Religion is Child Abuse?
Tag(s): Convention on the Rights of the Child • CRC • parental rights
An In-Depth Look at Article 14 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
This week, we continue our series on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child with Article 14, which says that the government shall “respect the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion,” and shall also “respect the rights and duties of the parents and, when applicable, legal guardians, to provide direction to the child in the exercise of his or her right in a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child.”
Proponents of the CRC, such as law professor Jonathan Todres, has commented that Article 14 “provides for the role of parents in teaching religion to their children, while ensuring that the government does not impose restrictions on any child’s right to freedom of religion.” Nevertheless, a deeper understanding of this provision reveals that the purportedly “pro-parent” language is really another avenue for government power, not a shield to protect parental rights.
How much “direction” is too much direction?
On its face, this article may seem to support the role of parents, but such a position is merely wishful thinking. The Convention merely recognizes the parents’ primary role to “provide direction” to the child, and there is considerable disagreement on what this “direction” should entail. For example, according to Faulkner University law professor John Garman, Article 14 is one of the few clauses in the CRC that “actually brings the parents into play to ‘provide direction to the child.’”
But another CRC proponent, law professor Cynthia Price Cohen, disagrees. According to Cohen, one of the earliest drafts of Article 14 included “two paragraphs that protected the right of parents to guide the exercise of this right and to ‘respect the liberty of the child and his parents’ with regard to the child’s religious education.” When the final text was adopted, however, all language protecting the rights of parents to “ensure the religious and moral education of the child” was omitted. This omission makes no sense if the purpose of Article 14 was to protect the rights of parents to instruct their children.
Religious “indoctrination” as abuse?
The danger to parents is compounded by a growing movement among American and international academics to prevent parents from “indoctrinating” their children with religious beliefs. For example, British scientist and bestselling author Richard Dawkins recently described religious “indoctrination” of young children as a form of child abuse. “Odious as the physical abuse of children by priests undoubtedly is,” Dawkins writes, “I suspect that it may do them less lasting damage than the mental abuse of bringing them up Catholic in the first place.”
Dawkins is not alone in his analysis. In 1998, bestselling author and professor of psychology Nicholas Humphrey, teaching at New York University at the time, argued for “censorship” of parents, who have “no right to limit the horizons of their children’s knowledge, to bring them up in an atmosphere of dogma and superstition, or to insist they follow the straight and narrow paths of their own faith.”
Both authors advocate an outside solution to “protect” children from indoctrination: intervention by the government. In The God Delusion, Dawkins quotes from Humphrey, who writes that “children have a right not to have their minds addled by nonsense, and we as a society have a duty to protect them from it.” Humphrey bluntly adds that “parents’ rights have no status in ethics and should have none in law” – parenting is a “privilege” that operates within parameters set by society to protect the child’s “fundamental rights to self determination.” If parents step beyond these boundaries by indoctrinating their children, “the contract lapses – and it is then the duty of those who granted the privilege to intervene.” (emphasis added)
Some have called for international talks on whether children should be involved in religion. Innaiah Narisetti of the Center for Inquiry (a U.N. NGO) said, “The time has come to debate the participation of children in religious institutions,” continues Narisetti. “While some might see it as a matter better left to parents, the negative influence of religion and its subsequent contribution to child abuse from religious beliefs and practices requires us to ask whether organized religion is an institution that needs limits set on how early it should have access to children.” Narisetti also said that “The UN must then take a clear stand on the issue of the forced involvement of children in religious practices; it must speak up for the rights of children and not the automatic right of parents and societies to pass on religious beliefs, and it must reexamine whether an organization like the Vatican should belong to the UN”
The “fundamental interest of parents”
This aggressive censorship of parents captures the true spirit of Article 14. According to law professor Bruce Hafen, the language of Article 14 views “parents as trustees of the state who have only such authority and discretion as the state may grant in order to protect the child’s independent rights,” and is consistent with what the state deems as the child’s “evolving capacities.” Such a calloused view of parents stands in stark contrast to our own legal tradition, which has long upheld “the fundamental interest of parents, as contrasted with that of the State, to guide the religious future and education of their children.”
America’s legal heritage has consistently held that parents have a fundamental right to teach their children about religion, shielded from well-intentioned but intrusive interference from the state. The danger of Article 14 is that it disrupts this crucial balance, tipping the scales in favor of the government and those who claim to “know better” in our society. If we wish to secure these freedoms, we must act now to place parental rights into the text of our Constitution.
Please forward this message onto your friends and urge them to sign the Petition to Protect Parental Rights.
Additional sources not linked in the article
Jonathan Todres, “Analyzing the Opposition to the U.S. Ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child,” in The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (2006): 24.
