Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

	We have some neighbors of a fundamentalist perspective who have
a boy the same age as my son, Ricky.  A while back Ricky (8 at the time)
was having a great deal of difficulty getting to sleep at bedtime.  He
seemed to be afraid to go to sleep.  Well, it finally surfaced that these
neighbors, the child and the parents, had been dwelling on the devil, Satan,
and such, when Ricky was over visiting at their house, and indeed, he *was
afraid* to go to sleep.

	We never disallowed Ricky from playing with the neighbor, but it
took quite a bit of undoing to get Ricky at peace with going to sleep
again.

Richard

    Richard,
    
    One of our kids, maybe 4 at the time, got scared by something similar.
    We told him that if he honestly believed in God (as much as he
    could) and asked Jesus into his life, (as much as he could) that
    the devil couldn't harm him.
    
    I get very upset with the focus that so many fundamemtalists have
    on finding evil/Satan/the devil in every thing. There is an expression
    that Don uses 'what gets your attention, gets you'. I believe that
    people who focus too hard on looking for evidences of Satan everywhere
    are inviting evil into their lives.
    
    There was an article in Life magazine recently, about a woman who
    hides children who have been abused by parents in the 'underground'.
    I started reading the article prepared to be sympathetic to what she
    was doing. By the time I finished I was almost ill. She was so focused
    on finding the devil in everyone and everything that I felt she came
    close to being truely evil herself in what she did.
    
    Bonnie

    RE: .2 Bonnie
    
                      In the Gospel of Matthew 6:21-23 is very interesting
    and I think pertains to your "where your heart is at" statement.
    
                        
                        6:
                            21. For where your treasure is,
                                There will your heart be also.
    
                            22. The light of the body is the 
                                eye: if therefore thine eye be
                                single, thy whole body shall be
                                full of light.
    
                            23. But if thine eye be evil, thy
                                whole body shall be full of dark-
                                ness. If therefore the light that is
                                in thee be darkness, how great 
                                that darkness!
    
    
    
              If we concentrate on bad things, that is what we become. TV
    advertising has done this for years.  They tell us that we should be 
    "drinking" this kind of beer or using that kind of makeup to be happy.
    It also conveys the idea that if you don't use these products you you
    are less than happy.  I can see where children can be easily convinced
    that "satan" is everywhere.
    
    
    Dave

A few years back my son, Ricky, was visiting the home of some evangelical
friends.  Ricky noticed that with every successful sit up during her 
exercise routine, our friend would exclaim, "Praise the Lord!"

Ricky informed her that his mom did the same thing, only every time
his mom did a sit up she said, "Jesus Christ!"

;-}
    
Peace,
Richard

    One of the things people asked us when we first started our son, then
    7 now 13, in a Catholic school was if we weren't afraid of him turning
    into a Catholic. We replied that we weren't. Sure he got a lot of
    Catholic training at school but we had him a lot more then they did.
    And of course he hasn't turned into a Catholic. In fact he has a number
    of serious theological disagreements with the Catholic church. Even
    a few his parents didn't explicitly try and teach him. (Smart kid :-) )

    We found that our own example was very effective. And we talk to him
    quite a bit as well. In fact I believe that his beliefs, perhaps
    especially those where he disagrees with the Catholic church, are
    stronger because of his going there. He brings questions home and we
    discuss things. Then he makes up his mind based on what he has heard
    and seen of *both* sides.

    			Alfred

My son (12) announced to us last night that when he grew up he was going
to become a Catholic (His current best friend is Catholic).

His mother, a former Catholic, was less than enthusiastic I could tell,
but she managed to hold her tongue.

I had no problem with this revelation of his.  At the same time, I suspect
he'll change his mind many times before he's grown.

Peace,
Richard

   Richard,

   I may disagree with the church and all but I did learn from Catholic
   teachings.     The Catholic religious teachings are still valid and
   good.   I would say, help him to understand everything well so when
   he does make a decision he won't be floundering spritually.

   Peace,
   Allison

	According to the National Coalition on Television Violence and
"Toys and Hobby World," over 60,000 Barbie dolls have been sold in military
outfits since the Persian Gulf war.  Out of 47 games rated as favorites in
a Nintendo consumer poll, only 7 do not have violence as their major theme.
[I would mention Tetris, but I fear being labeled a Soviet sympathizer.]
A survey on the impact of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles found that 91%
of surveyed teachers have witnessed higher levels of violence and aggression -
inspired by "heroic" violence - in the classroom.

Signs of the Times
February 1993

	"Kill it!  Kill it!" she demanded.  Instead, my son, a mere seven
years old, carefully scooped up the loathsome creature creeping across the
carpet on to a crimped sheet of paper and tossed it out an exterior door.
Ricky was visibly stunned that his Sunday school teacher was so intent on
maliciously destroying a mere insect.  This, after all, was one of God's
creatures.  His Sunday school teacher was flustered that her orders had met
with insubordination and she was clearly unrepentant about having given such
instructions.  But the crisis had passed and she would make no more of it.
I'll never forget how proud I was of Ricky and what he had chosen to do
at that moment.

Peace,
Richard

I have a 13-year-old who announced to us awhile back that he wanted to be a
Catholic.  His best friend at the time was Catholic and it was not unusual
for them to attend mass together.

We didn't try to discourage Ricky.  Rather, we tried to emphasize that he
should find out more about Catholicism, and to think and pray about it.

Ricky also came to us when he was about 10 saying he wanted to be baptized.
His best friend at the time had just been baptized.  (Hmmm...I'm seeing
a pattern here!)  His mother and I are Quakers at heart, so we never pressed
the children into participating in the formality of a water baptism.  Anyhow,
we called the pastor of our church at the time - United Methodist.  He met
privately with Ricky, and Ricky decided to go ahead with it.  Ricky was
baptized on New Year's day (making it very easy to remember).

Peace,
Richard

    			Children Welcome (PG)
    		      Parental Guidance Advised