Should you force your kids to go to church

Originally posted by rickgarel
Thanks for your insightful reply sir. Knowledge is power, so knowing that I'm probably a "numbnuts" is useful. ;-)

I appreciate your strong feelings about this, but would it not be better for a child to come to God rather then having church forced upon them?

The child must be taught correctly about God. Then he can make his decision once he has sufficient knowledge. I do not mean he must be indoctrinated to believe without question, just as we should not want our schools to indoctrinate our children on the theory of evolution without question.

Originally posted by johnnylongwoody
Did you ever hear British rock singer Phil Collins singing

"I've been talking to Jesus"

It's a really funny song that makes a spoof of these
American evangelists going around in white suits
collecting millions.

Google the song and you'll see the video for it.

This represents another one of the false teachers that was predicted to come in His name. Don't be deceived.

HalleluYah !!! Praise the Lord! Holy! Holy! Holy!

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

(Galatians 6:7-8 NKJV)

Originally posted by rickgarel
I'm sure this has been asked before, but how do you feel about whether kids should be forced to go to church or should they be allowed to decide. I'm not talking about babies. Lets say for want of a better age 9 or 10 yrs old and beyond.

Do you, or I should say... are the parents going to the church?

Originally posted by RJHinds
This represents another one of the false teachers that was predicted to come in His name. Don't be deceived.

HalleluYah !!! Praise the Lord! Holy! Holy! Holy!

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

(Galatians 6:7-8 NKJV)

The bible is a collection of books written over 1600 years.

WRITTEN BY PEOPLE.


Not written by any GOD.

You cannot prove as one might try to do so in a court of law,
the god exists.


Stick to facts instead of mumbo jumbo superstition.

Soon your religion, like other religions will be discredited.

People used to believe in voodoo......before they discovered education.

Originally posted by johnnylongwoody
Did you ever hear British rock singer Phil Collins singing

"I've been talking to Jesus"

It's a really funny song that makes a spoof of these
American evangelists going around in white suits
collecting millions.

Google the song and you'll see the video for it.

I'll check it out.

Originally posted by rickgarel
I'm sure this has been asked before, but how do you feel about whether kids should be forced to go to church or should they be allowed to decide. I'm not talking about babies. Lets say for want of a better age 9 or 10 yrs old and beyond.

I don't just think you should force your kids to go to church, if need be you should bind them, gag them, and then prop their eyes open with toothpicks, clockwise orange style. 😵

Seriously though, to not raise them according to what you believe is best is absurd. I think some take the attitude that forcing kids to go to church is forcing them into a belief system, however, like it or not you will be forcing a belief system of sorts by not taking them.

Originally posted by whodey
I don't just think you should force your kids to go to church, if need be you should bind them, gag them, and then prop their eyes open with toothpicks, clockwise orange style. 😵

Seriously though, to not raise them according to what you believe is best is absurd. I think some take the attitude that forcing kids to go to church is forcing them into a be ...[text shortened]... ystem, however, like it or not you will be forcing a belief system of sorts by not taking them.

The problem with not teaching and directing your children is it leaves a void in them. We are all curious of the world and it's many ideas either good or bad. Unfortunently if we don't direct them to the good which would include teaching good morals and respect of life, it will usually not turn out too good with the bad enfluances that are everywhere

Originally posted by whodey
I don't just think you should force your kids to go to church, if need be you should bind them, gag them, and then prop their eyes open with toothpicks, clockwise orange style. 😵

Seriously though, to not raise them according to what you believe is best is absurd. I think some take the attitude that forcing kids to go to church is forcing them into a be ...[text shortened]... ystem, however, like it or not you will be forcing a belief system of sorts by not taking them.

My son understands that there are some people who believe in God and some who don't. If he wants to go to church, any church, I will let him.

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of religions, in the world. How is my not forcing him to attend a particular brand of religion of my choosing forcing a belief system on him?

Originally posted by Rank outsider
My son understands that there are some people who believe in God and some who don't. If he wants to go to church, any church, I will let him.

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of religions, in the world. How is my not forcing him to attend a particular brand of religion of my choosing forcing a belief system on him?

Maybe check this out when you get the time. Thanks..

http://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/

Originally posted by johnnylongwoody
The bible is a collection of books written over 1600 years.

WRITTEN BY PEOPLE.


Not written by any GOD.