Cynthia Price Cohen, “Role of the United States in Drafting the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” Loyola Poverty Law Journal (1998): 30-31.
Bruce Hafen, “Abandoning Children to their Autonomy,” Harvard International Law Journal (1996): 470.
Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205, 232 (1972).
Just another way satan is trying to take over with his evil schemes. First lets not let parents discipline thier kids now lets not let them take them to church! To hell with you satan, you dont belong here!!
May 5 at 3:44 pm
This is liberalism in one of its most noxious forms - masquerading as open-minded tolerance for all sorts of differences, while marginalizing traditional views and practices - pretty intolerant.
May 5 at 5:17 pm
Okay, children have a right to all of the information available to them. If you encourage them to learn about all religions and all schools of thought, explaining to them that their parents (we) are Catholic and this is what they (we) believe, then where is the problem? As long as they are given all of the information and allowed to choose for themselves, which is their right as individuals, there should be no problem.
The point here should be that it is their choice. Religion is intensely personal and imposing it upon another being is wrong. It is also wrong to deprive them of the information they need to make an informed decision.
May 5 at 5:19 pm
A person’s faith and belief system is NO way child abuse..rather the freedom to place in action your exercise your own belief in God.
Children have the right to religious freedom and I am all for that!
We must stand in the gap for our children’s freedom to believe and practice their faith in God.
Not allowing a child have freedom of religion is emotional and spiritual abuse of itself.
“Jesus loves the little children”
May 5 at 5:21 pm
I am not sure how I got onto this e-mail list. I am an atheist and find christian religions, in general, to be very close-minded. I find that Catholics, most of all, follow the teachings of Christ the least. Isn’t it a teaching of Christ to share what you have; to listen to others without judgement; to care for the planet? If there are so many of you out there, then what is going on? Why did you put a war-monger in office instead of a steward of the earth? If life is so precious, why are you so eager to kill? I could go on, but I am sure it would fall on deaf ears.
May 5 at 5:31 pm
As a parent, I will teach my child about faith, Jesus and God in our home and in church. I will teach her what the Bible teaches. She is free to ask as many question, voice her concern and question me as much as she wants and I will answer the very best that I can. As a parent, I will never teach her an alternative to Jesus and God. When she is older and is more understanding and more mature her freedom of choice is there for her. But, until then she is my child and I have a duty to guide her.
May 5 at 5:40 pm
I share my faith, not my religion,with my children. I do so because I believe what I do on purpose not because I inherited my faith. If I thought any part of my faith was just a chosen way of life or something tradition handed down to me I would probably be as anxious as the government to be rid of it, fortunately for me there is a God whom we are all accountable to whether you believe in him or not. So go on about your ignorant lives , but ignorance will not make you unaccountable.
May 5 at 6:17 pm
First of all, we are talking about CHILDREN here, people that are between the ages of 0-18, not mature, experienced adults, so how on earth can a CHILD possibly know what he or she really wants? How can they, as CHILDREN make any clear decision? I don’t care how much information you throw at them, they are NOT capable of making such big, life changing decisions! It is and should remain, up to the parent to raise their own children in any way they see best.
Why do you think we don’t allow children to vote in elections??
Religion is in NO way, shape or form abuse. Most religions try to teach love, respect, kindness and many other character traits that we all should have anyway!
May 5 at 6:22 pm
When I read articles like this my first thought is “These people need our prayers”. Can you imagine what a testimony it would be for people with such negative ideas toward religion -if they turned to God! I love my children but they have known since they were young that they are mine for only a little while and God has given me the privilege and responsibility to raise them in His will.
May 5 at 6:26 pm
O-kay our government has definitely strayed from the sole purpose of what it’s intent was when the Declaration of Independence was signed. Unless I read it wrong wasn’t our government supposed to protect those who wanted to practice any religion they wanted? And isn’t our responsibility to take back our freedoms once it has been compromised by our own government.
All this talk of religion a form of abuse so is drinking while pregnant,smoking while or around your children, drugs, not buckling your children their car when you are driving, oh and talking on the cell phone when you are driving with the kids in the backseat…I don’t see anyone crying abuse with those things that actually can kill a kid.
I personally don’t understand why other people give a flying rats behind about why parents teach religion to their kids. It’s not YOU we are teaching, it’s our own children. And it is fundamentally our say in what we teach our kids, no one else, when they move out of the house they can make up their own mind like the rest of us.
May 5 at 6:36 pm
Almighty God created us to know him, to love him and to serve now and for all eternity. Parents have an obligation to teach their children about religious things. Those who make decisions that were already made by Our Perfect, Eternal God will surely be on the receiving end of his horrible wrath. We must pray for those elite people, driven by satan, to realize their errors and beg Our Redeemer for his forgiveness.
