COMMENTARY: Is religion good for kids? [View all]
Eliyahu Federman
(RNS) Young children exposed to religion had a more difficult time distinguishing fact from fiction than their less-religious counterparts, according to a study in the July issue of Cognitive Science. This was true even when it came to distinguishing nonreligious fiction vs. true stories such as that of Snow White vs. George Washington.
In essence, exposure to religion makes children more likely to believe in fictional stories. But is this bad?
Some touted this as proof that religion harms children. Widely read atheist blogger, Hemant Mehta, described this study as evidence of how religion is “mental child abuse.” In similar incendiary fashion, last year, professor Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, said that teaching religious texts as fact to children is more harmful than sex abuse.
But this study proves a benefit of religion, not a detriment, because research shows how imaginative and fictional thinking, fantasy play, aid in the cognitive development of children. Raising children with fantastical religious tales is not bad after all.
http://www.religionnews.com/2014/07/25/commentary-religion-good-kids/
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