Being Harrased by Christians: The result of religious child abuse?

[Lullaby Chainer]

Recently, the kids on my bus found out my friend, Stephen, doesn't believe in God.

They were harassing him about it so I stepped in and defended him.

Basically, yesterday.. and now still today, me and Stephen have been verbally abused and ganged up on on the bus. They say we're sick and stupid. They think we worship the devil. One girl said, "You used to be a sweet guy.. but now no one likes you. See what you've done?" (I responded saying that would be their fault they don't like me now that I'm different than them.)

It made me think about things. This isn't at all the first time I've been harassed or even attacked for being an atheist.. and Richard Dawkin's proposal that religion is child abuse came to mind.

Is the way at which adults raise their kids to grow up hating, intolerating, or segregating others simply by their religion or lack there of healthy? I have never met an adolescent Christian that was tolerant of my beliefs. I've never even met one that was nice about it.

Is religion child abuse? Is it mentally healthy for children?

[5010]

That's like saying it's child abuse to teach your son football instead of the clarinet. After all, football players commonly harrass band geeks.

My response: huh? :rolleyes:

[Cephus]

While I don't think it's necessarily child abuse (but can be in extreme cases), it certainly shouldn't be permitted to happen. Each and every one of those people involved should be punished, just as if they were calling black students names or something similar. It should never be acceptable for any group, be it racial, religious, social, etc. to treat others as inferior.

Personally, I don't think religion is child abuse most of the time. Stupid, yes. Abuse, no.

[triad]

Quote by: Lullaby Chainer Recently, the kids on my bus found out my friend, Stephen, doesn't believe in God. They were harassing him about it so I stepped in and defended him.

Like a good friend should do...

Basically, yesterday.. and now still today, me and Stephen have been verbally abused and ganged up on on the bus. They say we're sick and stupid. They think we worship the devil. One girl said, "You used to be a sweet guy.. but now no one likes you. See what you've done?" (I responded saying that would be their fault they don't like me now that I'm different than them.)

Hmmm...

Is the way at which adults raise their kids to grow up hating, intolerating, or segregating others simply by their religion or lack there of healthy? I have never met an adolescent Christian that was tolerant of my beliefs. I've never even met one that was nice about it. Is religion child abuse? Is it mentally healthy for children?

Religion is not child abuse. In this case, the only affect religion had was it gave something for those kids to make fun of you and your friend for. Doesn't matter about your beliefs; kids will always find a reason to be mean to other kids. I am not saying it is right that they did that, but blaming their religion, i.e., their lifestyle - is ignorant to that. Just like they are being ignorant to your beliefs, blaiming their religion is the same thing. That is why people have to learn to agree when they disagree. Those kids will eventually realize what they have done is wrong, but until they grow up a little - not much you can do.

Quote by: 5010 That's like saying it's child abuse to teach your son football instead of the clarinet. After all, football players commonly harrass band geeks.

I see what you're saying, but it doesn't make it right.

[Lullaby Chainer]

Quote by: 5010 That's like saying it's child abuse to teach your son football instead of the clarinet. After all, football players commonly harrass band geeks. My response: huh? :rolleyes:

No mam, football players don't generally think band geeks are sick people. They don't generally think band geeks are evil repulsive people.

[Lullaby Chainer]

Quote by: triad Religion is not child abuse. In this case, the only affect religion had was it gave something for those kids to make fun of you and your friend for. Doesn't matter about your beliefs; kids will always find a reason to be mean to other kids. I am not saying it is right that they did that, but blaming their religion, i.e., their lifestyle - is ignorant to that. Just like they are being ignorant to your beliefs, blaiming their religion is the same thing.

There's a distinct difference between being different and being taught that a certain group is evil and worships the most evil being in their religion, the devil. These kids really believe me and Stephen are evil and sick. The only thing that can do that sort of thing for no good reason is RELIGION. They even follow us now when we get off the bus. Only religion can do that short of something reasonable like if me and Stephen were child molesters.

