Where Faith Fails the Child: A Global Map of Harm and Hope

Some of the world’s most enduring faiths and cultures uplift children with love, reverence, and protection. Others use religion as a shield for abuse, control, and indoctrination. This page is a living map of the intersection between faith, law, and the safety of children. It does not aim to condemn belief, but to shine a clear light on where it fails our youngest.

This is not about theology. This is about protection.

Harmful Religious Doctrines & Laws Impacting Children (By Country)

Afghanistan

  • Religious Justification: Taliban's interpretation of Sharia law

  • Harm: Girls banned from secondary education

  • Impact: Intellectual imprisonment; millions denied literacy and independence

Iran

  • Religious Justification: Islamic jurisprudence

  • Harm: Girls may marry at age 13 (or younger with consent)

  • Impact: Forced child marriage; physical and emotional trauma

Nigeria (Northern States)

  • Religious Justification: Sharia law courts

  • Harm: Permits child marriage and corporal punishment

  • Impact: Lifelong disempowerment; trauma and physical harm

USA

  • Religious Justification: Faith-healing exemptions in some states

  • Harm: Parents may refuse medical care on religious grounds

  • Impact: Preventable deaths, untreated illness in minors

Somalia / Sudan / Egypt

  • Religious Justification: Cultural-religious beliefs surrounding purity and tradition

  • Harm: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

  • Impact: Irreversible harm, chronic pain, psychological trauma

Israel (Ultra-Orthodox Sects)

  • Religious Justification: Insular religious education model

  • Harm: Boys receive no secular education

  • Impact: Intellectual limitation, economic dependency

Consequences for Children

Psychological harm: Fear-based indoctrination, shame, trauma

  • Physical harm: Beatings, mutilation, deprivation, forced labor

  • Spiritual harm: Lack of autonomy, access to knowledge, or choice

  • Intergenerational damage: Cycles of abuse, ignorance, and religious trauma

Traditions & Cultures That Protect Children

Ireland

  • Practice: Age of Reason ceremonies (non-religious rites of passage)

  • Impact: Child-centered reflection and celebration of autonomy

The Baháʼí Faith

  • Belief: Universal education and non-violence

  • Impact: No tolerance for corporal punishment; emphasis on loving guidance

Sweden & Norway

  • Law: Corporal punishment is illegal, even in religious contexts

  • Impact: Cultural norm of safeguarding children from harm

Living Interfaith Movement

  • Philosophy: Respects all traditions while centering human dignity

  • Impact: Children are seen as inherently sacred, not blank slates to be molded

Japan (Shinto-Buddhist culture)

  • Ritual: Purity and birth rituals focused on protection and reverence

  • Impact: Children seen as blessings rather than burdens

TIMA believes:

That children are born sacred

  • That no tradition is above accountability

  • That protection is the highest moral priority

This map is a work in progress. If you have more examples, cultural insights, or reforms to share, TIMA invites you to contribute. Silence protects the abuser. Truth protects the child.

Read the Interfaith Moral Amendment


Join the Global Charter for Child Protection in Faith Traditions


Report or Submit Information to TIMA