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Satan's Silence: Ritual Abuse and the Making of a Modern American Witch Hunt

by Debbie Nathan, Mike Snedeker

Communities throughout the United States were convulsed in the 1980s and early 1990s by accusations, often without a shred of serious evidence, that respectable men and women in their midst many of them trusted preschool teachers secretly gathered in far reaching conspiracies to rape and terrorize children. In this powerful book, Debbie Nathan and Mike Snedeker examine the forces fueling this blind panic. Read more

God's Perfect Child

by Caroline Fraser

Christian Science was based on a belief that intense contemplation of the perfection of God can heal all ills-an extreme expression of the American faith in self-reliance. In this unflinching investigation, Caroline Fraser, herself raised in a Scientist household, shows how the Church transformed itself from a small, eccentric sect into a politically powerful and socially respectable religion, and explores the human cost of Christian Science's remarkable rise. Read more

Growing Up in Mama's Club

by Richard E. Kelly

"Growing Up in Mama's Club" is a compelling, coming-of-age story about a boy who is a victim of sixteen years of emotional, religious abuse. His day-to-day life and his attempts to conform to a belief system at odds with his intellectual skills are at times both heart-rending and humorous. But his ultimate triumph over religious indoctrination should be inspirational for people of all ages, especially for anyone growing up in an abusive environment. Read more

Justice Denied: What America Must Do to Protect its Children

by Marci A. Hamilton

There is a silent epidemic of childhood sexual abuse in the United States and a legal system that is not effectively protecting children from predators. Recent coverage of widespread abuse in the public schools and in churches has brought the once-taboo subject of childhood sexual abuse to the forefront. The problem extends well beyond schools and churches, though: the vast majority of survivors are sexually abused by family or family acquaintances with 90 percent of abuse never reported to the authorities. Read more

Brother Tony's Boys

by Mike Echols

For over twenty-five years, charismatic Pentecostal evangelist Brother Tony Leyva used Christianity, the Bible, and his status as an "anointed prophet of God" to gain access to, seduce, and sexually assault the young sons of his enthralled followers in twenty-three states. How could such heinous acts continue undetected for over two decades? Read more

Religious Abuse: A pastor explores the many ways religion can hurt as well as heal

by Keith Wright

As a pastor with 40 years of experience, Keith Wright came to realize that a dichotomy exists within the walls of many churches. While many churchgoers find the environment wonderfully embracing and supportive, the fact is that religion can offer both a positive and a negative experience. Religious abuse affects millions of church members and church leaders in every denomination. It can be blatant, but it can also be extremely subtle and unintentional. Keith Wright believes that only when we recognize and acknowledge the problem can we work toward positive change that allows us to truly benefit from the good. Recommended: chapter on religion and abuse of children (p. 61) Read more

Through the Narrow Gate: A Memoir of Spiritual Discovery

by Karen Armstrong

Through the Narrow Gate is Karen Armstrong's intimate memoir of life inside a Catholic convent. With refreshing honesty and clarity, the book takes readers on a revelatory adventure that begins with Armstrong's decision in the course of her spiritual training offers a fascinating view into a shrouded religious life, and a vivid, moving account of the spiritual coming age of one of our most loved and respected interpreters of religious. Read more

fathermothergod: My Journey Out of Christian Science

by Lucia Greenhouse

Lucia Ewing had what looked like an all-American childhood. She lived with her mother, father, sister, and brother in an affluent suburb of Minneapolis, where they enjoyed private schools, sleep-away camps, a country club membership, and skiing vacations. Surrounded by a tight-knit extended family, and doted upon by her parents, Lucia had no doubt she was loved and cared for. But when it came to accidents and illnesses, Lucia’s parents didn't take their kids to the doctor's office--they prayed, and called a Christian Science practitioner. Read more

God vs. the Gavel: The Perils Of Extreme Religious Liberty

by Marci A. Hamilton

Clergy sex abuse, polygamy, children dying from faith healing, companies that refuse to do business with same-sex couples, and residential neighborhoods forced to host homeless shelters - what do all of these have in common? They are all examples of religious believers harming others and demanding religious liberty regardless of the harm. This book unmasks those responsible, explains how this new set of rights is not derived from the First Amendment, and argues for a return to common-sense religious liberty. In straightforward, readable prose, God vs. the Gavel: The Perils of Extreme Religious Liberty sets the record straight about the United States' move toward extreme religious liberty. Read more

Parenting for a Peaceful World

by Robin Grille

Parenting for a Peaceful World is a fascinating look at how parenting customs have shaped societies and major world events. It reveals how children adapt to different parenting styles and how these early experiences underpin the adults they become. In this expansive book, Robin Grille draws on revolutionary new research to argue that the safeguarding of children’s emotional development is the key to creating a more peaceful and harmonious world. Read more

Abraham on Trial

by Carol Delaney

Abraham on Trial questions the foundations of faith that have made a virtue out of the willingness to sacrifice a child. Through his desire to obey God at all costs, even if it meant sacrificing his son, Abraham became the definitive model of faith for the major world religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In this bold look at the legacy of this biblical and qur'anic story, Carol Delaney explores how the sacrifice rather than the protection of children became the focus of faith, to the point where the abuse and betrayal of children has today become widespread and sometimes institutionalized. Read more

The Mystery of the Child

by Martin E. Marty

Much of today's writing on children treats the child of any age as a problem or a set of problems to be solved, effectively reducing the child to a complex of biological and chemical factors, explainable in scientific terms, or regarding children as objects of adult control. In contrast, Martin Marty here presents the child as a mystery who invokes wonder and elicits creative responses that affect the care provided him or her. Read more

Worship and Sin: An Exploration of Religion-Related Crime in the United States

by Karel Kurst-Swanger

Worship and Sin: Religion-Related Crime in the United States raises provocative questions about the role of religion in crime and criminal behavior. Arguing that religion-related crime should be classified as a distinct subset of crime worthy of continued investigation by scholars, this book brings together for the first time the disparate scholarly research related to various types of religion-related crime, presents numerous examples, and considers the practical and legal issues facing practitioners of various disciplines. Recommended: chapter on crimes against children chapter (p. 49) Read more

Church of Lies

by Flora Jessop

The dramatic true story of how the author ultimately escaped and has been fighting against frustrating obstacles with hard fought successes in rescuing women and children from the FLDS. Read more

The Hidden Shame of the Church: Sexual Abuse of Children and the Church

by Ron O'Grady

Since founding ECPAT, an international organization working to end child prostitution and pornography, in 1991, the author has sadly come to recognize that church leaders and representatives are not exempt from involvement in the sexual abuse of children. Although working in a secular and apolitical organization, the author's Christian belief and experience have informed this study of a deeply disturbing phenomenon. He seeks through unsensational language to expose the truth of the church's involvement and by so doing start the search for solutions. Read more

The Connected Child: Bring hope and healing to your adoptive family

by Karyn B. Purvis, David R. Cross, Wendy Lyons Sunshine

The adoption of a child is always a joyous moment in the life of a family. Some adoptions, though, present unique challenges. Welcoming these children into your family--and addressing their special needs--requires care, consideration, and compassion. Read more

The Devil's Children

by Jean La Fontaine

A number of cases of serious child abuse have resulted from beliefs that children may be possessed by evil spirits and may then be given the power to bewitch others. Misfortune, failure, illness and even death may be blamed on them. The 'cure', nowadays called deliverance rather than exorcism, is to expel the spirits, sometimes by violent means. This book draws together contributions on aspects of possession and witchcraft from leading academics and expert practitioners in the field. Read more

Sexual Abuse in Christian Homes and Churches

by Carolyn Holderread Heggen

What sets this book apart from the many others on the topic is the emphasis on how a church congregation can begin to work to heal the wounds of sexual abuse and prevent further abuses from happening. Church members often must, at the same time, offer love, understanding, and healing to survivors while confronting (and still loving) the perpetrator. Includes a forward by Marie M. Fortune. Read more

