Lawrence Krauss: Religious Education Is Child Abuse

Lawrence Krauss has repeatedly stated that teaching religion in science is “child abuse”. The term, “child abuse” when used in this context is extreme. Krauss (2013) explains the purpose of education is to teach children the truth providing empirical evidence based on facts, and knowledge of science and religion do not coexist. However, Krauss wants to exclude religion from science because he observes that there are ethical boundaries in science such as telling the truth, but the methodology is to exclude religion from education in general because religion is fiction with no empirical evidence to support it but only have ethics. Krauss justifies how science based, not on ideology or testimonies science supports the methods with empirical facts that can provide us a better understanding to overcome ignorance. While “child abuse” perhaps antagonizing word to express Krauss’s ideas, on the other hand, creationism with science should not be taught in class because they based on different knowledge that also contradicts the other. Religion does not have a place in science but does have a role as a subject as long it is not mixed with science.

Teaching creationism with science is a disservice to students because creationism has no empirical evidence to support the doctrines in the bible. The beliefs of a creationist view its doctrine that an omnipotent creator creates all things, but it is a disservice to students since there is no evidence. Krauss expresses how science can offer a better world by telling the truth on the age of the earth evidently shown on evolution (a change inherited characteristics of biological population over successive generation). Krauss stated (2013a) if parents or teachers "withhold knowledge or do anything to children to put competitive disadvantage as adults is mild child abuse”. This context explains the disservice of creationism with science; due to religious education it withholds the knowledge of expressing the facts. Krauss (2013a)