[Deleted for abuse.]

Not Now Soon,
and Josephus.

NNS I never said teaching religion was psychological abuse. I said telling children that behavior that is not acceptable by a particular religion will result in children going to hell. Making them believe a divine entity is forever watching over them and knows how they think or behave in private. 'Big Brother is watching you' accept in this case it is a vengeful God. Mortal sins, and a priest can clear the way to salvation by forgiving those 'sins'. Yeah, and committing sexual abuse on children, boys and girls, afterwards.

I was brought up until about 14 as a Roman Catholic. I was born in Liverpool during the second world war. Then lived in London, Brixton actually until the V1s and V11s started dropping, and went back to 'the Pool' until D Day. There was a lovely catholic church in Brixton, I enjoyed going there. The priest was kind, and I was tutored by two nuns for my first communion. I had to recite the RC Catechism. If I remember it went 'Who made you' God Made me' Nothing about Hell, because the Catholics did not accept the Hebrew bible, the Old Testament. They did believe in the Devil, (because of the Wiccan belief that the Prince of Light was Lucifer.) But not a bad angel like Satanists that were a back lash to conformity against religious faith, in the 19th Century, and still are around today no doubt.

I enjoyed midnight mass, ladies day (like mothers day but not as commercialized) where we gave spring flowers or a small gift to our mothers, and the church gave us a picture of Mary to give them after a special Mass. Nothing wrong with this. I saw the good in the world through Roman Catholic eyes. But in post war Britain, one was always reminded of evil with the bomb damage near were I lived.

But is it not a case of being 'It's the singer, not the song'.

Opine2.

I think in this case, Christianity is passing its use by date. People are sick of the stories of child abuse, sexual and psychological. It's not the basic message of how to live our lives better and treat our fellow humans that is at fault, it is the messages get very mixed up depending on the interpretation. "It's the singer - not the song"

But there are some quite powerful religions, rich religions, that believe in a the second coming, judgement day, and meeting ones dead friends on judgement day. In my opinion creationists believing and telling children or adults, we walked with dinosaurs is so wrong, what else are they teaching or telling their parishioners. For heavens sake aren't they educated or totally dumb to believe this? Sarah Palin believed this, and tried to stop evolutionary science being taught in schools. While she was enrolled as Vice President of the United States.

There is an Australian, Ham, who was in charge of the multi-million articulated theme park in the United States, where humans are seen beside dinosaurs. He is now building Noah's Ark, another theme park.

Do you buy Sanitarian goods. That's the Seventh Day Adventist church's
venture. I don't buy it anymore. Mind you they had a very good restaurant in Hunter Street, I attended when I worked in Sydney.

They give away free food or rather subsidized food at the local church in Armidale, as does the uniting church or baptist church. Usually donated by local supermarkets and sometimes out of date non perishable food. Well to get tax exemptions (from donations as well as income) they have to be seen doing some community work.

To AJ Philips. Are we finally reaching an understanding? Thank you for acknowledging one of the main concerns about this accusation of abuse on parents. It might not be your intent to judge religious couples on their ability to parent, but how can you separate that kind of judgement and still call it abuse. They are one in the same on a judgment call with abuse included.

Let me tell you my knowledge of faith in family. 2 friends that I grew up with in a Christian environment. One called himself to be a Christian, the other walked away from Christianity. But both have wonderful parents that I think like most people who hold their faith in their life try to integrate their lives with their faith. They were good parents who raised their kids in a good and healthy environment. I would even say that it was a healthier environment with their faith and churches or what not included.

I know there are others who have a different tale to tell. And I'm sorry for when there are abuses mixed with a person's faith, but that is not the whole story. When as a whole faith promotes more healthy environments for people to come together, even to come while they have problems to get better. This is an environment that encourages a good place among people. From there we should look at the abuses individually and try to sort out those issues. Not throw out a very healthy part of society. (I know you say that's not what you mean to say, but I really don't know how you can say that something is abuse and then still say your ok with it in society).

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I don't want to stress to many other points, but I'll say one more. You asked why a parent shouldn't just wait until their kids are 14 or more before teaching them about their faith. (Well specifically teach them about Christianity).

To answer this would you consider waiting to teach your kids about reading, about music, history, woodcarving, fishing, or how to play an instrument, debate, or play chess? I was lucky, though my parents were of different religions they both believed in God. I was able to be exposed to their beliefs at an early age and to seek God myself when I was young. I would never want to deny those wonderful sets of experiences from any other kid. I got to give my joys to God and feel Him share in those moments, and to give to God my worries and have His comfort or have one of His solutions just drop into my lap. The earlier a person is able to find God the better. That's my opinion of course but I stand by it wholeheartedly. Knowing God does not stop our ability to think critically.

What did you find? You found God, or was it Jesus? These words and explanations seem empty to me. Words of a born again Christian. I had a old friend, I helped her out a lot. She eventually joined the Church of Christ, and would not speak to me. Eventually, I got in touch and she said (and I was only making pleasant chat) I told her I had got my BA, and she replied "Don't thrust that down my throat, those that think we came from chimpanzees or share their DNA are wicked."

We didn't have much to say after that. But I sent her a letter and on the top had a pic of a family group of chimps. Underneath I said, "Scientists tell us we share 99% of our DNA with Chimps. Well - Viva la difference." It's true just 1% difference in our DNA. Doesn't that tell people something, we responded to our natural environment first, adapted. But we are from the Primate family. Also DNA shared with almost next to the whales after higher apes, and even fungi. So 40 or more species from different families. We biochemically share the same molecules, but remain miles apart, but had similar beginnings.

I don't know your denomination but it seems to me you are Pentecostal or one of the more Church of Christ and the like.

Well talking in tongues, going into a trance while singing, has an African origin revival to me. Voodoo. It is very popular there. But basically these new religions believe in magic, though using another explanation. During Elizabeth 1 reign, Roman Catholicism was banned, and people forced to attend church or be fined. Because Roman Catholics believe in superstition. Forget the Holy Bible many omissions and written hundred of years after his death. Other than the Hebrew Bible of course.

Religion is all about power, and money. Poor Jesus Christ is blamed all the time for developing some rather crazy religious creeds.