Richard Dawkins considers religious indoctrination of minors as a form of child abuse. Fair assessment?

Yes, it's abuse. It doesn't matter what religious belief/disbelief system you impose, the imposition is unfair on the child. You should just tell them, this is what is out there, study all sides and draw your conclusions, but at least have reasons for your conclusions. 'That's the way I was brought up' is a moron's answer about a belief system.

PS Get A Grip - the author of The Dawkins Delusion is a Christian theologian, not an atheist, and he is not 'embarrassed' by Dawkins, whom he admires, he simply does not agree, and refutes him in a civilised manner.

Do you consider indoctrination of children in our schools and by the media, government, books, TV, a form of child abuse? What should be do - turn them over to someone other than their families for indoctrination?

Taken to an extreme level, I think that it can be abusive, just like punishment taken to an extreme level can be abusive.

Making your kids go to church(ore another house of worship )would not be abusive, anymore than making a 5 year-old take a ten minute time-out.

However, sending your kids to Jesus Camp where the indoctrination is constant and intense, scaring them with hell houses and the like is abusive. Kids sitting in regular church have a chance to both absorb their parents beliefs and get some breathing room to think for themselves.

It depends on the severity of the indoctrination. For example, I would say those kids in the "Jesus Camp" movie are being abused, but not most children of religious families.

In particular circumstances, yes.

If the parents are making a decision on behalf of the child based upon religious presuppositions that ultimately will affect the child well beyond into adulthood (when s/he would be able to make his/her own decisions) then it is child abuse.

Catholics that don't allow their underage daughters access to birth control, or abortion is child abuse.

Jehovah's Witnesses that don't allow their underage children access to blood transfusions is child abuse.

Scientologists that don't allow their underage children access to psychiatric medication is child abuse.

Simply forcing your kids to go to church is not child abuse.

Forcing your kids to ascribe to a religious dietary code is not child abuse (assuming you are restricting them from something of vital nutrition).

It really depends on what the religious beliefs are. I take my kids to church, teach them about Jesus and hope they will accept Christian faith. I not going to be hateful to them if they don't accept it, but I will pray for them. I walked away from the Christian faith in my early 20s and my mother responded the same way. Praying I would come back, but still accepting me as before. No hateful words or condemning me. If your beliefs will cause physical harm or deprive them of medical treatment it is abuse. As adults if we reject, for example medical treatment, that is our decision. Adults are responsible for themselves, and kids are dependent on adults to take care of them.

Anybody can make a statement.

Controversy sells his books, not evidence.

You should read a book called The Dawkins Delusion. It was written by an Atheist who is literally embarrassed by Dawkins and his controversial comments.

Persenting a totally bias, unbalanced view of most anything to a youngster seem wrong to me. Childern are far to easily manipulated.

That's a very fair assessment in my opinion, coming from one of those kids that was raised in a very religious home.

I wouldn't call it child abuse.

He's referring to parents who try to scare their kids into believing in god with stories of hell and the devil.

I don't think most parents do this, however, teaching them that they were made by god instead of teaching them the reality of life, as revealed by scientific discoveries, will make them ignorant and confuse them.

Don't teach your kids mythology,... they have enough hurdles ahead of them.