German Authorities Slam "The God Delusion" for Kids (1 Viewer)

[Stevo.]

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3100309,00.html

The German Family Ministry is pushing to have a book it says slurs Judaism, Christianity and Islam labeled dangerous for children. The book's publisher says kids have a right to enlightenment.
The German Family Ministry is pushing for the children's book "How Do I Get to God, Asked the Small Piglet," by written by Michael Schmidt-Salomon and illustrated by Helge Nyncke, to be included on a list of literature considered dangerous for young people.

"The three large religions of the world, Christianity, Islam and Judaism, are slurred in the book," the ministry wrote in a December memo. "The distinctive characteristics of each religion are made ridiculous."

The book tells the story of a piglet and a hedgehog, who discover a poster attached to their house that says: "If you do not know God, you are missing something!"

This frightens them because they had never suspected at all that anything was missing in their lives. Thus they set out to look for "God." Along the way they encounter a rabbi, a bishop and a mufti who are portrayed as insane, violent and continually at each other's throats.

The rabbi is drawn in the same way as the caricatures from the propaganda of 1930's Germany; corkscrew curls, fanatical lights in his eyes, a set of predator's flashing teeth and hands like claws. He reacts to the animals by flying into a rage, yelling at them that God had set out to destroy all life on Earth at the time of Noah and chases them away.

The mufti fares little better. While he greets both animals at first as a quiet man and invites them into his mosque, he soon changes into a ranting fanatic. He assembles a baying Islamic mob and holds the animals up in a clenched fist while condemning them to everlasting damnation through bared teeth and an unruly-looking beard.

The insinuation here is that all visitors to mosques are extremists and every imam who appears reasonable is, in truth, nevertheless, a preacher of hate.

The bishop, a pale fat man with a clearly insinuated predilection for child abuse, makes up the unholy trinity which eventually convinces piglet and hedgehog, after they have survived the long search in the maze of religions, that nothing of any importance has been missing from their lives.

"I think that God doesn't even exist," the hedgehog says at the end of the book. "And if He does, than he definitely doesn't live in [a synagogue, cathedral or mosque]."

Published in October 2007, the 20-page book's publisher, Alibri, said it was aware it was risking a political battle when it published the book.

"It's clear to me that putting a critique of religion in children's bedrooms is a hot political topic," Alibri head Gunnar Schedel said.

Calling the ministry's accusations an "attack on freedom of expression," the publisher said the book answers the question of whether a nonreligious child is missing part of life "from the perspective of secular humanism."

Schedel added that the book is intended for nonreligious parents looking to provide their children with a critical view of religion.

"All three religions are treated equally in the book," he said. "No one is negatively singled out."

Author Schmidt-Salomon said the book was "desperately needed considering the enormous mass of religious children's stories." He added that he the book offers children and their parents the opportunity to read about agnostic beliefs if they choose.

"Children also have a right to enlightenment," he wrote on a Web site set up dedicated to the book. "They should not be left defenseless to the scientifically untenable and ethically problematic stories of religion."

The German department responsible for reviewing children's literature is scheduled to discuss whether the book presents a danger to children's upbringing in a March meeting.

I reckon it should be mandatory reading for all Australian children.

 

[A High Way Man]

Kids can read it if they want to:jaw:

 

[HalcyonSky]

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3100309,00.html


I reckon it should be mandatory reading for all Australian children.

agreed

 

[katie_tully]

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3100309,00.html


I reckon it should be mandatory reading for all Australian children.

Why.

 

[quixote studios]

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3100309,00.html


I reckon it should be mandatory reading for all Australian children.

yeah, cause we arent ignorant and bigoted enough

 

[Captain Gh3y]

There isn't anything half as scary (from the descriptions of the 3 preachers) to children in that book as being told that hell (as it's usually described) is a real place that they and their friends will go to if they're not <religion>

 

[withoutaface]

I still say the bible's worse.

 

[Slidey]

Why.

Because religion is stupid and kids don't need to be taught lies.

 

[katie_tully]

Doesn't mean it needs to be forced down kids throats either. I think there is nothing wrong with scripture in primary school, and once a kid is old enough to make their own informed decision they can decide whether or not to become a raging atheist.

You guys try too hard to be anti religion.

 

[darkliight]

Doesn't mean it needs to be forced down kids throats either. I think there is nothing wrong with scripture in primary school

Umm?

 

[katie_tully]

Umm?

From what I remember, primary school scripture was not the same as having fundamentalist dogma forced down your throat.
1. Your parents pick the denomination you attend
2. It basically consists of colouring in pictures from Bible stories
Religious ed isn't going to kill a kid, and I think it's ludacris that they should then have bullshit like this thrown at them as well.

EDIT: The option to not attend primary scripture is there, unless you attend a religious school. I don't know why you're all so hell bent on making public schools so anti religion.

 

[darkliight]

Because critical thinking is an important skill?

 

[katie_tully]

Critical thinking? What the fuck are you talking about?

I want to know why you all seem to think it's not okay for religious education, but it is okay to make them read agnostic/atheist related material.

The choice is theirs. All this comes down to is for some reason Stevo has a grudge against religion and would take any route to 'stick it' to them, such as making kids read bullshit.

Making them read that crap isn't inducing 'critical thinking'. Like I said, religion in public schools is optional. It's not fundamentalist dogma they're teaching, it's bullshit Bible stories. Most kids are already going to be instilled with religious values from their parents, regardless of whether they're getting some sort of religious education.

If and when they're at an age to assess their religious beliefs, the option to explore other views on the existance of a God should be open to them; it shouldn't be bashed over their heads. They're kids ffs, just let them eat sand and pick their noses.

 

[katie_tully]

Personally I would aim for zero religious education in public schools, and thats of any denomination. Including atheist/agnostic related materials.

It'll die out soon anyway, the PC police have raped everything else.

 

[darkliight]

I remember the primary school scripture too (as opposed to the fundamentalist dogma?), and Noah's story was one of the first cabs off the rank. I think the piglet story is a bit out there too, but given the choice between a story about a god drowning nearly everyone and a story about a few animals deciding religion isn't for them, piglet gets my vote.

 

[Atticus.]

i could not agree more with katie. the god delusion is a wretched piece of dogmatic dribble and it should not be institutionalised as a "must read"

by all means have it in the library if kids are interested but fuck...

fuck the god delusion, fuck dawkins and fuck the anti religion band wagon.

- practicing atheist

 

[katie_tully]

<3

I grew up a Catholic and when I was at an age where I was old enough to question my faith, I did. And as such, I am now an atheist.

It'll come. If kids want to question it, they will. They dont need to be forced.

 

[withoutaface]

i could not agree more with katie. the god delusion is a wretched piece of dogmatic dribble and it should not be institutionalised as a "must read"

by all means have it in the library if kids are interested but fuck...

fuck the god delusion, fuck dawkins and fuck the anti religion band wagon.

- practicing atheist

Technicality: The book in question is not "The God Delusion".

 

[Atticus.]

Technicality: The book in question is not "The God Delusion".

what?

 

[katie_tully]

Sup God? :wave: