Would you let an 8 yr old child

Buddy'sParents

*Finding My Inner Fila*
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#21
I think it depends on the church. I wouldn't usually have a problem with it, if it were my child. But some of these churches can be harsh. I had a cousin who went with a friend to Sunday School one day, and the teacher found out my cousin was a different religion. So she gave a "lesson" on how people of other faiths are going to hell. :rolleyes:
:yikes: That is just NOT okay.

I love to learn about other religions and my children will be raised with the knowledge to choose for themselves, but no one should EVER be told that they are going to hell because of their beliefs/faith. That is so wrong. On so many levels.
 

smkie

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#22
ACcording to both religions i am going to rot because i am not babtised. A close friend of Hy's said we were GOd haters because we didn't attend church. It seems to be coming from all directions right now. The question is do i think they will sway Hy in her thinking away from me or open her horizons to humanity and how it works. I am not worried about her and my link in life so i feel no threat there. I do think it is important to understand where other people are coming from and until you experience it, i am not sure you can.

I think she needs to learn there is no black and white to much of anything and that she has to follow her heart in what SHE believes. NOt what someone tells her.

I have a friend that had a son that is constantly worried about her departure from this life. He was raised with no religion, but found God early in life and has followed that path ever since. He still loves his mother very much as she does him. Nothing changes that.
 

Sunnierhawk0

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#23
What gets me is what "bullying" someone, or trying to bully someone into your religion will accomplish? Do these people honestly beleive that by trying to force someone into the religion that they will accept it? Beleive it? Practice it? You would think the phrase " You can lead a horse to water but you cant make him drink" would come into play. I feel sorry for anyone that has ever expereinced such a thing, and honestly if someone tried to bully me into thier religion, I dont know how I would feel.
 
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#24
It depends on what the denomination was and how their beliefs differ from mine. :) I feel that before anything else, my most important duty is to raise my child to love the Lord. I know what I believe and why I believe it. ** I'm just using my situation as an example, not trying to judge anyone else** We attend a Southern Baptist Church because it lines up closer than any other church in our area to my beliefs. My Brother & SIL attend a Non denom church that has a female pastor. My own personal beliefs are that women do not belong in a pastor or deacon position but I don't think it's a salvation issue so it would not bother me if they took my kids. I have a older Step Sister who is a Jehovah's Witness. My beliefs and hers are completely different. So, no my children would not be allowed to attend her church. When my children are adults living in their own homes they can decide for themselves. Until then, they are my responsibility and I will not allow them to hear what I consider false doctrine.;)
Not trying to start an argument or anything here, I'm just curious...why do you believe that?
 

sparks19

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#25
What gets me is what "bullying" someone, or trying to bully someone into your religion will accomplish? Do these people honestly beleive that by trying to force someone into the religion that they will accept it? Beleive it? Practice it? You would think the phrase " You can lead a horse to water but you cant make him drink" would come into play. I feel sorry for anyone that has ever expereinced such a thing, and honestly if someone tried to bully me into thier religion, I dont know how I would feel.
Yeah it gets pretty ridiculous. but more so I am worried about them causing my child to be AFRAID by telling her she will burn in h#ll or some sort of thing. I am very lucky that in my experiences as a young child with religious friends and church groups that no one was ever threatening or tried to make me fear for my soul. the groups were always about love and acceptance. I can't even recall if any of these church groups even ASKED if I went to church every Sunday. they were just happy to have us there and to share their love of God with us and share God's LOVING ways with us.
 

bubbatd

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#26
I think it's fine unless it's a fire and brimstone religion which puts the fear of God in you !!! My neighbors in Muncie wanted to take Michael to church with them ...I said no . They didn't last there long !!! Speaking in tongues and were told to smash their glasses and the Lord would heal their eyes . I personally would love to go to an all black Gospel church for their music !!! Attended a funeral at one and it was so up lifting .
 

SizzleDog

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#27
I was one of those kids allowed to visit whatever church I pleased. It was great, I had a wonderful time, learned a lot, and made new friends. Heck, even through middle school I was going to YFC (Youth for Christ) because it was interesting and informative. That, and they took us on ski trips. ;) My friends all went, they had no problem that I was Unitarian and didn't necessarily believe what they did. I was there to learn, so that I may not make unfair judgements based in ignorance.

It also helped my friends of other faiths to realize that I wasn't some "crazy hippy heathen". They wanted to learn about me just as much as I wanted to learn about them.

Just this week, a man walked into a Unitarian congregation and started shooting. He blamed the Unitarians for his inability to find a job... because we're liberal. Because we're a "creepy church" to some. So sad, how ignorance and misplaced hate can ruin so many lives...

cvcraven said:
My own personal beliefs are that women do not belong in a pastor or deacon position
I'd be curious to know the basis of this statement as well.
 