May 5 at 7:05 pm
It is a difficult time to raise children. It is no wonder we have seen crimes and immorality rise in recent times. The government is trying to take away our right to instruct our children.It is important to remove our children as much as possible from the cities and bad influences. I have decided to homeschool my daughter next year when she starts school, because I wish her to stay an innocent child. When I was a young child I do not remember anything about children being taken from their parents. Now it seems that you hear of it all the time.One of the problems with the fostercare system is the children may not be abused, but there is no way of knowing what kind of values the person who gets the child will teach them.
May 5 at 7:14 pm
We will pass on something to our children - the question is what will we pass on (our faith or its abscence) and who will pass it on (a child’s own parents or strangers in government)? My heart breaks that abuses of religion have enabled this argument to stand. May I walk in such a way as to compel my children towards faith in my God - and may they walk in a way to compel others…
May 5 at 7:23 pm
I generally agree with statements posted here; to children are too young and immature to make these kind of decisions themselves. To not provide guidance in the area of religion is a terrible idea. Like Barbara B.Y., my children are encouraged to ask ANY question they have, raise ANY objection they hear, and we will do our best to provide good answers. We even go further than that: I do my best to expose my children to the very best atheist thinkers, and theologians of other world religions while guiding them with my far more experienced mind. It’s a form of inoculation, if they are exposed to the very best objections to Christianity now, while they can discuss these issues with me, they won’t be caught off-guard by them when they run into them after they have left my direct care and guidance.
May 5 at 7:38 pm
That said, why are we worrying about what the U.N. says and does? They have no power anywhere. They have become an increasingly irrelevant organization that nobody pays attention to. Sure, everyone pays lip service to the U.N. (The U.S. much less so than most), but there aren’t any countries anywhere that actually pay attention to these documents the U.N. puts out. They’re a pathetic joke.
May 5 at 7:42 pm
A couple of things. First, I notice that the UN is effectively setting itself up as the definer and arbitrator of a moral standard. This has been going on for many years so its not surprising that the current ratifications are being addressed. Actually, I think this is the tip of the iceberg. It is a a precursor to defining usefulness of human life and, following the logic of the UN (or any goverment), who better than those in power) to define who lives and dies. And, for those that live, what they believe? This is the logical end of this line of thinking.
Lacking a common element of faith and morality, the UN is left with the only alternative which is to define morality in the context of what is good for society. I don’t suspect that the individuals involved in wording this are being malicious but are merely following their logic to its logical conclusion. And that conclusion is, “Society is the standard of measure for what morality is.” It’s no different than people of faith deriving their value system from their religion (which I prefer to call a world view). It’s this world view which defines what is right and wrong, good and bad, just and unjust. For those with a traditional Judaeo / Christian perspective it is God who defines this standard. Those with an evolutionary or existential world view also have a set of moral standards derived from their beliefs. In a sense, every world view is a religion or system of beliefs.
The irony is that the people who cry out for an open minded and broad set of discussion exclude faith based systems from the class room. Those that cry for children’s rights are the first to let an unborn child be killed. Their world view is inconsistent and not logical and yet they find comfort in their own thinking.
What concerns me about the clause is that parents are “to provide direction to the child in the exercise of his or her right in a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child.” Who defines what those capacities are? That is the clause which gives the definer of rights the ability to intervene. In the case of this clause it is the UN (and the countries that sign this) that define morality.
May 5 at 7:44 pm
The reason the u.n. wants control over how our children are raised is not over concern for the person but concern over the ruling class. A strong faith in God and Him alone strips the so-called ruling classes and their politicians of their power base. I wonder who else has ever stripped power from the ruling elite?
May 5 at 8:32 pm
If I conceive and bear a child, why should some stranger tell me what I can and cannot teach my child. I raise my children in the Christian Faith which teaches us to love one another. It teaches us to love God first above all things and then to obey the rest of His commandments which protect others from harm. Me loving God in no way will harm anyone else in this world, therefore it makes no sense for me, as a parent to be told that I cannot teach my children to love God.
May 5 at 8:36 pm
First of all, we are all missing the point here. It is time for Parents and U.S. Citizens, generally, to say ‘enough is enough’ not only about this particular issue, but the issue of our participation is this un-Godly orgainization period. This international organization is all about a one-world government, that is socialist, from the get go. As citizens of a once-free-and proud nation, we need to get some courage and begin demanding that our country get out of all these foreign entanglements and get back to this country’s roots. If we do not wake up soon, it will be too late. We need to pray and we need to ACT and take back our country beginning at the local level of government. All politics is Local.
