pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
krattoss: Which is why you should teach children to be nice not threaten them into conformity. Teach your children to be good to people because the world deserves goodness, that good is good to happen and because they should believe that there is good in the world and aspire to be good. Not threaten them with fire in order to coerce them to submit to your idea of morality. I have no problem with adults teaching the young ones, in fact my post supports and encourages it. My problem comes from threatening them. It instills psychological trauma and prison in their minds of which i know too well. Teach them what they need to know not threaten them or instill fear to ensure submission. 7 Likes 5 Shares |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by Nobody: 12:33pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
johnydon22:so how do we reach out to them who aren't on this platform? |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by johnydon22(m): 12:54pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
krattoss: If you want to make the world a better place start from yourself because it is the single individuals in the world that makes up people in the world. You start by reaching out to the people closest to you, by teaching your children without employing the fear factor because it cages a child's mind. You cannot hope to change the world but you can change the world around you... 8 Likes 4 Shares |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by Nobody: 1:07pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
johnydon22:but some won't subscribe to ur ideology. How about those that are staunch believer of heaven and hell. How will u intend to risk been criticized, by telling them this? |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by johnydon22(m): 1:12pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
krattoss:I am only responsible for the things i write, i am not responsible to understand it for people. That i write this is to get any reasonable mind to think and at least weigh the possibilities of saving the little ones from this psychological abuse that is mostly seen as a societal norm... 1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by Nobody: 1:32pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
In my mind then, I thought every black person was going to hell, because I reasoned that God is white and anybody associated with him the bible was also white. I even thought Satan was in Africa at some point  . Those liars just messed up my mind then.6 Likes 1 Share |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by dalaman: 1:33pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
johnydon22: The fear of roasting in hell still hasn't been able to make any society good or achieve any moral utopia. 1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by johnydon22(m): 1:41pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
dalaman: That is it ooo my brother, Nigeria is a typical example where more than 95% are religious but yet doesn't subscribe to basic societal decency. This shows that humans should be encouraged to strive for goodness because they want good to happen and not a means to an end which is a reward or punishment. Such selfish concepts are not even moral themselves... 4 Likes 2 Shares |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by tribeofdavid(m): 2:07pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
@OP Firstly, do you believe in the reality of heaven and hell? |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by johnydon22(m): 2:11pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
tribeofdavid: If you actually read the Op, you wouldn't have asked this question. . . I advice you read it up first or again if you did cus it seem to me you are missing something here . 2 Likes |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by cidieschat(m): 2:28pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
OP, THIS IS THE MOST BRILLIANT POST I EVER READ, PLEASE, CAN I CALL OR TALK TO YOU? 55F39CB4 |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by johnydon22(m): 2:46pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
cidieschat: Alright i have sent you a BMM invite |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by Nobody: 3:07pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
johnydon22:but some might not be opportuned to read this nor will they be opprtuned to come across a free thinker like u. |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by johnydon22(m): 3:16pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
krattoss: That is it. you or i cannot change the way the world works, we can only change the world around us. Like you cannot sweep the whole of the market when it is dirty but you can do your own part by sweeping the front of your shop, in that little way you contribute to the sweeping of the market. 6 Likes 3 Shares |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by Nobody: 4:42pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
He's right. . . . Most of the good we do does not stem from religion, button a natural sense of morality. Doubt me? Google Buddhist monks. Who are also the most peaceful group of people I've ever discovered. According to Christianity, they're going to burn in hell. Doesn't change the fact that they're better than most pastors . . . . 3 Likes 2 Shares |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by hahn(m): 5:44pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
