Comment 24 by SpirituallyAtheist :

Comment 23 by Tyler Durden

"raising kids as religious is child abuse" - raising kids with a fear of eternal damnation is child abuse.

Just stating something does not make it so. Can you explain how you came to the conclusion that it is child abuse?

The brain of a child has not yet fully matured (not until approx 18-20 years), and so children have difficulty, from a cognitive sense, differing between reality and fantasy. How the brain of a child learns; the neurophysiology of the child brain; stages of development in learning; mirror stage; internal/external speech; thinking aloud; Preoperational stage vs Concrete operational stages; leading to a Formal operational stage, where children use abstract thought and can easily conserve and think logically in their mind (the Trust, Identity, Inferiority, Autonomy, Ego Integrity stages) are all vital in the psychological/cognitive development of children.

Parents will teach children fantasy (e.g. "Santa", "fairies", "leprechauns") but will of course, at the relevant age, also teach children the difference between such fantasy and reality i.e. Santa does not actually exist - therefore aiding their cognitive development and skills. But, religious parents do not do the same for eternal damnation i.e "hell". It is taught as reality.

Teaching children about "hell" is mental (psychological) abuse, and is proctected under child protection guidelines in most Western countries:

WHEREAS children are entitled to protection from abuse and neglect; (b) “abuse”, in relation to a child, means physical, mental, emotional or sexual exploitation, mistreatment or injury of the child; (h) “child” means a person under the age of 18 years.

UK Child Protection Act (June 1 2010) Chapter C-5.1

While results from psychological studies show the adverse effect upon children subjected to such vile teachings:

"Results indicate that although the basic characteristics of religion-related physical abuse are similar to nonreligion - related physical abuse, religion-related abuse has significantly more negative implications for its victims' long-term psychological well-being."

Religion-related Child Physical Abuse: Characteristics and Psychological Outcomes

Did you never watch the interviews between Richard and psychologist Jill Mytton on the subject of "hell" and it being child abuse?

The children are also being frightened, they are taught about hell, fire and such. Looking back at her childhood, Jill Mytton says that it was dominated by fear of disapproval in the present and of eternal damnation in the future, because for a child, images of hell, fire and gnashing of teeth are not metaphorical at all, but very real. She also thinks that the people telling her about these things actually believe that they are reality.

“What happens in hell?” asks Richard Dawkins, and Jill Mytton says that even after so many years, it still affects her. “Hell is a fearful place, it’s complete rejection by God.” “There is real fire, real torment, real torture, and it goes on forever, so there is no respite from it.”