May 5 at 8:41 pm
When I was a child, my parents raised me in the belief they wanted me to believe. When I was old enough to choose other ideas, it annoyed me that I was limited, but then again, all children are limited and it in no way affected my development to just wait until I was 18 to go to participate in the beliefs of my own choosing. I think there would be more harm to children in Government Imposed Beliefs. As far as I see, a lack of belief is still a belief. Children are raised with the ideas they are raised with. Sometimes the children choose other ideas, but the ideas still shape them. I would normally think that this would violate the constition, since the Government cannot promote one religion over another, but allot of people don’t consider the removal of any belief system as a promoting of a belief. In public schools, it makes sense to try to be Neutral, but in the home, it goes too far.
There will always be someone
May 5 at 8:50 pm
This is part of the polarization of humanism and religion that is characteristic of our times. It is a process that will ultimately strengthen our faith as it shows us the limitations and futility of a life without God. This proposed article is pathetic in its short sightedness and arrogance; dangerous in its attempt to control behavior under the guise of “rights of the child.”
I invite the writers of this proposal to take a close look at our public schools, homes and work places and to open their eyes to the violence that is being expressed among our young people as a result of the “freedom” of humanistic thinking and practice that have been instituted in the past several decades. Consider carefully what you are saying and creating. Be careful what you wish for!
And if we allow the basic parental freedom to guide our children spiritually to be taken away, is there anything that cannot be taken away from us?
It is a time where we are called to stand up for what we believe in! It is a time to stand up for our religious rights.
May 5 at 9:04 pm
hey–if these people don’t want us to share our religion with our kids, are they going to come over and babysit them on sunday mornings while we go to church? or are we supposed to stop going to church until our kids are old enough to make their own religious decisions? doesn’t that violate MY right to religion? pah!
next they’ll say it’s abuse to teach our children their family history/culture. no more kwanza–that’s abuse! no more taco bell–that’s based on the cuisine of another culture!
whatever. when you chose to believe in nothing, that’s all you have to look forward to. how sad for those people.
May 5 at 9:47 pm
….”parenting is a “privilege” that operates within parameters set by society to protect the child’s “fundamental rights to self determination.” If parents step beyond these boundaries by indoctrinating their children, “the contract lapses – and it is then the duty of those who granted the privilege to intervene.”
God granted me the privilege…no the blessing… to have children not the U.N.
May 5 at 10:25 pm
People are adopting the guidelines of the UN and have made decisions in alignment with the release of the UN’s Convention on the Rights of a Child.
Even more, you will find judges leaning toward ideas in the UN Convention and overlooking the cases decisions in America. This is why there is a need for the PRA. Our judges shouldn’t reference the UN’s Convention (though they do not say it, they are sharing the same ideas for the basis of their decisions). The Constitution of the U.S. of A. needs to be the basis for decisions in our country.
There is a clear agenda, in my opinion, to structure the mind of our children. The CA decision on why the state is educating their children is a clear glimpse into what is happening. California does not offer up reading, writing, and arithmetic as the primary (goal) reasons for educating their children.
While I have not decided who I will vote for in November, only one candidate (who is unlikely to get the party nomination due to numbers) has consistently called for upholding the Constitution in practice.
The best way to direct the future of a country is to strip rights one-by-one. They are taking away one right at a time so it is not so obvious.
While it is good to talk openly about different religion and beliefs with your children, it is up to the parent to determine the level of exposure. What if my child wanted to become part of a movement that is clearly a cult? It is my responsibility to ensure my children are not led astray by false doctrines. I do not want to have to deal with child protective agencies because my child might want to attend a particular church, or stay home while I attend church.
I agree that they can decide what church they want to attend/join when they are 18. I am not driving my various children to various churches because they want to go somewhere different for church.
I am not a member of the same faith in what I was raised. Just because children attend a particular faith with their parent does not mean that they will remain in that faith.
I agree, Jerome, that we have to start at the local level and be vigilant in our voting for persons who will protect family rights. Also, I believe supporting the PRA is a step in the right direction.
May 5 at 10:27 pm
There is just no way to justify the government’s interference with the fundamental rights of a parent to BE A PARENT! Let’s just remember that the teachings of Christ are foolishness to those who don’t believe the way we do. We cannot expect a people who don’t know God to think like we do. They have the right not to, both from God, and from our bill of rights.
That being said, we also need to let the government know that we have the right to lead our children in the way we see fit, be it as athiests, Christians, or anything else. We might as well inflict mandatory sterilization on all of the countries represented by the UN if we don’t have the right to look out for the best interests of our children when they are young, and cannot make decisions about abstract ideas. When they are older, they can choose what to believe. We can only make a difference in the lives of our children if they see that what we believe makes a difference in the world. (sorry to rant)
May 5 at 11:04 pm
Any time a liberal offers to help, RUN. The UN is manifestly: liberal, anti-US, and anti-Christian. I can’t imagine any young child being well informed enough to make these kinds of decisions. They must be schooled in every other area of life except religion? On that they are to be left without guidance. Some religions are allowed to “indoctrinate” up to and including “jihad” but it is forbidden for christianity to even suggest. Smells fishy to me.
