AS to the original question........ If it results in a dangerous lack of proper medical treatment then ........ definitely. Just as the courts take child abuse seriously they also try to 'rescue' children who are not receiving life saving treatment. The religiously based polygamists who find it acceptable to marry 13 year old girls is another form of child abuse/rape. Some religions isolate children from school activities and their fellow students, I think that’s also a form of, if not abuse, at least a lack of consideration for a child's need for social activity.
I don't think indoctrinating a child into anything is healthy. Does religion benefit a child? I don't see how, at least not until a child is old enough to at least be exposed to a variety of opinions. I would be more apt to encourage my child to join the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, that should be the most religion he got until his teen years. I would encourage my child to get involved with one's peers in after school activities. Play a team sport. Find a personal hobby.
As to the other discussion Religion and Happiness
http://www.psychwww.com/psyrelig/happy.htm
" religious involvement is associated with modest increases in happiness.
Psychologists tend to focus on three kinds of explanations:
1. Social Support. Religious involvement is a way of gaining social support. People in general are happier when they are around others who are supportive..............Related to this is the idea that religion helps people feel closer to God, who might also be viewed as personally supportive.
2. Firm Beliefs. Happiness and life satisfaction increase when we have a sense of where we are going and what is important in life. This might also be related to the rise of 'strict' or conservative churches, which offer more certitude than do more liberal churches.
3. Religion Itself. Religious experiences can be very positive. They offer a person a feeling of being in contact with God (also known as "transcendence") and contact with others.
All of this leads to the interesting question of whether there are occasions where religion is associated with less happiness.
..............Another way that religion may be associated with decreases in happiness is when religion is involved in religious conflicts. When family members or friends experience conflict over religion, the wounds can be deep and long-lasting. In such cases, religion's effect on happiness is mixed. On the one hand, it causes conflict and dissension with loved ones, while on the other hand, it may generate a sense of certainty and yield associations with other like-minded people. (Nielsen, 1998).