You cannot prove as one might try to do so in a court of law,
the god exists.


Stick to facts instead of mumbo jumbo superstition.

Soon your religion, like other religions will be discredited.

People used to believe in voodoo......before they discovered education.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

(2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV)

The facts are that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
(Genesis 1:1) The heavens are proof of His glory and power. If man could prove that God didn't do it, they would have already done that. The facts are that the heavens and earth and all life exist to prove God is the sovereign Creator. That is no voodoo my young ignorant fool.

HalleluYah !!! Praise the Lord! Holy! Holy! Holy!

Originally posted by galveston75
Maybe check this out when you get the time. Thanks..

http://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/

Actually, I have read some of this before.

Do you not think that other religions make the same claims for their own religion? There really is nothing here that is unique to your religion.

If you had been brought up in a different time and place, to say Muslim parents, do you not think you would be arguing for the authenticity of Islam over all other religions? As would RJHinds.

If you had been born a 14th Century Inuit do you think you would still have become a Jehovah's Witness? Would you have even heard of Jesus Christ?

What happens on death to those people who have never even heard of Jesus Christ?

Sorry, lots of questions but all making the same basic point, as to why I should force my son to attend the church of not only your religion, but also your particular brand of religion.

So, for example, I have read the JW justification for being against blood transfusions. My job involves analysing documents to test their policy justification. I find the JW arguments to be very weak for such an important issue. And that is only one small issue I would get to once I had rejected every other religious text that has ever existed.

The fact that you believe the arguments are watertight is irrelevant. How could I, with these doubts, in any good faith force my son in your religion's direction when there is no way of knowing whether you are right and others are wrong.

Originally posted by Rank outsider
Actually, I have read some of this before.

Do you not think that other religions make the same claims for their own religion? There really is nothing here that is unique to your religion.

If you had been brought up in a different time and place, to say Muslim parents, do you not think you would be arguing for the authenticity of Islam over all o ...[text shortened]... ligion's direction when there is no way of knowing whether you are right and others are wrong.

By testing what any religion teaches with the Bible. The bible is the only true source we have to see who God is and what he teaches.
This is the only pure and truthful guideline that we have to use.
So the only thing we can do no matter what church, whether it is just a local corner church or part of a much larger institute, make sure what they teach is from the Bible and not a man made doctrine that does not agree with the Bible.
It sounds like you are concerned about your child and of their future spirituallity which is great.
But with this effort as a parent, do your research on any perspective religion and test them against what the bible teaches.

Originally posted by galveston75
By testing what any religion teaches with the Bible. The bible is the only true source we have to see who God is and what he teaches.
This is the only pure and truthful guideline that we have to use.
So the only thing we can do no matter what church, whether it is just a local corner church or part of a much larger institute, make sure what they teac ...[text shortened]... rent, do your research on any perspective religion and test them against what the bible teaches.

Galveston, there are more religions in the world other than Christianity. That was the point RO was making.

Originally posted by galveston75
By testing what any religion teaches with the Bible. The bible is the only true source we have to see who God is and what he teaches.
This is the only pure and truthful guideline that we have to use.
So the only thing we can do no matter what church, whether it is just a local corner church or part of a much larger institute, make sure what they teac ...[text shortened]... rent, do your research on any perspective religion and test them against what the bible teaches.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_text

How would I decide that the Bible is the one true source as opposed to all of these. Have you studied all of these to establish whether some are better than the Bible? How can you say they are not if you have not studied them all? Why not the Quran, the Vedas, the Talmud etc?

You didn't address my point as to whether, if you had been born to Muslim parents, you would most likely be arguing that Islam is the one true faith. Do you agree with this?

Originally posted by Rank outsider
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_text

How would I decide that the Bible is the one true source as opposed to all of these. Have you studied all of these to establish whether some are better than the Bible? How can you say they are not if you have not studied them all? Why not the Quran, the Vedas, the Talmud etc?

You didn't address my po ...[text shortened]... ts, you would most likely be arguing that Islam is the one true faith. Do you agree with this?

Sorry if I misunderstood the question. I have no idea if I were born in another country or society if I would be saying the same. I have no idea.
But all I can say in a short answer here is I know with every cell of my being that the Bible is beyond comparison with any other religious book in the world with what it says for not only in the past but how alive it is even today. It is dead on in it's explinations of todays events and I have no doubt in believeing it's statements of the future.