I see no harm in telling children there is life after death. Especially if they lose a parent or sibling, grandparent. They are innocent and death should not take them to the depths of despair if they know you believe that's it. I often visit my parents and sons graves, and talk to them, and sometimes it cheers me up, and empowers me.

I would, and when I lost two sons, I wanted to believe there was. I just think I will hedge my bets and say I hope there is. But I think those last few hours or minutes when we are clinically dead, our brain does allow us to believe that we meet our long lost friends and loved ones. So - who knows. I hope I meet my pets and horses. But just remembering them I suspect is in a way keeping them close to us.

//It's only abuse when abuse is really involved.//

It's only a tautology when tautologies are really involved.

//Secondly, as I said before. The details matter. Religions should not be counted as the same thing.//

I came across a new song the other day. New for me, anyway - it was recorded years ago. Anyway, I think it'll be right up your alley.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqqpq1JYclk

Bush Bunny,

Firstly, my condolences for the fact that you visit your sons’ graves. No parent should have the misfortune of outliving any of their children.

Depending on their age, I personally don’t think it’s always wrong to tell a child that there is an afterlife (Hell, specifically, is a different story).

Despite only being a child at the time, I clearly remember sitting down with my family to watch the airing of the first episode of the television series Fame. The reason I remember this so clearly is because the first line of the chorus of the show’s theme song, which played at the start of each episode (“I’m gonna live forever”), terrified me because it was after hearing that line that it occurred to me for the first time ever that I would one day die.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV9ajjn46dY

I remember immediately asking my parents what will happen when I die, and their response was that I would go Heaven and live there forever. My anxiety instantly disappeared.

While my parents did their best to indoctrinate me into Christianity, I don’t count that moment as an instance of their indoctrinating, and I'm grateful that they were able to settle my nerves in that moment.

Fast-forward 25 years, and I was faced with the same question from my daughter when she was far too young to be dwelling too much on such a sad topic. Because of my own experience, however, I was prepared for it. When my daughter asked what happens when we die, I simply said that I don’t know what happens. Which, depending on how one defines knowledge, is technically correct anyway.

However, had I sensed the level of fear and dread that I remember suddenly feeling that fateful night in 1982, I would have told her that she was going to go to a nice place where she would always be happy.

Dear AJ,

I remember as a child being told when my beloved granfather died that
he went to heaven and would watch over me always.

And at his funeral when I saw people crying - I tried to reassure
them. I said - "That's not really my granpapa in that box.
That's just his skin and bones. That's not really him. He's in
a better place." It make some adults smile.

I think children usually put their own interpretations onto
what they're told.

Believers like NNN and Josephus always try to justify their positions through manipulation of the facts. That is part of the indoctrination process that they approve of.

The whole Bible is supposedly the word of God, so why are believers and religions so dishonestly selective in their teaching of it.

Worse is they use that dishonest approach to manipulate other lazy believers but worse still children. They just ignore all the horrid anti-God verses in the Bible as part of their devious practices.

You will never hear believers mention these verses

Leviticus 26:22 I (GOD) will also SEND WILD ANIMALS AMONG YOU AND ROB YOU OF YOUR CHILDREN, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.

Or

1 Samuel 15:2-3 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.

Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

or

Numbers 31:17-18 Now therefore KILL EVERY MALE AMONGST THE LITTLE ONES, and KILL EVERY WOMAN THAT HATH KNOWN A MAN BY LYING WITH HIM.

But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

Oh yes they are so proud of the faith and their belief that they forget to mention verses like these. Funny that!

How could anyone in their right mind believe that these instructions are from their baby Jesus/God? It's an obscenity.

So when NNN says there is nothing wrong with teaching a child the family religion he is partaking in the deceptive abusive behaviour to manipulate young minds to believe lies.

Religion therefore is obviously a mental illness because only a nutjob would believe that God approved of these things and only a liar would hide these verses deceptively from others in an attempt to indoctrinate young children.

Shame on you believers!

Dear Foxy,

Thanks for your reply. Your story is a good example of why I’m not always against telling small children that there is an afterlife. It’s not like you’re depriving the child of the ability to ever think critically about something again. Certainly not enough to leave a child to panic over their own mortality.

--

Not_Now.Soon,

Just one clarification, more for the benefit of one particular schmuck around here who thinks it’s clever to point out differences in wording and pretend that they’re attempts to re-frame debates:

You have compared concerns worthy of the attention of child services to concerns that are not worthy of the attention of child services:

“Child services shouldn't be called for that example even if as a bystander you or I think the parent was wrong.” - Not_Now.Soon

Meanwhile, I’ve spoken of the criminalising, or not, of behaviour:

“Societies need to weigh the risks and benefits of criminalising various forms of behaviour, and I think most would agree that risks of criminalising excessive yelling or religious indoctrination would outweigh the benefits.” - AJ

Please note that either way - whether the question be about criminalisation, or simply the attention of child services - my argument remains the same.

Likewise, you have referred to the contacting of child services, while I have spoken of the contacting of police.

Again, please note that these differences of wording do not change my argument.