Posted on 07/30/2014 9:33:51 AM PDT by lowbridge
According to new research from Boston University, young children with a religious background are less able to distinguish between fantasy and reality compared with their secular counterparts.
In two studies, 66 kindergarten-age children were presented with three types of stories - realistic, religious and fantastical. The researchers then queried the children on whether they thought the main character in the story was real or fictional.
While nearly all children found the figures in the realistic narratives to be real, secular and religious children were split on religious stories. Children with a religious upbringing tended to view the protagonists in religious stories as real, whereas children from non-religious households saw them as fictional.
Although this might be unsurprising, secular and religious children also differed in their interpretation of fantasy narratives where there was a supernatural or magical storyline.
"Secular children were more likely than religious children to judge the protagonist in such fantastical stories to be fictional," wrote the researchers.
"The results suggest that exposure to religious ideas has a powerful impact on children's differentiation between reality and fiction, not just for religious stories but also for fantastical stories."
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Oh pulleeeeze........
And who decides if the “real” stories are real?
As far as I can tell, religious children can actually have fun, and a big imagination.
Like global warming?
I remember back in the 1920s-30s, a certain European government who conducted these kinds of studies on children of a religious persuasion. Eventually they ended up sending them to death camps.
Its the liberal way. Dehumanization ——> Annihilation.
Also, brought to you by the British Broadcast Communists who harbor pedophiles like Saville and Harris. What’s the bet the children in this study were molested?
But of course, they see it as preferable to raise children as atheists, with no moral standards. Of course what do you expect.
Sarcasm
‘”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,” writes Eliyahu Federman in USA Today. “Raising children with fantastical religious tales is not bad after all.” [...]
‘”Those claiming that belief in religious stories harms children should be interpreting research and science correctly,” he says.
‘”Not only is there benefit in allowing children to think imaginatively without forcing them into the mindset of perceived reality, but according to at least one study, raising children with religion also increases self-esteem, lowers anxiety, risk of suicide, alcohol and drug abuse, and dangerous sexual behaviour.”
‘But other commentators found that the implications of the research should not be taken so seriously.
‘”Are we really going to say that kids who are taught to believe the Bible is true are somehow developmentally delayed because they’re more likely, at age 5 or 6, to believe fantastical things?” writes Jenny Erikson for the Stir.
‘”Flip side to this equation could be that secular kids are taught to lose their sense of wonder and imagination at an earlier age than their Bible-believing friends.”’
This coming from a network who had one of the worst serial pedophiles in UK history on their payroll for YEARS......and turned a blind eye.
“...Children with a religious upbringing tended to view the protagonists in religious stories as real...”
Well, duh......If they are religious, they BELIEVE in religion.
This has to be one of the most ridiculous “findings” I’ve ever heard...
Does this include ALL the religions? Or are ‘certain’ ones exempt?
Alternate title: Religious kids more likely to be open-minded in considering possibilities.
What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon. — G.K. Chesterton in Tremendous Trifles (1909)
Shocking that the BBC would publish this considering that the number one baby name in England is Mohammad.
On the other hand, religious kids are very good at discerning good from evil.
Children with a religious upbringing tended to view the protagonists in religious stories as real …If from the Bible, they are 100% real. Of course, the commies in Boston U treat all “religious” stories as the same.
BBC continuing war on Religion (Islam, isn’t one)
Oh, you know they don’t mean “Muslim” when they use the word “religious”, they mean “Christian”.
Here’s a good question -
was “the good Samaritan” a real person?
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