The Drama of Being a Child : The Search for the True Self

by Alice Miller

The author examines the consequences of repression at personal and social levels, the causes of the physical and psychological harm done to children and how this can be prevented, and finally the new methods at our disposal for dealing with the consequences of infant traumas. Read more

Forward Facing Trauma Therapy

by J. Eric Gentry

In this groundbreaking book, trauma expert J. Eric Gentry builds upon the pioneering insights of such luminaries as neuroscientist Stephen Porges, Judith Herman and Bessel van der Kolk to introduce Forward-Facing Trauma Therapy (FFTT), the next evolutionary leap in the treatment of traumatic stress. Unlike many traditional psychotherapies, FFTT eschews the assumption that psychological problems are caused by our faulty perceptions and skewed thought processes. Instead, FFTT addresses trauma and its destructive symptomology at its source our overcharged autonomic nervous systems and hypervigilant threat response resulting from our adaptation to painful past experiences. Read more

Roots of Empathy

The focus of Roots of Empathy in the long term is to build capacity of the next generation for responsible citizenship and responsive parenting. In the short term, Roots of Empathy focuses on raising levels of empathy, resulting in more respectful and caring relationships and reduced levels of bullying and aggression. Read more

KOMO.wmv

KOMO-TV segment on the death of Hana Williams and the controversial book To Train Up a Child. Janet Heimlich, author of Breaking Their Will, comments on the potential danger of the book. (3:00) Read more

Janet Heimlich at CFFP Conference 2013

hild-Friendly Faith Project President Janet Heimlich addresses attendees at the organization's first conference on November 8, 2013. Janet explains that the event marks the beginning of a unique opportunity: to start a conversation about how to protect children from abuse and neglect in faith communities. (7:00) Read more

Janet Heimlich - Exmormon Conference 2014 - Religious Child Maltreatment

After learning about notorious clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse scandals and high-profile "faith healing" child-death cases, the public has come to understand that faith communities are not immune to child abuse and neglect. But can religious belief itself contribute to child maltreatment? In her compelling talk, Janet Heimlich will discuss a dark side of faith -- religious child maltreatment. She will explain how this form of abuse and neglect damages the lives of young people, which children are at the greatest risk, and what we can do to ensure that a religious upbringing is a nurturing experience for every child. (1:11:00) Read more

Janet Heimlich on Religious Child Maltreatment at Atheists United

Janet Heimlich, author of Breaking Their Will: Shedding Light on Religious Child Maltreatment, was the guest speaker at Atheists United. Her book is the first to take an in-depth look at child abuse and neglect caused by religious belief. Bethany Brittain joined Ms. Heimlich on stage to share her personal story about being abused as a child in the name of religion. (1:20:00) Read more

Raising Freethinkers: A Practical Guide for Parenting Beyond Belief

by Dale McGowan

Raising Freethinkers covers every topic nonreligious parents need to know to help their children with their own moral, intellectual, and emotional development, including sound advice on religious-extended-family issues, death and life, secular celebrations, wondering and questioning, and more. Read more

The Happiest Toddler on the Block: How to Eliminate Tantrums and Raise a Patient, Respectful, and Cooperative One- to Four-Year-Old: Revised Edition

by Harvey Karp

Perfect for expecting parents who want to prepare themselves for the challenging toddler years (which starts around eight months of age), this essential guide, a national bestseller by respected pediatrician and child development expert Dr. Harvey Karp, not only helps reduce tantrums but makes happy kids even happier by boosting patience, cooperation, and self-confidence. Read more

The Happiest Baby on the Block; Fully Revised and Updated Second Edition: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer

by Harvey Karp

Thousands of parents, from regular moms and dads to Hollywood superstars, have come to baby expert Dr. Harvey Karp to learn his remarkable techniques for soothing babies and increasing sleep. Now his landmark book—fully revised and updated with the latest insights into infant sleep, bedsharing, breastfeeding, swaddling, and SIDS risk—can teach you too! Read more

The Discipline Book: How to Have a Better-Behaved Child From Birth to Age Ten

by Martha Sears, William Sears

Everything you need to know about discipline to raise a happy, well-adjusted, well-behaved child-from America's foremost baby and childcare experts Disciplining children means equipping them with the tools to succeed in life. In this unique guide, Dr. Bill and Martha Sears, the pediatrics specialists whose books on birth, babies, and parenting have become widely praised bestsellers, explain what you can do to shape your child's behavior so that good conduct comes naturally. Read more

Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason

by Alfie Kohn

Unconditional Parenting addresses the ways parents think about, feel about, and act with their children. It invites them to question their most basic assumptions about raising kids while offering a wealth of practical strategies for shifting from "doing to" to "working with" parenting - including how to replace praise with the unconditional support that children need to grow into healthy, caring, responsible people. Read more

Relax It's Just God: How and Why to Talk to Your Kids About Religion When You're Not Religious

by Wendy Thomas Russell

"Relax, It's Just God" goes beyond the numbers to assist parents (and grandparents) who may be struggling to find the right time place, tone and language with which to talk about God, spirituality and organized religion. It encourages parents to promote religious literacy and understanding and to support kids as they explore religion on their own -- ensuring that each child makes up his or her own mind about what to believe (or not believe) and extends love and respect to those who may not agree with them. Read more

Parenting with Love and Laughter: Finding God in Family Life

by Jeffrey D. Jones

In this wise and witty book, author, youth expert, and practicing minister Jeffrey D. Jones brings to light the spiritual aspects of parenting that are often ignored by popular experts and gurus. Jones shows you how to attend to your own inner spiritual life and to the quality of your relationships within your family. Read more

Gender and Genital Cutting: A New Paradigm

by Brian Earp, Rebecca Steinfield

Moral and legal opposition to the non-therapeutic cutting of children’s genitals has traditionally focused on female children. In recent years, however, a growing movement of scholars, activists, and individuals affected by childhood genital cutting have argued that all children, regardless of sex or gender, should be protected from such intimate violations. Read more

Circumcision, Sexual Experience, and Harm

by Brian Earp, Robert Darby

An exploration of whether nontherapeutic male circumcision is legal before an age of consent paying special attention to the subjective, personal, and individually and culturally variable dimensions of judgments about benefit versus harm. Read more

Child Abuse and Culture

by Lisa Aronson Fontes

This expertly written book provides an accessible framework for culturally competent practice with children and families in child maltreatment cases. Numerous workable strategies and concrete examples are presented to help readers address cultural concerns at each stage of the assessment and intervention process. Professionals and students learn new ways of thinking about their own cultural viewpoints as they gain critical skills for maximizing the accuracy of assessments for physical and sexual abuse; overcoming language barriers in parent and child interviews; respecting families' values and beliefs while ensuring children's safety; creating a welcoming agency environment; and more. Read more

Parenting: A Dynamic Perspective

by George W. Holden

Written from a psychological perspective while integrating cross-disciplinary viewpoints, this fully updated Second Edition takes a parent-centered approach to exploring topics such as the reasons behind parental behavior, the effect parents and children have on one another, and social policy′s ability to help families. Read more

ChildFund Alliance

The Alliance creates opportunities for joint initiatives serving children and families in need. It improves the effectiveness of programs for children, increases efficiency and extends the reach and influence of the members by enhancing their individual and collective strengths. Read more

Academy on Violence and Abuse

The mission of the AVA is to advance health education and research on the recognition, treatment, and prevention of the health effects of violence and abuse across the lifespan. Read more

Churches’ Network for Non-Violence

The Churches’ Network for Non-Violence was formed to broaden religious support for law reform to end corporal punishment of children and other cruel and humiliating forms of violence against children and to challenge faith-based justification for it. Read more

