Showing posts with label child. Show all posts
Showing posts with label child. Show all posts

Monday 1 June 2015

Parents forbidden to pray in front of their children or to take them to church

Is it really worrying when a child can react in a conversation with verses from Scripture. In the United Kingdom some see in it a form of indoctrination of that child. that is what we might conclude when we hear lawyers and child psychologists talking against the right of an 8 year old boy choosing for the words and care of his mother.

In May a devout mother made a legally binding promise, backed up with the threat of criminal sanctions, never to talk to her son about her religion, take him to church or even say grace at meals in a doomed attempt to stop him being taken into care, amid claims that she was “indoctrinating” him, a judge has disclosed.

How is it possible that judges can prohibit parents to pray or talk about their belief in front of their children or even not allow them to take them to church?

The court-case in England may create a precedent and make it very difficult for parents to give their children a religious background. Quite easy it is to say they are indoctrinating their children. I naturally do not know, but can not imagine the JW mother through the use of torture, drugs, or psychological-stress techniques to implement her beliefs as to take it or the child having her to leave. Naturally I also find it wrong she would not want to have her child to go to her father. She should know it is also the rightful parent of the child, having the same rights as her to educate his child and to tell about his believes, like she does.


Having teachers saying the boy also rejected other children and that he had only a small friendship circle, describing him as “one of the most worrying children in our school”, does not have to indicate the mother is in such a way dominant to her child she manages it not to make friends with children of an other belief.

Details of the case were disclosed in a written judgement handed down by Judge Clifford Bellamy, after a hearing at the Family Court, sitting in Leicester, in which he set out his reasons for making an interim care order. {Indoctrinated son 'troubled’ by mother’s religion is put into care}
He found that the boy had suffered emotional harm as a result both of the conflict between the parents and, specifically, “immersion by his mother in her religious beliefs and practices”.
He concluded that she was doing this “with the intention of alienating him from his father”.
But the judgement disclosed that a social worker at the centre of the case rejected this assessment and believed that, while the boy was damaged by the conflict between his warring parents, the mother’s religion was not the cause. {Indoctrinated son 'troubled’ by mother’s religion is put into care}

I also would not think there lies the problem with the mother talking about God, taking her child to the Kingdom hall of the JW and reading Watch Tower publications. Far what I do know of those publications they should give enough balance to the kid to stand stronger in a society of different thoughts,  though this seems more to do with an introvert child that has worries brought on it by the damaging divorce, and not with damaging faith.

It disclosed that at one point in the proceedings the mother went to the Court of Appeal to challenge an initial care order and made a number of strict undertakings in an attempt to stop the process.
These included not to take him to her local Kingdom Hall — the Jehovah’s Witness meeting house — or any other such gatherings; not to talk to him about religion at all; not to allow him to go on to the church’s website or watch religious DVDs; and, if he raised the issue, to attempt to change the subject.{Indoctrinated son 'troubled’ by mother’s religion is put into care}

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Find also:

A British judge rules that mother can’t indoctrinate son with religion


Wednesday 28 November 2012

Teach children the Bible

When we start a family we do have to take in mind how we are going to lay out the path of the children.

From the moment we realize God has given our next generation life, we should be thankful to God and pray for them.

As the blogwriter Sheena Steve remarks: A" positive pregnancy test or seeing the child’s heart beating on the monitor for the first time is a reminder of the responsibility God is entrusting in our hands."

We can train our kids to behave well, and we can try to get them to know God. But whatever happens always shall be there the influences from outside, school, comrades, friends, media, etc.. But God has to call them and pull them towards Him. We only can express our hopes that they shall get to learn the importance of religion and the belief in One God, Creator of heaven and earth.

We can read parts of the Bible regularly and discuss what is going on in the world in relation to the Master Worker. It is important that as soon as possible we let the children feel that God is in our midst.

As parents, we hold the bottom-line responsibility to teach our children about God. It is not something we can pass on to the church or the Sunday school teachers. But what do we teach them and when do we start?

Ex-software engineer, Sheena Steve, whose life turned right side up when she gave birth to triplets (all boys too!) started  “An Imperfect Life” as an attempt to document her day to day experiences as she enjoys the ride of her life as a stay-at-home wife and mom.