Exactly |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by johnydon22(m): 9:39pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
hahn:  1 Like |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by malvisguy212: 10:52pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
Teempakguy:Deuteronomy 29:29: The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law. However ,if you understand the nature of God , you will know that God is a God of justice.All of us have some knowledge of him and will be judged according to that. God 'will give to each person according to what he has done', NOT according to what he had no opportunity to do. All other religions are distortions of the truth, but still contain some truth. If by the guidance of the Holy Spirit a person looks through that distorted lense, glimpses a dim reflection of reality and responds accordingly, it does not validate that false religion as a whole, but simply the truth that lies buried underneath. For instance, if a Muslim reads of 'Isa (Jesus) in the Qur'an and learns of his sinless life and the fact that he is a spirit from God,it is just possible that he may grasp that Jesus is in fact greater than Muhammad, who needed God's forgiveness for his sin. This does not however mean that Islam is a valid route to God; only that the Holy Spirit can work in anyone. Today multitudes are blinded and confused by wrong ideas about God. Our task as Christians is to hold up the light of the gospel, bringing true teaching about who God is and how we may know him. |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by johnydon22(m): 11:10pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
^^^^ Why is it that this guy always talks out of point in every thread. . .always brings about unrelated assertions to the topic of a thread.. Seriously am just too tired of idiotic assertions 5 Likes 2 Shares |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by hahn(m): 11:26pm On Sep 24, 2015 |
malvisguy212: Wrong thread fam  4 Likes 4 Shares |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by johnydon22(m): 8:15am On Sep 25, 2015 |
hahn:Am just tired of him posting unrelated copy and paste posts on a thread. . 1 Like |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by malvisguy212: 9:15am On Sep 25, 2015 |
johnydon22:I was replying the guy comment on how will those raised in others religion can be save. @op. Let me ask you a question: Is it wrong in reminding people that things like smoking, drinking alcohol, and tanning cause health risks, and even early death ? Your skin will look hideous if you don't do this, is this threat bad ? What is the different in telling someone don't smoke or you will die and tell a child , don't steal or you will burn in fire ? ( I don't support threatening children with hell ) but if you want to present your argument , do it without a bias mind , be irreligious, what you are doing here , you are trying to make evangelist look evil . the most important thing @ op is how do you view all this as an atheist ? As a christian, this is how I view it ." Would the promise of $500 seem appealing? Sure. But now imagine that you were threatened to lose $500, unless you do something, and then you will get $500 profit. This would seem even more appealing (getting $500) after thinking you could lose $500. 1 Like |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by hahn(m): 9:20am On Sep 25, 2015 |
johnydon22: I thought he was your boy |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by malvisguy212: 9:31am On Sep 25, 2015 |
hahn:you and your atheists friends are not qualify to interprete scripture. |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by onetrack(m): 9:34am On Sep 25, 2015 |
malvisguy212: Yes we are. |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by malvisguy212: 9:36am On Sep 25, 2015 |
onetrack:Alright. |
| Re: Threatening Children With Hell.. by johnydon22(m): 9:38am On Sep 25, 2015 |
malvisguy212: [b]I see it totally wrong to subject a child to the fear of an imaginary smoke caused by an imaginary cigarette. A child for crying out loud knows nothing of a cigarette why would subject a Child to the threat of violence and torture in order to instill your idea of idiotic morality. This as always continues to betray the disturbing mindset religion and theism as a whole has infused in the mind of many people. Threaten a Child who is not up to the age cognition with fire and death. That you need to instill this fear on a little child shows your ideas simply are not factual and so you fear it being presented to an adult. Why not wait for a little kid to grow up to the age of reason, cognition and basic sense of self before presenting ludicrous myth to him as truth. What i always and will always see as a shameful and nonsensical act of immorality is to tell a Child that if they are not good or do not believe what you believe they will burn in a fire forever, making reward and punishment a basis for belief and morality. That you resort to threat as a basis of belief shows your belief as ludicrous as it is, is in no way factual or truthful since it shies away from an independent neutral mind but relies on the indoctrination of young minds. That is blatant abuse, evil, disturbing and all round unhealthy to the mind of a Child. I will never know what it will feel as a parent to lie and threaten my children to ensure conformity. Sadly even though you are an adult you are still a pitiable victim of this fear and unjust indoctrination.. [/b] 2 Likes 1 Share |
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