I've never really understood that line; as why would anyone want children to suffer. The parable of the talents is also a problem for me and as for cursing a fig tree.
I'd say religious organisations are exceptionally prone to enabling sexual misconduct because (a) the reason these exist is to exert power over others, (b) young impressionable minds are involved, and (c) brainwashing and abuse go hand in hand.
Which of course explains the crimes of schoolteachers, scoutmasters, popstars and the "misdeeds" of the Armed Forces, The Police and a range of other non-religous institutions.
I don't think it's particularly archaic I much prefer the King James Version to any of these modern so called translations. It's also a song by the Smiths.
Indeed! Young people + power imbalance = opportunity for those who wish to exploit. But religious institutions are specifically problematic because a level of secrecy is built-in (confession, etc) and the brainwashing is of a particularly insidious type. A child may be too scared of a teacher or scout leader, etc, to reveal abuse, but with religion it goes deeper than fear of the individual perpetrator. It is tied up with all sorts of muddle about a god's will and possible ostracisation from a community your family is embedded within, with no hope of appealing to logical arguments to sway their stance.
Just looking at Turnip’s attempts to pick a fight with Harvard put me in mind of the wonderful Tom Lehrer. Here’s the story And here’s the song, written more years ago than I care to remember. I wonder if the great man is singing it to himself these days.
@NigelJ 'Archaic' simply means a term 'no longer in everyday use'. 'Suffer' for 'allow' seems to fit the description perfectly.
Thank you, but I am full aware of the meaning of archaic and I do not consider the use of suffer in the sense of let/allow to be particularly archaic, nor do I consider the King James Version of the bible to be archaic. It certainly a better read than the New English Bible.
Never really had a problem with religious institutions, decades ago they tried to tell me Jesus wanted me for a sunbeam and I said I don't want to be a sunbeam and walked away.
@NigelJ it is most certainly archaic in the sense that its meaning and usage have changed from when it was used in King James English. Nice is another example - it used to mean someone who was discerning or just plain finicky in their manners and taste and before that it used to mean foolish, stupid or senseless.
