That’s not how science works. Science says “This is what the evidence points to.”
The evidence may be misleading or incomplete or misunderstood. But the evidence still exists and scientific people are following where the evidence leads them.
Science may not give us absolute truth. But it’s the best means we have for getting as close to absolute truth as possible.
Treating “we pulled this out of our ass” as equal to “based on accumulated knowledge subjected to rigourous testing but open to review upon new evidence” as equal gives Barack Obama’s inane rant more weight. crowmanyclouds is right:
Parents teaching their children moral values, even if those moral values are derived from religious beliefs, is not abuse. Saying it is trivializes real abuse.
I’m going to assume that every child will also be educated about science and history. They may as a result of what they learn later reject the religious beliefs they were raised on. Or they may choose to maintain their religious beliefs. Or reach some middle ground. All of these are their decision to make. Not yours. Not mine.
Is it child abuse to teach your kids not to kick the cat?
Can you come up with a detailed scientific explanation as to why they shouldn’t kick the cat? (“It’ll hurt the cat” doesn’t count: what you need is a detailed scientific explanation for why humans shouldn’t hurt cats. One that everybody agrees is properly scientifically based.)
Also, it’s effectively impossible for adults to practice a religion and not teach their kids about it. ‘Why do you go to that building most Sundays?’ ‘We can’t talk about that till you’re grown up. And don’t read any of the signs outside the church, either.’ ‘Why do you light those candles every Friday night, and say words over them in another language?’ ‘We can’t talk about that until you’re grown up. And ignore half what we’re saying over the dinner table, while you’re at it.’ Dudn’t work.
Teach your kids that other people disagree with your religious beliefs or with your atheism, and that those other people aren’t all evil, and that they get to choose when they grow up. That can work; and a lot of people actually do that.
Right similarly religion can lead to ignorance, bigotry, and violence but religion is also not needed for those things to occur, and I suspect there are more than a few individuals who if not for religion might actually engage in more antisocial behavior, in the end it’s probably a wash.
According to the Christian rah-rahs that picket out local women’s health center, “gay parenting” is child abuse.
Where do we stand on making them eat vegetables?
Science can indeed back up the fact that pain and suffering occurr as a result of certain actions.
The golden rule (which is non religious) does the rest and is based on sound evolutionary benefits for social species.
That’s as scientific as you are going to get and of course is a million miles more evidencially-based than “gods say so”
Not eating your broccoli makes Baby Jesus cry.
The existence of pain and suffering explains why I don’t want the cat to bite me. It doesn’t explain why I shouldn’t kick the cat.
The Golden Rule doesn’t fill this gap. I know cats. My not kicking them is no guarantee they won’t bite me. Or poop in my shoes.
My belief that it’s wrong to kick a cat has no objective factual basis. It’s just a moral belief I hold; essentially it’s an opinion.
I’d suggest that none that compares to being brainwashed into thinking that a firey eternal torment awaits them or their loved ones when they die. You know, that awkward subject that Jesus was fond of talking about.
Why do you hold that opinion if not from some version of the golden rule and appreciation of the reality of pain and suffering? Are you mentally flipping a coin? Do you apply the golden to rule to humans but not cats?
Heck, I consider raising your children to be Yankees fans is child abuse.
And political, and educational (or lack thereof) and cultural and food, and … and
Oh Fuck it , you get the point, it just needs to be illegal to fucking have kids!
/sarcasm
How are you still posting here?
I feel the exact opposite. Where shall we have our armies collide?
If you ask my teenaged girls right now if they worry more about their eternal soul going to hell or what bizarre things their father would do in public when I’m with them, I’d win hands down.
I don’t think the OP realizes the freedom we have with freedom of religion - Including Atheists, Not Freedom from religion, or not state is the religion. Anywhere where there is a state religion or state atheism are places with less freedom. Freedom of religion allows for greater freedom and for free thinking.
Add to this children, including your ass when it was young. You were told things were true, you accepted it because of authority. You later challenged it because you contrasted competing authorities and your observations. You were this challenged to be a free thinking being.
You then deny the very thing that had you strive for free thinking. You see but not perceive, hear but do not understand what God has ordained.
So they don’t really think there is a hell?
Secularism is the only guarantee of freedom of and freedom from religion.
nonsensical circular reasoning
I seriously doubt it. I don’t, so I’m pretty sure they don’t either.
I think what you’re missing was that my post was a joke. I find online people giving other people advice on how to raise their children to be a highly contentious, highly volatile topic that is awash in self-righteousness, defensiveness, and not much else. I thought it would be fun to try and disarm the level of rancor that comes from a thread like this, by sharing some (hopefully) funny things I’ve done to screw up my kids. I apparently didn’t succeed with you, so apologies for that. Feel free to dig deeper into your pit of anger and self-righteousness, but do so without me.