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Hell, is no one asking the children?

By Carl S ~

When wars are planned, when invasions begin, when atrocities are committed, when religious and other ideologies seek domination, who considers the impact and ravages on children? Driven by adult fanaticism, who among those fanatics cares how the new generation will suffer? Who considers the damage to their psyches, their nightmares, the results of creating orphans, the damage done by terrifying innocent children with threats of hellfire? What about children whose parents and guardians choose to live in cults, where they are abused, or their lives wasted if they have to die with them?

Why don't the Ten Commandments include a prohibition against sexual abuse? Why are there no prohibitions against sex abuse in scriptures or in any writings by those who “speak for God?”

Right now, go to OpenBible and enter, “What does the bible say about killing children?” The compilers list “100 verses;” only about half of which apply. If you read them all, you'll notice the contradiction between “you shall not kill” and “you must kill.” These compilers depend on religious readers to be true to form and ignore this. It's obvious: the Bible God doesn't give a shit about children, born or unborn. In fact, he often commands they be slaughtered or enslaved.

Spiritual morality loses all meaning when so-called moral men overlook and conceal men who shove their erect penises into the anuses and vaginas of children; when their superiors do everything to protect them at all costs, and not the kids. Why is this s.o.p. for a monotheistic religion with a hypocritical and perverse history of twisting of, denial to, and repression of normal sexuality? Is this a facade for fundamentalist clergy to engage in hidden sexual dalliances, child pornography, abusing pick-of-the-crop innocent kids?

Just think of the horrible consequences for children from conflicts, both in their domestic surroundings and cultures, inevitably resulting from the unresolved differences of adults. And think of how they are exploited by enforced indoctrination into accepting extreme ideologies and fundamentalisms.

Religions are driven to instill a sense of shame into children from the time they first learn. But where is the shame with the clergy, for it sure looks as if they have none? This is my persistent question.

Why don't the Ten Commandments include a prohibition against sexual abuse? Why are there no prohibitions against sex abuse in scriptures or in any writings by those who “speak for God?”So, we really need to ask, how do the children feel about those decisions affecting their lives and futures? Do they want to be indoctrinated? Don't they want security, peace, and co-operation among and with adults? Do they want their parents and friends killed right in front of them, their homes destroyed? Shouldn't children be asked if they want a parent to go off and fight in yet another one of mankind's never-ending, stupid sectarian conflicts? Do children have rights at all? Should they be taught they're “born bad” and have this stigma become a self-fulfilling prophesy as their inheritance?

What if the children were allowed to cast the deciding votes on these questions? Wouldn't the world be a much more peaceful and accepting environment for all humans?

This is not what the Abrahamic God wants. And who are we to question the policies of an All-loving, All-wise, Father-God of three Abrahamic religions? Who are we who blaspheme by exhibiting something: Children have the sense, wisdom, love, and compassion, that's absent in a god who they're taught cares for them? The contrast is gigantic. Is it any wonder why he would hate children?

At this point you might ask, “Hell you doin' about it?" Funny you should ask. Just a few minutes ago I was thinking about evolutionary adaptation and survival. It would seem that beyond mere survival there is a definite tool for progress through what I'll call, “little triumphs of the inventive mind.” Subtle cleverness appears built-into the minds of higher animals. Which includes me.

Take my marital relationship. Because my wife knows I undeniably love her, she, the intelligent non-non-Christian, I'm in a position to “get through,” not by speaking as I do here, but by appealing to our mutual moral standards. I think the trouble we all have with believers is: they're not paying attention. Not even to what they claim to believe. Sometimes even ridicule doesn't work to get a reaction, and that's sayin' somethin'. Sometimes, trust in clergy must be challenged when examples of clergy abuse are spotlighted. On this, we are together. And though I see her reactions to cartoons mocking beliefs, she doesn't comment. (Maybe it's because they get interspersed with the “anti” undeniably funny ones. As one teacher said, “Laughter is the enemy of dogma.”)

I'm new to the internet, so I let my wife know that if there's any charity she questions, I can find the info she wants. As a result, she no longer contributes to a mission because I found out it's Catholic. You may read what I've written so far, but I go further, into activism. Because I've read so much, I also share information with my wife. Several times I mentioned, “I can't believe Native American children in mission schools aren't being abused.” Now she throws away their mail requests for support. These are my erosions, batterings against religious foundations; my little triumphs of an inventive mind.

I support SNAP, the survivors’ network, Planned Parenthood, and other organizations empowering women around the world. (It's encouraging to know that $1.00 in U.S. money is worth so much more in third world countries.) My letters to the editor aren't much different than these writings, but toned down for a general audience. So yeah, I'm not just talking. If the children don't read them, I hope their parents will.

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