[HelioPrime]

People choose how to use religion in their daily lives. My mother may be catholic but she would love me no matter what my choices are. Was she abused by being raised? No.

This thread is an attempt to assume that because of the abuse of the few, the whole of religious teachings is abusive and should be stopped.

Say a man is depressed. He talks to a stranger and says he thinks god has abandoned him, and everything in his life is falling apart. The stranger is an atheist, who tells the man god is a fairy tail, life sucks and then you die. The man becomes so depressed he throws himself off a bridge. So did atheism just kill some? Is that murder?

[Lullaby Chainer]

Quote by: HelioPrime People choose how to use religion in their daily lives. My mother may be catholic but she would love me no matter what my choices are. Was she abused by being raised? No. This thread is an attempt to assume that because of the abuse of the few, the whole of religious teachings is abusive and should be stopped.

I feel violated. It's like you're dipping your hand right into my brain!

No, Helio, these are just my thoughts from today. I haven't even proposed anything smartass, it was a question.

[Jack_Sparrow]

I'd say, it is all based on a misconception by the children. They believe religion and morals are the same concept. Thus, When they observe your friend having no religion, they interpret in their simple minds that the individual has no morals. This is incorrect, very incorrect infact.

If you are open to be judged by children, you are open to a grave mis-judgement, this is what happened to you. You were the only one of the group who was able to rise above this misconception, and that in itself is very good, well done. Also, well done for having the courage.

[HelioPrime]

Quote by: Lullaby Chainer I feel violated. It's like you're dipping your hand right into my brain! No, Helio, these are just my thoughts from today. I haven't even proposed anything smartass, it was a question.

Forgive me then. I go off the assumption from Z threads that any food for thought debate is a trail leading us to some anti-theist discusion.

I still find it hard to believe you find none tolerant of your lack of belief. In that case I would say in your area perhaps we should brand the particular hardline teachings abuse.

[Lullaby Chainer]

Quote by: HelioPrime Forgive me then. I go off the assumption from Z threads that any food for thought debate is a trail leading us to some anti-theist discusion. I still find it hard to believe you find none tolerant of your lack of belief. In that case I would say in your area perhaps we should brand the particular hardline teachings abuse.

I live in Goergia's Bible Belt.. and I said adolescents aren't. Most adults I know are.

[phoenix_fire]

I mostly agree with triad. Kids like to find ways to single people out so that they can confirm their own position in the pack. The insults may be different, but that's only so that they can be topical. Being an atheist doesn't equate to being a devil worshipper, but then again, being Arab doesn't mean that your dad owns a convenience store and likes to fly planes into buildings in his spare time either. No one ever said childish insults had to be accurate.

[Lullaby Chainer]

Quote by: phoenix_fire I mostly agree with triad. Kids like to find ways to single people out so that they can confirm their own position in the pack. The insults may be different, but that's only so that they can be topical. Being an atheist doesn't equate to being a devil worshipper, but then again, being Arab doesn't mean that your dad owns a convenience store and likes to fly planes into buildings in his spare time either. No one ever said childish insults had to be accurate.

I still can't think of any other factor that could make someone think someone else is "sick" or literally "evil" for a harmless difference. We aren't talking about "oh your gay... that's stupid" we're talking about kids ganging up on Stephen and I and threatening that we're going to burn in hell and that we're evil sick people. That's special to religious teachings.

[Foxfyre]

There is no excuse for kids (or grown ups for that matter) harrassing anybody re their religious beliefs or lack thereof. Somebody said it should not be permitted and I agree. A teacher or parent or bus driver or other adult in charge should put an immediate stop to it.

I suspect there are more kids teased or harrassed BECAUSE they are Christian than there are Christians who harrass those who are not. Just as I don't think anybody was ever 'saved' by being told he or she was going to hell, I likewise think true Christians would not treat other people in an abusive way. It certainly is not Christlike to do so.

[Milton Bradley]

Quote by: Jack_Sparrow If you are open to be judged...