May 6 at 12:15 am
Yes it smells fishy because satan is at the bottom of this scheme to outlaw the one and true God.
May 6 at 12:17 am
Put the Bible back into the Public Schools and all the problems will go away. The Bible states that God gave the parents the responsibility to teach their children.
Get rid of PTA. The teachers have taked over PTA. The school, principal and the teachers sould come under the parents authority. Have a parents group control the school.
May 6 at 1:07 am
While we are at it, why don’t we allow children the right to choose what table manners they would like to adopt. In many countries it is perfectly polite to slurp soup at the dinner table and burp out loud. A child should be informed of the many different systems of manners all over the world and be allowed to choose the one that suits him best.
May 6 at 1:17 am
oh yea and while we are at it lets introduce them to cults as well I mean for goodness sake they need to learn everything so they can choose! How about gangs as well, lets take them to that side of town and let them hang out and learn! Gimme a break!
May 6 at 1:29 am
While I agree with some of the points made by Tucker…(to a degree)
Childrearing is also an intensly personal (and for some, religious in nature) belief, and imposing someone elses philosophy of family and child rearing is EQUALLY unacceptable under our U.S. system of government…
Where does one end…and the other begin? Who makes the distinction?
Who decides at what age the child is capable of making that “Informed decision” you speak of?
Thus begins the “slippery slope” of taking the charge of care and raising of children out of the care of parents hands…Those who do (usually) have their best interests at heart.
May 6 at 1:32 am
Satan’s fighting hard to upend Christianity in the western world. It is the job of believers to be spiritual warriors as well as political activists.
a) We must pray for our leaders, and sometimes against them as well.
b) We must LIVE the Christian message, so that people see Christ’s light and love in us. This will bring converts and that will stimulate cultural change.
c) We must pray against the devil and his goals.
d) We must get our hands dirty, being prepared to demonstrate, make noise, bang on doors, etc. I.e., we have to make our presence felt in our society, because our ideological opponents, while fewer, are much louder and have infiltrated key areas of society: the media and the schools.
e) And we must pray that the Spirit of God takes over Hollywood. I’ve been praying for the Christianization of the media in general, and it would appear that to some degree, that has started to take place. But we have a long way to go. Perhaps we need to think of Hollywood as the Israelites did the Amorites, Hittites and Canaanites, but in a spiritual and ideological way.
May 6 at 5:27 am
And we must remember to be blameless. We can not be like the Westboro Baptists who carry those God-awful signs of hatred against homosexuals. Or the Sunday Christian who becomes the Monday carnal guy. We must be little Christs and fight this culture war spiritually and politically, while not losing our heads and letting our sinful natures disrupt our judgement. We can not wish damnation on anyone. We must pray for the redemption of everyone, while still remaining critical of the activities and warped points of view of those who oppose Jesus.
May 6 at 5:33 am
To Anonymous,
You also are able to decide how to raise your kids in the way that you see best, even if you are an atheist. You have that right presently. What is happening here is that the government thinks it should tell you what is best for your children. That is not right. Sign the parental rights petition if you want to retain the right to decide without government regulation.
May 6 at 8:11 am
What if we don’t teach our children the faith they are to be raised in? Then, they WILL be taught something else…Satan is devious and deceptive enough to do this as proven in our school systems…there is no such thing as not teaching a child religion because they are indoctrinated by society all the time…what parents do is teach them what they believe is good and true. As a Christian, I believe that my faith is the truth. I won’t knock others for what they believe but I have a God-given responsibility to teach my children the truth. Here’s the cool part…government can’t unplant the seeds of faith that has already been planted. I can trust that should our government be granted the power to go too far (and I pray that doesn’t happen), God is still in control. It is God who saves our children. My responsibility lies in sharing the truth with them and teaching them what God says in His Word.
May 6 at 8:42 am
A few days ago, my father said something that shocked me~because it rang true. He said, “Our country is gone and it’s not coming back.” I think, deep down, I’ve been thinking this very thing. When I look back on my childhood, I don’t recognize the US today as the US in which I was raised. Now is the time to act if we want to take our country back from the Marxists and the ultra-liberals. Who was it who said that bad people prevail because good people sit back and do nothing? We can’t sit back and do nothing any longer! It’s almost too late now.
