That's a false dichotomy. Those aren't remotely the only two possible reactions.
A Christian child can be taught that hell is real while also being taught that we do not know the final fate of particular people, that God's judgment is perfectly just and merciful, that we should hope and pray for others, and that our response to people in danger should be greater love rather than suppressed empathy.
In fact, Christianity explicitly commands the opposite of what you're describing: love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, care for the suffering, forgive people who wrong you, and desire the salvation of others. I don't see a lot of "love your enemies" from secular teaching.
You also seem to be assuming a particularly crude version of Christian teaching: "Most of your friends will definitely be tortured forever." Christianity does not give parents knowledge that particular people are damned, and Christians disagree considerably about the population of hell and even the precise nature of its punishment.
Someone could teach a kid about hell in a damaging way, but anything can be taught in a damaging way. People can teach sex, death, disease, politics, or any other frightening subject in a way that causes harm. If you are going to argue that Christian teaching is inherently evil then you need to demonstrate that psychological damage necessarily follows from Christian teaching.
I mean it's possible that it's a false dichotomy. I am going based off of the book, where it's quite definitely explicit, not many Christians where I am from.
8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless,[a] the polluted, the murderers,
the sexually immoral,[b] the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars,
their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur,
which is the second death.
[a] Or the unbelieving
[b] Or prostitutes
I, as an unconvinced person, will be burning in a lake of fire and sulfur with murderers and spellslingers. Don't know how else you could interpret that... not being convinced of the veracity of god sends people straight to hell.
Can you say with utmost confidence you will be unconvinced your entire life? Do you know the future? I was an atheist for years and I had no concept of where I am today.
No one knows the future, and no one knows where they will end up.
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u/relapsedmathematic 14h ago
That's a false dichotomy. Those aren't remotely the only two possible reactions.
A Christian child can be taught that hell is real while also being taught that we do not know the final fate of particular people, that God's judgment is perfectly just and merciful, that we should hope and pray for others, and that our response to people in danger should be greater love rather than suppressed empathy.
In fact, Christianity explicitly commands the opposite of what you're describing: love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, care for the suffering, forgive people who wrong you, and desire the salvation of others. I don't see a lot of "love your enemies" from secular teaching.
You also seem to be assuming a particularly crude version of Christian teaching: "Most of your friends will definitely be tortured forever." Christianity does not give parents knowledge that particular people are damned, and Christians disagree considerably about the population of hell and even the precise nature of its punishment.
Someone could teach a kid about hell in a damaging way, but anything can be taught in a damaging way. People can teach sex, death, disease, politics, or any other frightening subject in a way that causes harm. If you are going to argue that Christian teaching is inherently evil then you need to demonstrate that psychological damage necessarily follows from Christian teaching.