That, I believe, is at the core of this issue. You need to ask them why they feel it is their duty to judge, and persecute you for your beliefs? Would Jesus act in that manor?


If nothing else, make sure they know that you feel threatened, and don't appreciate their behavior.

[phoenix_fire]

Quote by: Lullaby Chainer I still can't think of any other factor that could make someone think someone else is "sick" or literally "evil" for a harmless difference. We aren't talking about "oh your gay... that's stupid" we're talking about kids ganging up on Stephen and I and threatening that we're going to burn in hell and that we're evil sick people. That's special to religious teachings.

Oh, I got some pretty bad ones when I was in school. From a very gender confused boy and his cronies. Trust me when I say that the severity has nothing to do with the subject matter.

[HelioPrime]

Quote by: phoenix_fire Oh, I got some pretty bad ones when I was in school. From a very gender confused boy and his cronies. Trust me when I say that the severity has nothing to do with the subject matter.

I used to talk crap about the "wicans" in high school. And I'm not gender confused other than attractions....

I regret alot of things from those days but I always remember I never thought anything bad about the wican girls, it was always peer pressure really.

Apply this to the situation in the OP. Could be all peer pressure, being afraid of being mocked or isolated if they took a stance to support or ignore.

Theres always the backstory as well. A mocked girl was C. Fisher. Just looking at people mocking her you might think its abuse of an innocent girl. But you'd have to have gone to ECHS. C. Fisher had a history of slapping gay stickers on cars at sports events, swallowing nativity display figures, disfiguring school display crosses, and even had a teacher sent to prison after having sex with her. Not to judge her, but its no suprise she got some attention after choosing to remain in school despite her own bad judgements.

Not to judge Stephen but how did they find out? Did he overhear some kids talking about praying for a win at a sporting event, and decide to tell them thats lame because believing in god is only for fools? Not saying anything of the sort but I'd just have to know the backstory. Even in the bible belt I have a hard time believing kids would torments without some reason.

[phoenix_fire]

Well, the only reasons that the people that did it to me ever had were:

*it was what the popular kids did
*I was good at school
*I didn't wear the in-fashions
*I liked Star Trek
*I was respectful of teachers

Ok, ok I was a nerd, but that's not a legit reason to pick on a little girl. It's not like I did, well, anything like the above. I mostly just tried to keep my head down. But the ringleader of my tormentors didn't like tomboyish girls. His mom had left his dad in order to be with his best friend's mom. If you didn't catch that, read it again. So he had issues. And since he was rich and popular, everyone went with it.

[Chaossaber314]

Quote by: Lullaby Recently, the kids on my bus found out my friend, Stephen, doesn't believe in God. They were harassing him about it so I stepped in and defended him.

Has it occurred to you that maybe this became a bigger deal than it would have been otherwise because you "stepped in"? Is it possible you worsened a situation even inadvertently?

There's a distinct difference between being different and being taught that a certain group is evil and worships the most evil being in their religion, the devil. These kids really believe me and Stephen are evil and sick. The only thing that can do that sort of thing for no good reason is RELIGION.

Incorrect. Any extreme ignorant ideology does the exact same thing. Case in point, racism.

"All Blacks are worthless criminals."

As you can see, saying something unfounded and ignorant does not in any way require religion.

No mam, football players don't generally think band geeks are sick people. They don't generally think band geeks are evil repulsive people.

It's all about superiority. If you feel that you're better than someone else for whatever reason it shows. Even more so if you not only think you're better but that the other person is worthless.

[SoylentGreen]

Lullaby Chainer We aren't talking about "oh your gay... that's stupid"

I don't know about that.
Being called gay is no walk in the park either.
Not only do the religious hate gays but the non religious hate gays.
And its a sure fire ticket to ostracization as no one wants to be connected in any way with a gay. That kind of thing can rub off on others you know.
And every one thinks its easy to beat up a faggot.

But hey if you don't believe me try giving Stephen a kiss next time your on the bus. I bet you don't get off alive.