May 6 at 9:16 am
I would like to encourage all that read these comments to read the the fifth one, “Anonymous ( because you are scary people )”. Please pray for this precious soul. Pray that “religious people” would stay away from this one. Pray that only folks w/ a loving and growing relation w/ Jesus would find this person precious to them.
May 6 at 12:14 pm
I think it’s a must that we raise our children according to truth, in my opinion truth would be the Bible. I was raised as a Hindu but never truly followed such doctines, however in my teenage years I became a Christian by choice and my parent accepted and love me despite my conversion.I am currently raising my child according to the principles of the Bible and my prayer is that she grasp the truth and follow Jesus.We are very open with her about religion, politics, and whatever else life consists of.She has read books on evolution and it’s amazing how the mind of a 9 year old can discredit those who oppose creation.I encourage all of the parents out there to be open with your kids. Include them in your conversation about God , religion politics. Allow them to see the world for what it is compared to what God intended it to be.I homeschool my daughter and many times I’ve asked her if she would rather attend a public or private school and her answer is always NO.You see our duty is to teach them what’s right and what’s wrong, what’s the truth and what’s a lie and they will then make the right choices no matter what the government or the world presents to them.
May 6 at 12:39 pm
Ooooo! This is GREAT. Here we have some thought going on about what is actually happening to our society. Go see “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed”. This IS happening already; it’s just not on the books yet.
As a parent who HAS to send my children to public school, I see everyday the importance of DAILY home teaching. I also see the effects of those parents who take the side of ‘I’m not going to tell my kids what to believe…’ and it is devastating. Children HAVE to have something to believe in. If we don’t give it to them, they WILL get it from somewhere else. Too many people have walked away from their parents teachings to the detriment of their own children. Why do you think suicide in youth is soooo high?
I have been there and done that; got the shirt and the tatoos to show for it. It ALL leads to despair and it almost lead to my own destruction. Without God’s gift of redemption nothing will satisfy or save us from our ‘problem’. We, the people, MUST get off our all-too-comfortable behinds and DO what God wants us to do; SPEAK THE TRUTH. With love first, but with conviction for sure. Don’t allow your schools to tell you what they will and will not ask your permission on when it comes to your children. It takes much time and energy (a.k.a.- sacrifice) but if we don’t do it now, we will be living in the new USSR. Our children will surely know what poverty and persecution REALLY means.
God help us.
May 6 at 1:29 pm
He who stands for nothing falls for everything.
Very important to teach your kids what is the truth for you as a family.
May 6 at 1:33 pm
It is true that religion can be used in harmful ways. For instance, it’s easy for Americans to see how people use an extremist form of the Muslim religion to brain wash people. Whether you know it or not, many Christian churches do the same thing. You may be an unknowing victim…but You can’t use law to fix it. If the government really cared, they would take a more active role by including classes on core values such as: honesty, integrity, decipline, patience, tolerance, inclusion, understanding, love, peaceful conflict resolution, etc from Kindergarten - 12th grade. The core values do not have to be taught in religious terms. These kind of core values are taught in USAF basic training and have a significant, positive impact on the trainees. Imagine the kind of citizens that would come out of schools that include core values as an integral part of the curriculum. The ability to get along with others is important whether or not someone is religious. Religion and parents are doing a miserable job of teaching children core values (consider the prison popluation and divorce rate.) Since we are social creatures, children must constantly be exposed to social skills that help them thrive in society. I would argue that core values are more important than math, science, social studies, writing, language and history. It doesn’t matter how much you “know” if you cannot relate to your fellow man and woman (and yourself) in a healthy way.
May 6 at 2:48 pm
How is it that christianity is the religion that is always under attack? Children can be taught all kinds of other religions and their practices and it is ok but the moment someone mentions Christ, it becomes an infringment on someones rights. Here in the United States of America I thought I was free. I thought I was free to practice my religion and bring my chilren up within those practices as I see fit. Has it come down to such intolerance? I thought I lived in a free nation. One Nation under God!!!!!! I have read the Declaration of Independance and the Constitution. I know that I have the right to my religion without others infringing on it and that includes teaching my children about the truth of Jesus Christ and the RELATIONSHIP they can have with Him. Hey!! It is not about religion anyway people. It is about a relationship with Jesus.
Abuse is making children sit in a classroom and listen to a government supported,faith based(not fact, only theory), religion about how humans come from goo that developed to monkeys and how they are our ancestors.
I would rather believe in God the creator than that a monkey is my uncle. Please……
Iam teaching my children the truth and think reasonable. I will not teach them science fiction.
May 6 at 3:11 pm
Kendra,
Christianity comes under attack becasue unbelievers as well as satan know that it is THE one true “religion” They must at all costs get rid of it.
