Monster Energy

Just because people make mistakes and it’s inevitable doesn’t mean we should stop trying to make fewer mistakes. You are basically saying that it’s not worth trying to change things because it’s impossible or difficult. And you still don’t agree with my opinions, or rather facts that you are not willing to acknowledge. You say it’s not abusive without explaining why. I don’t need to calm down, because you are really an embarrassing person. It’s people like you who ruin society. It’s people like you who stay silent and don’t want real progress. Or maybe you do, but then you need to understand reality and not hide from the truth.

It’s a difficult question, but I think it is both good and bad for parents to limit certain insights for children. However, curiosity must be allowed to exist and not be hidden, and as a parent, you should not get angry when a child is curious or asks many questions that may be difficult to answer. As a child, I was actually not very curious about things. I probably just thought that adults knew best and didn’t really know what questions I should be asking.

You don’t really understand religion if you think it is only about community. Telling children not to question their faith is wrong and mentally abusive. Saying that someone will be eternally tortured for stealing a candy bar is wrong and abusive. You are a really embarrassing person. You don’t understand deep things, only superficial ones. You should be ashamed.

False

I don’t think it is always wrong to force someone against their will, but as I said, it depends on the context. A child has a lower level of awareness than an adult, so it makes sense that adults should have more decision-making power. However, my main concern is not allowing a child to question things. That is actually my biggest issue. For example, if a parent says school is important and the child asks why, and the parent replies that it is important for a good life, I think that can be wrong if it shuts down further questioning. At the same time, you might simplify or adjust explanations if a child is very rebellious towards society, but there needs to be a balance. Still, I’m not even sure whether what I’m trying to describe is actually possible to achieve.

@Natasha Tori Maru Great point!

In my opinion, yes, school is abuse.

You’re narrowing “abuse” too much. Kids don’t choose how they’re raised. Freedom also includes being allowed to question what you’re taught.

It’s like a paradox. Sex can feel good as a way to escape emptiness because it creates a sense of unity, but afterwards it often leaves you feeling even more empty, and you start chasing it again and again in an endless loop. Community in the church is similar, just a bit less brutal.

I agree with most of what you’re saying, but believing in something like God isn’t good even if it feels good. You should never believe in something unless there are solid reasons for it. People need to start seeking the truth, not illusions.

This is very true and not just a biased opinion.

Religion can turn people into psychological robots. It becomes part of their identity, so they don’t even see it as a belief anymore. They think they’re thinking freely, but they’re just operating inside something they never chose. And once you’re in that deep, it’s hard to step out unless something really shakes you.

Yes!

You’re still missing the point. No one’s saying kids shouldn’t be exposed to things. That’s normal. The issue is how it’s done. There’s a difference between showing a child something and telling them this is the truth before they can question it. Intent doesn’t really matter here. You can mean well and still shape how a kid sees reality in a way they don’t understand yet.

I agree with you on this. If we were as unbiased as possible, most people would probably come to the same conclusion. I’ll use less AI-style language going forward.

Kids should be kids. They shouldn’t be bound to something just because their parents love it, especially when it’s about not questioning things or accepting one specific view of life. If a child is taught to just believe without questioning, that’s not a healthy direction for development. Kids need space to think for themselves, ask questions, and form their own understanding of the world. They should be free to explore ideas, not locked into one way of thinking from the start.

There are definitely limitations, but it’s not slavery. It can feel like that sometimes, but if we’re being honest, that’s not accurate.

I get that this is your experience, but it doesn’t apply to all kids. Some grow up in strict environments, but saying children have no agency goes too far. Most kids still have some freedom in how they think and respond, even with rules.

You’re still flattening everything into one category. Kids need structure. That’s not abuse, that’s development.

That’s an overstatement.

You’re not wrong about the power part. But beliefs aren’t permanent like that. People question them, break them, change them. You’re putting ideas into a mind that doesn’t even know it can question yet.

You’re separating beliefs from harm like they’re unrelated, but they’re not. Beliefs shape how a child sees reality, themselves, and other people. That’s not neutral. Even if it looks harmless on the surface, it’s still conditioning. Yes, community is valuable. No one’s denying that.

Not all “lies” are equal. Telling a kid Santa exists is usually temporary, culturally understood, and doesn’t shape their entire view of reality long-term. It’s more like play or imagination that eventually gets corrected. If a belief is presented as absolute truth and not open to questioning, that’s very different from a harmless, temporary story. So yeah, it’s not really a slippery slope.

Yes, a child doesn’t choose to be born. Yes, they’re exposed to things outside their control. That’s literally what being human is. But calling all of that abuse just empties the word of any meaning.

That’s just collapsing everything into one big cynical narrative. If everything is child abuse, then nothing is. You’re blurring all distinctions. There’s a massive difference between imperfect systems and actual harm, and pretending it’s all the same is just intellectual laziness. Yes, society is flawed. Obviously. Competition, pressure, lack of awareness all of that shapes people in ways that can lead to suffering. No disagreement there.