She brings a blog worthwhile to read or to follow how she allows God to enter her life and that of her family. It can be uplifting to see that not only your life can be troublesome and far from perfect but that you are not the only one who tries with falling and getting up to learn everyday that no matter how hard you try… only Jesus Christ and God can perfect it.

Sheena Steve believes that “God will perfect that which concerns me” (Psalm 138:8) and “In my weakness, God’s strength will be made perfect”  (II Corinthians 12:9).

An Imperfect Life” wants to be a mosaic of life stories compiled to encourage and inspire you. 

It wouldn’t do any good if we taught our kids how awesome God is, and failed to mention how personal He is to each of them. It will be of no use either when we do not show the kids how God interferes in our lives and helps us to grow. We also have to show the changes God makes in us. We do have to live a Christian life, breathing the spirit of Christ, before we can get our kids to see and feel Christ in our and their life.

We can pray all day for our children and diligently teach them the Bible, but all that won’t make a difference, if our kids don’t see us practising what we teach them. We can teach them that God’s given us everything we need, but if they see us being discontent and grumbling about what little we have, what are they taking away from it?
Even as babies, our kids imitate us – they smile, wave their hands and learn to clap, after seeing us do the same. Toddlers learn new words and mannerisms by observing us. If they see us reading the Bible and praying on a regular basis, won’t they want to do the same?
 
Your children will become who you are; so be who you want them to be. ~ Anonymous


We always should be patient and show how Christ works in us. For all that we teach our kids about God, none of it matters until they seek Him for themselves. While that may take a few years, we should remain obedient to God and teach our kids about Him and about His son, God's Salvation and the Kingdom of God.



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Please do find:

  1. Let The Children Come ~ Teach Them About God

  2. Let The Children Come ~ Pray for Them

  3. Let The Children Come ~ Be An Example

 

 

Tuesday 22 March 2011

Christadelphians children of God

1 John 3:1-10 (New International Version, ©2011)

1 John 3

 1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
 4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
Footnotes:
  1. 1 John 3:2 Or when it is made known
Dutch version / Nederlandse versie: Christadelphians kinderen van God

Monday 22 February 2010

God is my refuge and my fortress in Him I will trust

“I will say of Jehovah, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in whom I trust.”
(Ps 91:2 ASV)

Trust In God
“I will say of Yahweh, \@He is\@ my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” (Ps 91:2 KJBPNV)


What do we do when we are in trouble or when we find our circumstances are out of control? 

One of the best things about being a father is learning from our children.  In a child's life things often go wrong and events happen that leave them feeling out of control.  Until a child is grown they are not equipped to face everything the world throws at them.  They lack strength, confidence and skill.  This is where mum and dad come in.  At those out of control moments the first thing a child does is to cry, "Mum!" or "Dad!"  It is the first thing they think of.  It is a totally natural response to difficulty and fear.  To a small child a parent is an inexhaustible supply of strength, wisdom and skill, so it is only logical that their mum or dad should be their first port of call.  It comes from a total trust in their parents who care for them.

The Psalmist wrote the following: "I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.'"  (
Psa 91:2) The LORD should also be our refuge in the same way that we are a refuge for our children.  We must have the same sort of faith in God as our young children have in us, and with that, put all our trust in him.

Let's make God our first port of call, relying on his wisdom and strength to help us in our times of need.

Robert Prins [Auckland - Pakuranga - (NZ)] 

Dutch translation / Nederlandse vertaling > God is mijn toevlucht, mijn fort en sterte, op Hem zal ik vertrouwen

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2016 added related articles

Sunday 5 April 2009

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness



"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you'll never walk alone.
God is always there."
- Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993)

""Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also,
and he praises her, saying:
"Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all."
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates."
Proverbs 31:28-31

God bless my wife and let her works be for the blessing of her family.


Thursday 2 April 2009

Only I can change my life

Dutch version : Nederlands> Alleen ik kan mijn leven veranderen


"Only I can change my life.
No one can do it for me."
- Carol Burnett

"And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and
become like little children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 18:3

As a newborn child I am thirsty for the mental unadulterated milk of the Word.
I want to change my character and my life.
Let me grow and give me the strength to work on my personality
and let me be a good Christian.