Lilavati

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#28
Sure, so long as it was a non-"creepy" church and she was attending with a trusted adult or older teenager that I knew. Church, temple, mosque, I don't have a problem with it. If my child wanted to attend a Sunday morning athiests meeting I'd be fine with that too, assuming she was properly supervised. If she or he was exposed to ideas I dont' agree with, then I can talk them over with him or her and say why I don't agree. Its called learning and learning to think.
 

mjb

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#29
I was raised in an area where probably the vast majority of people believed that if you didn't believe a certain way you would go to hell. I had quite a few try to 'save' me.

I didn't find it frightening. I found it annoying, but that's all. I don't remember anyone trying to 'save' me until I was older, though. I think they believe you have to reach a certain age of accountability before you are 'lost'.

Maybe because my dad's a minister, I wasn't ever scared about it. Maybe just his reassurance that that's not the way he believed it, but I was never scared about it.

It was bothersome. On the other hand, if they really thought I was going to hell unless they could convince me to do something to save myself, and they would contribute to my going to hell if they didn't at least try to convince me, then I could understand why they would want to talk to me. I guess I would do the same thing if I strongly believed I made any difference to someone's eternal destination.

So, maybe it was having a minister for a father, or maybe because they didn't start 'talking' to me until I was older, but I never found their messages scary (but I can see that it could be). I tried to avoid it, though.

And some of the lively debates in our household that I mentioned in an earlier post were with friends of my parents who would try to convince my father that he needed to work on 'saving' people, and his reading the Bible and explaining his interpretation that it wasn't saying that was his job to do so or even in his ability to do so.
 

noludoru

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#30
Not trying to start an argument or anything here, I'm just curious...why do you believe that?
Oh man. I completely missed that. Thanks for catching it.

So far, the only reason I am coming up with is "I'm a sexist!"

Lilavati, sorry for my use of the word creepy. I am just not sure how to describe it.. some of the churches I've been to have just had a very weird vibe to them, if you know what I mean. The one my friend went to was practically a cult - and VERY creepy. The people there would POUNCE on anyone new and try to bully them into coming back, and I got yelled at a few times for "missing the last few weeks of church".. wtf? I went with a friend because we spent Sundays together sometimes, and she went to church Sundays, so I came with her.
 

Lilavati

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#31
Oh man. I completely missed that. Thanks for catching it.

So far, the only reason I am coming up with is "I'm a sexist!"

Lilavati, sorry for my use of the word creepy. I am just not sure how to describe it.. some of the churches I've been to have just had a very weird vibe to them, if you know what I mean. The one my friend went to was practically a cult - and VERY creepy. The people there would POUNCE on anyone new and try to bully them into coming back, and I got yelled at a few times for "missing the last few weeks of church".. wtf? I went with a friend because we spent Sundays together sometimes, and she went to church Sundays, so I came with her.
Actually, I agree, there are "creepy" Churches out there . . . I call them creepy too . . I was putting it in quotes because its not really the right word . . . I just don't know a better one.
 

noludoru

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#32
Oh, okay! Sorry for the misunderstanding, then. I know exactly what you mean, and I can't find a word for it, either.
 

smkie

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#34
I had questioned my judgement when my son said he would wait until she was older. I appriciate all your comments, i think that is the strength of a forum, to gain perspective from all different walks of life. I am going to stick with my original decision and let her go. The family she is going are wonderful people, and their children well behaved and possibly the sweetest that she plays with so i am not worried about their ethics or her safety in their care.
 

cvcraven

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#37
Not trying to start an argument or anything here, I'm just curious...why do you believe that?
I'd be curious to know the basis of this statement as well.
Oh man. I completely missed that. Thanks for catching it.

So far, the only reason I am coming up with is "I'm a sexist!"
;) Here's a picture of me... I promise sexist is not the reason. Is it ok to give scripture reference on this site to explain? I don't want to break a rule..:)
 

~Jessie~

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#38
I'm curious about the answer as well, cvcraven.

That's a cute picture of you and your son, but I'm confused. How does that picture show that you're not sexist? Is it because you're a woman? I've met a TON of sexist women, so that doesn't prove much.
 

noludoru

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#39
I think she meant that as a woman she magically cannot be sexist. Which, of course, as we all know is true, and if you are the recipient of sexism on a daily basis throughout your entire life you couldn't possibly ever internalize it and believe it.
 

SizzleDog

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#40
I think she meant that as a woman she magically cannot be sexist. Which, of course, as we all know is true, and if you are the recipient of sexism on a daily basis throughout your entire life you couldn't possibly ever internalize it and believe it.
Agreed. Dance of the Dissident Daughter, anyone?
 

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