Lives in the Balance

The mission of Lives in the Balance is to provide vital, accessible resources and programs to caregivers of behaviorally challenging kids; to bring the plight of these kids into the public consciousness; to address the systemic issues that cause many of these kids to slip through the cracks; and to promote parenting and disciplinary practices that foster the better side of human nature in all children. Read more

StopSpanking.org

StopSpanking.org provides parenting information that helps clarify how early spanking and other punitive parenting practices can negatively impact healthy brain development. Read more

By Faith Alone: When Religious Beliefs and Child Welfare Collide

by Robin Fretwell Wilson, Shaakirrah Sanders

How to discipline one’s child, like decisions to treat “by faith alone,” run deep in religious and cultural belief systems. State regulation of child rearing not only impacts parents’ liberty but a community’s ability to maintain identity and transmit norms. Often, state solicitude for parental autonomy dictates children’s fate. This Chapter explores the limits of parental autonomy, showing that constitutional cases grant autonomy when no harm would result. Read more

Center for the Human Rights of Children

Recognizing that children require special protections due to their vulnerabilities, the Center for the Human Rights of Children (CHRC), a University Center of Excellence, was established in 2007 to pursue an agenda of interdisciplinary research, outreach and education, and advocacy to address critical and complex issues affecting children and youth, both locally and globally Read more

Friendly Atheist Podcast: Janet Heimlich

by Hemant Mehta

Janet Heimlich is the founder of the Child-Friendly Faith Project and author of Breaking Their Will: Shedding Light on Religious Child Maltreatment, both of which examine child abuse and neglect that is enabled by religious belief in the United States. Janet is also a reporter who has worked for NPR and written for a variety of publications. (Full disclosure, I’m on the advisory board for the Child-Friendly Faith Project.) I spoke with her about the way children suffer at the hands of religion, whether teaching kids about Hell constitutes abuse, and what atheists can do to help. Read more

Bad Faith: When Religious Belief Undermines Modern Medicine

by Paul Offit, M.D.

In Bad Faith, acclaimed physician and author Dr. Paul Offit gives readers a never-before-seen look into the minds of those who choose to medically martyr themselves, or their children, in the name of religion. Offit chronicles the stories of these faithful and their children, whose devastating experiences highlight the tangled relationship between religion and medicine in America. Religious or not, this issue reaches everyone—whether you are seeking treatment at a Catholic hospital or trying to keep your kids safe from diseases spread by their unvaccinated peers. Read more

Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All

by Paul Offit, M.D.

In 2014, California suffered the largest and deadliest outbreak of pertussis, also known as “whooping cough,” in more than fifty years. This tragedy was avoidable. An effective vaccine has been available since the 1940s. In recent years other diseases, like measles and mumps, have also made a comeback. The reason for these epidemics can be traced to a group whose vocal proponents insist, despite evidence to the contrary, that vaccines are poison. As a consequence, parents and caretakers are rejecting vaccines for themselves and their families. In Deadly Choices, infectious-disease expert Paul Offit takes a look behind the curtain of the anti-vaccine movement. What he finds is a reminder of the power of scientific knowledge, and the harm we risk if we ignore it. Read more

Centre for Child Honouring

Child Honouring is a unifying vision by which societies can re-order their priorities, a central organizing principle for sustainable, peace-making cultures. The center advances Child Honouring as a universal ethic, an essential code of conduct for all to embrace. Read more

Attorneys for the Rights of the Child

Attorneys for the Rights of the Child (ARC) is a non-profit organization founded to secure equal protection for, and broaden judicial and public recognition of, children’s legal and human rights to bodily integrity and self-determination. Read more

Paul Offit Interview Project Idaho

Dr. Paul Offit talks about the importance of ensuring that all children are permitted needed medical care, even if their caretakers assert that their religious beliefs conflict with that need. (2:00) Read more

The CFFP Designation Program

The Designation Program is a unique curriculum designed specially for faith communities. Benefits include increasing understanding about child development, maltreatment, and protection. (4:00) Read more