Would you consider it abuse to be forced to stay in the house for a week to memorize a prayer?

[NNN0LHI]

I had completely blocked out when this was happening until my brother reminded me that is what our mother made us do sometimes.

Middle of summer, out of school and we were imprisoned in our room for a week until we had memorized a prayer. A prayer that both of us knew was bullshit. We finally did memorize it just to get out of the house but our hearts were never in it.

Didn't turn us into "good", Catholics either. My brother and I are both non-believers.

Pretty shitty thing to do to a kid as I think back on it now. Weeks of our lives wasted.

I just don't get it. Glad I never did crap like that to my kids.

Don

[Systematic Chaos]

1. I would consider it to be mental/psychological abuse, definitely.

I lived an entire childhood of that kind of shit, so I don't take very kindly to dipshit authoritarian parents who get off on manipulating their kids, even if they don't resort to spanking or hitting. It's really just about the same in the end.

[hifiguy]

4. +1. And how. n/t

[Archae]

2. That is never teaching.

Your Mom was on a power trip, using religion as an excuse.

No wonder you dumped your Mom's religion.

I had religion forced on me too, if we wouldn't go to Sunday school and church, we got punished.
(Usually groundings.)

Fortunately, my Mom realizes that now.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. That's definitely abusive, my dear NNN0LHI...

She should never have done that to you.

I'm sorry.

[Kalidurga]

5. Now I lay me down to sleep, if I should die before I wake...

It's funny how the first prayer many children learn sounds like something from a horror movie. And iirc is used in more than one. Yes it is abusive to force people to learn prayers and verses. IMO it abusive to force kids into going to church. They have enough forced on them as it is when they have to go to school.

[elleng]

6. No, not 'abuse.'

Clearly an extremely foolish way to attempt 'teach' anyone anything., and hard to imagine any parent would chose to do it unless the parent was so far under the thumb of the Church, or related social circle, that she couldn't help herself. Sad.

'Shitty,' yes.
Sorry.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

9. I agree

Crappy parenting, but not abuse, IMO.

[WillowTree]

12. Ditto.

[Angry Dragon]

7. I hope you went out and got a new mother

[Comrade_McKenzie]

8. I consider subjecting kids to MOST aspects of religion to be mentally abusive.

So, yes.

[Zax2me]

10. Of course not.

Millions of Muslims are forced to memorize - wait.
Is this for Christians only?
Either way - no.

[azurnoir]

11. yes and as your post shows

pretty darn counter-productive too, that is if the intention was to turn you into a "good Catholic"

[alphafemale]

13. Glad I never did crap like that to my kids.

You broke the chain! You Win!

[Major Nikon]

14. Suprisingly the tactic does work, though

It's basically how organized religion perpetuates. You brainwash the kids and you have lifelong customers.

[eliminerlesud]

15. Yes it is abuse, both mental and physical

my mother was a religious zealot and about 10 years ago she apologized to me for all the religious BS she tried to get me to follow as a kid.

I did not believe the BS then nor do I today.

Took a good beating too when at the end of 7th grade the Catholic School I was forced to attend would not let be comeback for 8th grade because I was too confrontational to the priests and nuns in the catechism classes.