Kids & Faith

A child is like a sponge. He/she will soak up anything and everything mom or dad spills. How else can you explain pictures like this. Or this. Or god-forbid… this:

That’s some scary, scary crap, no?

So the question is, how do I talk about my world view with the kiddos without indoctrinating?

Well… I know how not to do it. I read this, from the wife of a pastor whose church we briefly attended in Alabama.

Caleb can be counted on daily to provide a laugh. He keeps the mood light and he keeps us on our toes. His new daily phrase is “They need Jesus.” I’m pretty sure he arrived at this phrase due to the fact that every time he complained about a classmate, a teammate or any person doing something that crossed him we would reply, “Caleb, keep in mind they might not know Jesus and you need to be a testimony and a witness to them.” So now the kid that beats him in soccer “needs Jesus.” The muslim classmate that puts her fingers in her ears every time Caleb talks, “needs Jesus.” The brother who speaks in less than kind words “needs Jesus.”

I left a comment on her page that she quickly deleted, and I guess I understand that. It’s her blog, and she’s free to censor outside opinion as much as she’d like. But fortunately, I have my own site and can re-post here without fear of censorship! (evil laugh) I said:

How interesting! Truth be told, I would cringe if my son ever said anything like that.

I understand where you’re coming from… but I pray my son learns to LOVE those he encounters that are different. To BE Jesus to the annoying classmate – not just assume that any/all annoyances in others will be magically removed by faith in Jesus.

In a world of nothing but devoted followers of Christ, there would still be annoying classmates, soccer losses, and people with different opinions. It’s important to remember that for others to follow Jesus, they don’t necessarily need to do exactly what I do, and think exactly how I think.

What I didn’t say was… how awful!! Can you just picture it? The poor Muslim classmate who has to stick her fingers in her ears every time your child speaks? My god. Your child thinks its appropriate to torment a young girl because her world view is different than his own? That feels almost… criminal. It’s, at the very least, bullying.

I also didn’t mention in my comment that the entire post was one long run on paragraph… but that’s neither here nor there. I guess it’s kind of there. But not here. Definitely not.

Anyway, all that said, I think I’d be happy if my kids grow up knowing:

• Not everyone believes the same thing about who we are and why we’re here.
• Worldviews are influenced by upbringing, experience, and choice. You can only control choice.
• I believe god exists and loves everyone. e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e.
• Faith in Jesus and living the life he modeled has brought me peace, purpose, and comfort.

Yesterday I posted a Christian song by Gungor that I said I wouldn’t mind my kids listening to. I singled it out because so much of the Christian material for kids doesn’t leave space for my first two bullets above. It’s just so refreshing to find Christian material that does.

I guess, in the end, I just don’t want my kids to be like Caleb.

What I Believe

I was asked in the comments of my post on Resisting the Green Dragon, “…what beliefs remain?” Here is my attempt at summarizing what I actually believe: Click here.

No, really, I’m not trying to pass the buck… but the founding document of ThruWay Christians does a wonderful job of summarizing what I believe. The first three points are really the most important – the others just build off those three.

1. Jesus Christ was God incarnate. He performed miracles; as a means of providing for the irrevocable reconciliation of humankind to God he sacrificed himself on the cross; he rose from the dead; he left behind for the benefit of all people the totality of himself in the form of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
2. Christ and Christianity are meant to be understood, appreciated, and experienced as galvanizing inspirations for living a life of love, compassion, fairness, peace, and humility. Period.
3. The Bible is a collection of a great many separate documents written by different people in different languages over thousands of years. Properly understanding both the letter and spirit of the Bible necessarily entails taking into account the historical and cultural contexts that so greatly inform so much of its text. The size, density, history and complexity of the Bible render unfeasible the idea that not one of its words reflects more man’s will than God’s.
   The spirit of God is inerrant; people—even those impassioned by the conviction that God is speaking directly to or through them—are not.

I imagine I have #2-3 in common with a great deal of Christians and non-Christians alike. #1 is of course what sets me apart, and to be completely honest, is intellectually indefensible – but that’s okay. When understood within the context of #2 & 3, my faith in #1 is nothing more than a personal choice that gives me courage, hope, purpose, and a sustaining relationship with God, which strengthens and drives me towards a life full of love, compassion, fairness, peace, and humility.

So, there it is – those are the beliefs that remain. Why? That’s another story for another day.