May 6 at 3:59 pm
Goodness! After reading some of the comments above, I can see there is so much thought, love, consideration, and kindness behind most of the names, I’ll not slow you down with my ramblings. Having said that, I will be happy to add you to the Prayer Warrior List of my church, if you like being: (Tri-City Church of Christ, Myrtle Creek Oregon - We are bible believing, teaching, and living, as much as humanly possible! Just let me know - would love to have you - both, local and global.
May 6 at 6:05 pm
This is just another ridiculous ploy of “saving” our children. Satan will not stop until WE, as the body of Christ stand together and say “Stop! Enough!” I have recently spoken with my pastor about this, and pray that you will join me also. I am setting aside June 1st as a day of prayer and consecration for our families. It doesn’t matter what denomination you are for we are all under attack. The time to fight back is now, family.
May 6 at 6:19 pm
The United Nations Rights of a Child (UNCRC)is the most dangerous document upon the face of the earth today. It has been signed by the United States, but This document is not ratified. UNCRC may or may not become the law of the land.
The ‘enemies’ of Heavenly Father(God) and Liberty(the body and spirit of freedom)are working night and day around the world to terminate the rights of every parent that brings children into this world. These enemies know the power of the human soul(heart mind and body)to hand down from one generation to the next the love of a being who is not present in this world (God). A loving God (denied by some) prevents these enemies from taking the entire population of human beings into slavary.
As our United States slowly moves from Constitutional freedom into fragmented fascism and democratic socialism, parents may or may not loose, slowly, the greatest blessing of life-life itself through the procreation of offspring within the family unit. Watching and participating as a human being grows from conception into maturity is the most rewarding experience any human will gain while living on Earth.
The war for the heart and soul of humankind was stated clearly when Cecil B. DeMille introduced the movie “The Ten Commandments”. He said “The theme of this picture is whether man ought to be ruled by God’s law or whether men ought to be ruled by the whims of a dictator like Ramsey. Are men the property of the state? or are they free souls unto God?”
“…And God said let there be light. and from this light God created ‘life’. And man was given dominion over all things upon the earth (through an ability to think, reason and act upon other things). and the power to choose between good and evil.”
“But each sought his own will because he knew not the light of God’s law. Man took dominion over man. The conquered were made to serve the conqueror. The weak were made to serve the strong. And freedom was gone from the world. And so did the Egyptian cause the children of Israel to live in bitterness with hard bondage. And God placed the seed of a man…One man to stand alone against an empire.”
So it is told to all who read the Holy Bible.
That was then this is now!
In 1776 Independance was declared once and for all. This time by a people who found the promised land, the New Jeruselem, upon the American Continent.
We the People are not one man standing alone against an Empire as Moses and Jesus were. In fact we stand United. In the United States of America the people decide how we may or may not be governed by our leaders.
“On the heels of every hope walks…[the enemies of freedom]”. But freedom has the power to crush the head of those who seek to usurp power unto the few. The United States Constitution teaches us the power remains within the delegation of the people not in the power of the few (Regimes).
For truth, Our Family of five fell victim to the bitter abuse of a Fascist government agency which is named the State Department of Children and Families, and Corporated forms of the same. This agency under the title of ‘child protection’ has the power to abduct(kidnap by force or fraud) children from innocent families and use these powers to shatter natural-families and false imprison children under Socialist indoctrination that government should or must “remove” children from their homes until the “best interest” of the child can be established. This agency gets stagering amounts of support from US citizens.
The aftermath,suffering,lamentations, anxiety, mental, and emotional abuse, to say the least, of having our beloved children kidnapped by these very powers causes one to write and warn all within the sight of my words. This Department of our own State Governments have little truthful intention of protecting children from the abuse of innocent family units. Instead the Judicial Branch utilizes power to establish the best interest of the State (Executive police powers)and exploit the innocence and immaturity of children in the process. The US Constitutional protections to separate powers, in order to prevent the abuse of delegated governence, has been weakened or disolved within this State Department.
Someday the power that is being created in those very courts across this nation taday may or may not be the same power used to shatter the relationships of any family that is declared to be against the ‘best interest’ of the Government including the Religious Covenants of Faith. Fascism is now the only description that matches this abuse of Power. Fascism is the highest form of selfishness that exisit on this planet in the form of a Government. The workers of this Government Agency are above cival law and not accountable to it. Lying, we are told, is a part of the system. Lies are truthfully the means to the end. The end is to totally shatter parental rights. The workers divide and conquer.
“…day after day, year after year,Bondage without hope. Toil without rest. These are the afflicted, the hopeless, the opressed”. Hopelessness in the power of the abductors of humane freedom. “And he went unto his brethren and looked on their burdens”.
