Amid heated debate about religion, a
simple fact with profound implications has gone almost entirely
unnoticed: that the myths underlying some of the most widespread
religions portray themes related to childhood corporal punishment,
abandonment, and neglect. Perhaps the presence of such themes should not
be surprising, given that the world’s major religions arose from
historical contexts where abusive and traumatizing childrearing
practices were a cultural norm.
Of the religions widely practiced today, the traumatic themes are most transparent, pervasive, and close to the surface in the myths of Christianity—hence the focus of this article. To begin, we’ll briefly review evidence pertaining to childhood corporal punishment in the West, with an emphasis on the ancient world in which Christianity arose. We’ll then explore how themes of childhood trauma are reflected in Christian myth. At the end, I’ll offer my thoughts about how these ideas may be of particular value to those who embrace atheism, rationalism, and humanism.
https://richarddawkins.net/2016/03/how-childhood-trauma-created-christian-myth-and-why-it-matters-to-atheists/
Of the religions widely practiced today, the traumatic themes are most transparent, pervasive, and close to the surface in the myths of Christianity—hence the focus of this article. To begin, we’ll briefly review evidence pertaining to childhood corporal punishment in the West, with an emphasis on the ancient world in which Christianity arose. We’ll then explore how themes of childhood trauma are reflected in Christian myth. At the end, I’ll offer my thoughts about how these ideas may be of particular value to those who embrace atheism, rationalism, and humanism.
https://richarddawkins.net/2016/03/how-childhood-trauma-created-christian-myth-and-why-it-matters-to-atheists/
