Root Of All Evil

[chefranden]

Here is the full Documentary on religion by Major Dawkins entitled Root of all Evil

 

To start some discussion on the his dislike of religion:

 

About 14 minutes into the second half he asks of a Christian Educator he has just interviewed, "Why should he impose his personal verson of reality on children?" His reasoning behind the question is that children are genetically disposed to believe what they are told.

 

 

While I think he's right about the structure of a child's brain in this matter, he assumes that he knows what a child should or should not be told. The morality that he seems to project is that it is immoral for a person/parent to impose her world view on a child.

 

However, given the way a child learns, some world view will be imposed. Who gets to decide what that will be if not the parent and the parents peers?

[Young Mother Atheist]

Actually, though some ideas will be passed to children from parents and peers due to modeling, I think it is possible to pass on critical thinking skills, reason, and the scientific method. These are simply thinking skills so that the child can then form his/her OWN world view. Indocrinating with a religion sets a child up to believe only that and have to cancel out all other ideas. Giving them the skills to find what they want for themselves allows them to have more choice in their world view.

[chefranden]

1.Actually, though some ideas will be passed to children from parents and peers due to modeling, I think it is possible to pass on critical thinking skills, reason, and the scientific method. These are simply thinking skills so that the child can then form his/her OWN world view.

 

2. Indocrinating with a religion sets a child up to believe only that and have to cancel out all other ideas. Giving them the skills to find what they want for themselves allows them to have more choice in their world view.

 

1. Certainly this is possible to pass on to a child. My children learned it, and I hope the grandkids do too.

 

2. However, the question remains. Who is going to decide what a kid is impressed with? Few people teach their children things they know to be false and contrary their children's well being. When I was a Christian, I knew that the afterlife was more important than this life, so I taught them accordingly. After I learned differently I taught them differently. I'm sure it was very confusing for them. But, I taught them. Who else would do it? You are a mother. Who will decide what your kids are taught?

 

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General Comment

 

I'm struck by Dawkins' black and white thinking in condemning black and white thinking. Things in life happen on a continum don't they. Very few things are completely evil and very few things are completely good. That includes religion I should think.