We, husband and wife, living in the aftermath of one of the most destructive Government agency in the US today, know the reality of the indoctrination society is under concerning the true abuse of children and the abuse of child protection laws masquerading as a ‘good cause’. Child abuse is real! so is the UNCRC’s plans to terminate parental rights–especially targetting anyone who violates the best interest of the State through Religious Covenants between parents and thier faith in the works of God. If the UNCRC ratifies itself in this country–RAMAH–Mothers and Fathers across this great land may or may not suffer the same fate as our beloved children and family–torn and terminated from parents in whom they loved and where loved, nurtured, educated and trained to choose between good and evil.
“What deliverer can break the bondage of Pharoh(terminator of Parental Rights)?”
We The People!
Parental Rights are being terminated one family at a time in this very day and age. God forbid, If the UNCRC gains power in a “teflon coated” agency, these powers, which this writer has personally concluded with unheard lamentations of a God-given mother, may or may not end the family unit of one man one women and children as we know it.
The United Nations Rights of a Child MAY NOT enter the United States. An amendment to the United States Constitution by the petition of the people once again can regain Liberty lost by the shattering powers of “dictators like Ramseys”
(Judicial Orders,Govenors of each State,IRS and UNCRC).
May 6 at 7:22 pm
This is the way the communists have done things: Let the adults continue to practice their beliefs (within limits), but forbid children from participating. Over time, the visible church dies. It was a subtle change in the U.S.S.R., but the consequences over the course of a generation were devastating.
May 6 at 7:39 pm
M&M Fader,
That was a mouth full of well said wisdom! It really is that serious and that is scarry!
May 6 at 8:36 pm
Honestly, I’m not sure what I believe metaphysically. I do know this, however. This is obviously targeting the West which is predominately Christian. Good luck coercing Islamic nations to abide by it.
May 7 at 9:46 am
Oh ww dont want to coerce anyone into anything. We just want to stop being attacked.
May 7 at 1:33 pm
Dawkins quotes from Humphrey, who writes that “children have a right not to have their minds addled by nonsense, and we as a society have a duty to protect them from it.”
What a ridiculous statement. What right does “society” have to say what is nonsense and what is not? don’t we have the right to freedom or religion or are we willing to give up that part of the constitution which was so important to the man that pend it?
May 7 at 11:20 pm
Oh society has all kinds of ideas about what is right but if they were so right then society wouldnt be so messed up huh?
May 8 at 9:16 am
this is just one more way for the government to control the people, and how we raise our children. funny the human race has been around for thousands of years and we didnt need this control untill now.
May 8 at 9:28 am
in the holy bible our lord jesus christ said you would suffer much for my name sake.if you truly read the words of god it teaches us everything we need in living in this falling world.if the child sins agianst GOD OR PARENTS.THE ROD ON THERE BOTTOMS THEY WILL RECEIVE WITH LOVE THEY WILL RCEIVE THE CORRECTION.BE BLESSED AND TELL SATAN TO STEP ASIDE.
May 10 at 2:29 pm
For a great read on this site regarding the PRA, check out the comments here:
http://www.parentalrights.org/blog/courts-the-law/washington-times-op-ed-california-may-ban-spanking
May 10 at 4:08 pm
Please read the post above. You will find that the right of state outweighs the right of parents by many anti-spankers.
Do we want only officers to be exonerated for using force on our families? Children as young as 7 have brought knives to school and there are many more examples of this. Officers are armed in the schools now. Do officers correct in love or use force in love. Do they pray with your child and share scriptures.
I have talked about this in perspective on the link noted above toward the end of the blog (on this website). Please take the time to pray and study God’s word on this issue.
No anti-spanking laws should be passed, but if they are, not before the PRA.
May 10 at 7:41 pm
To clarify…I do not think there should be any anti-spanking laws at all.
May 10 at 7:43 pm
satan satan satan. no man is doing this. because some people believe their teaching are the best. i personally think making a child go to church is wrong, if they don’t want to go then teach them at home. being a pagan i dont expect any of you to actually listen to me. it isn’t like your ancestors were burned for being peaceful earth loving people
May 10 at 8:02 pm
Actually, Serina, the Catholic Church is full of the stories of saints who were martyred for being peaceful–that is having Peace of Christ. Just going about their business of loving God and being faithful to Him, and along comes someone who doesn’t agree. “Sorry, but you are not conforming to society, or to my will, so you must die.” Burned, beaten, killed with arrows, dragged through city streets–or forced to walk through them carrying their own body parts, crucified…No fairy tales here–actual historical recorded events. I was once a “pagan” and thought like you. I wouldn’t have died for a tree, but I would for my Lord. Pride is forcing you to miss out on something you will never find elsewhere.
May 10 at 11:28 pm