My 7 yer old is saved!

DrunkWithLiberty

My little seven year old went to church with a neighbor kid last Wednesday evening. I thought the class would just be a few Bible stories and color something, and since my husband and I want our children to be exposed to all kinds of beliefs and religions, I let her go. Boy, was I wrong. It was more of a recruiting session. My lille gal came home all excited, hugged me, then exclaimed, "Mom, guess what? I got saved!" She said it with all the enthusiasm of a daughter telling her parents that she was getting married. It was such a shock that all I could say was, "That's wonderful honey". then I immediately started laughing. I felt so bad since she was obviously excited about the whole matter. I then apologized to her and her friend who told me, "Everyone in class is so happy for Cabrielle".
The techer also promised to give Cabbie a bible if she came back on Sunday, and gave her some Bible scriptures to memorize.
Needless to say, I talked to Cabbie about what had transpired at the class. Apparently, after a Bible story the class began discussing what it means to be saved and what happens to you if you are not saved, complete with hellfire and all.
I told her that according to that church's beliefs, your dad and I would probaly go tho hell. She didn't want to hear anything. I dropped the subject while she tried to get me to go through the ritual of how to get saved in a pamphlet she brought home.
I let it all go until her excitement had worn off. We been discussing the sinner and saved issues since then. What ticks me off is that the church did this with out my approval. MY children will no longer step foot in another church unless I am with them.
Cabbie's uneasiness with discussing the whole matter at first, reminded me how I would react to anything negative about the society.
take care all, Angeleah

ExmormonRobertson

But the church your child went to proabily thought it was OK by you just for the fact you allow her to go. This is the very reason I wouldn't allow my child to go to any JW or Mormon meeting.

ExmormonRobertson

being "saved" doesn't automatically make her a member of that church.

DrunkWithLiberty

thanks for yur reply ExmormanRobertson,
I will be taking your advice on not allowing my children to go to any type of religious oriented events without my watchful eye and complete understanding about what is to take place. another neighbor has invited my children(7and 3 years old) to vacation bible school. They won't be going.
I also do not agree with the use of scare tactics. Although she has not been made a member of the church, I do not agree with coercing a child to make a personal religious conviction without the parent's knkowledge or permisssion. Teaching a child about Jesus and that particular church's viewpoint and biblical understandings is one thing. It is another to scare her with hellfire and emotionally influence her into making religious statements such as she is a sinner and needs to have Jesus and now accepts Jesus into her heart, and then topping it off with a prayer stating how happy everyone is now that cabbie has the Lord.
Just my thoughts.
Take care and have a great week-end,
Angeleah

ExmormonRobertson

And I'm a Born Again Christian. But I don't think that a 7 yr old child can understand the true meaning of everything thing they're being taught. I was Baptized into Mormonism at age 8 and the only reason I did it was to please my parents. Peer pressure also has a great influnce on children that age and the desire to please others. Accepting Jesus is a usual part of every one of these meetings.

outnfree

I am appalled!!!!

I was just hearing about a group who uses high pressure tactics like this on youngsters who are invited to Bible study classes. It was on a radio program. The radio program was discussing whether or not it was proper for this kind of a religious group to be allowed to meet in the local school. Apparently, the town had no community center or such for the group to meet in (as it was a rural village or something) and the principal had decided that it would be okay, since groups like Boy Scouts and 4-H Club met in the school already. Some parents had brought suit under the separation of church and state rule. And also, the group was not affiliated with any particular local church (I realize this was not the case with your daughter, DWL). But it was some kind of crusade to reach young people, VERY young people, as in this case.

So the ploy is to get the children to be allowed to join because it's a Christian group having wholesome fun -- kinda like Vacation Bible School -- but the purpose is to get the children "saved." And the tactics were like those mentioned by DrunkWithLiberty above -- discussing what it means NOT to be saved, describing Jesus in such a loving way, and LOADS OF PEER PRESSURE to get saved now!

Disgusting!

We should all be alert to such goings on in our communities and be vocal in our opposition. Most members of this board are all too familiar with the enormous pressures brought to bear on the young by heavy-handed religious indoctrination before they have developed the ability to recognize false reasoning and/or have developed the skills to resist peer pressure.

outnfree
and glad of it!!!

mommy

DWL,
I understand your concern. My daughters teacher was teaching about god everyday at school. They even had a play on Noah and the ark. I did not raise to much cain over that, just tried to keep the peace.

The last day of school my daughter came home and was very upset, and scared. She told me that god was going to destroy the earth with fire and everyone was going to die. She could not understand how this wonderful god the teacher had told her about would do such a thing. It took me literally weeks to talk her out of that conclusion. It was awful that a 7 year old is put in that situation to begin with.

I live in a very religious community. Now, there are many vacation bible schools going on. I refuse to allow my kids to go. At one time I did, they visited various churches last summer, and had a fun time. But I don't think my children are old enough to discern the wackiness that some are teaching. I feel as you, if they go...I will be right next to them.

wendy

In a controversy the instant we feel anger, we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.

DrunkWithLiberty

Hi outandfree,
I agree. These type of tactics are disgusting. I also see that as a parent, I need to be more conscientious about what my child participates in, especially on the matter of religion.
The good part about all of this is that it has given us a springboard to discuss different religious belilefs.

thanks for your reply again Exmormonrobertson.
I gotta go and eat some protein. My bloodsugar is falling and my typing shows.LOL.
take care all, Angeleah

nelly136

Thats scary, lets hope the jws dont catch onto that
version of marketing their produce

I told her that according to that church's beliefs,
your dad and I would probaly go tho hell.
She didn't want to hear anything.

alienation from parents after one friggin visit makes me wonder
what kind of damage you'd be looking at after regular sessions.

nelly

Francois

Dear Drunk:

If I had been in your shoes, I would have been livid and shaking with rage.

My JW mother was allowed to keep my son when he was about four. I discovered she was having a "book study" with him, and was having him repeat a prayer before he went to sleep. Let's just say that I had a very, um, stern discussion with my mother - the last sentence ending in something like, "...will never see he nor I ever again if you do it one more time for any reason." It never happened.

I'm with you. I would find it impossible to keep myself from writing a letter to the pastor of that church.

Francois

Where it is a duty to worship the Sun you can be sure that a study of the laws of heat is a crime.

My 7 yer old is saved!

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