I think this has thread has generated some good discussion, despite the occasional bit of finger wagging and a false comment alluding to my family.
Virtually any concept can be used to harm. But one of the things we were batting around was-- were these theories and comments of Hubbard's about children originally written and said with abusive purpose- are they innately abusive- or, as I felt, did Hubbard abuse children (and others) notwithstanding and in addition to those theories about children being beings in big bodies?
We can see the net result. We all can see it. It gets discussed every day here. Nothing but abuse and at the very best they can offer, a really bad environment for families.
Children and adolescents go through developmental stages. That has to be recognized and not only accomodated but encouraged and nurtured. And regardless of what anyone says, I've always felt that way- not that I should have to explain that. But their spirits, their spiritual nature, does not go through childhood toward maturity. There's no harm in saying that. The harm is, potentially, what one does about it.
IMO, Hubbard would have used anything- the Way to Happiness, HCOBs, PABs, the local goddamn phone book- to accomplish his ends. It's not so much that his goal was to go after people. No, his goals were power and money, seems to me. And he thought everyone was in the way and that they didn't matter. Believe me, this is not remotely what I used to think about him. I think it now, though. And I think that's why he ended up as he did.
As for me, I'm going to continue to recognize that children are eternal and infinite spiritual beings in small bodies and that their behavior, if carried out by adults, would occasionally be thought psychotic. These two comments are almost diametrically opposed, and seem contradictory, in any event, which is also very interesting.
And I'm also going to continue to treat children like children. Welcome and precious individuals who have very different needs (and wants) than do adults but to whom one may occasionally speak in a more adult way, though this would not be the majority of the time.