Uploaded by TheFaithCheck on Sep 24, 2011
Is it good for children to have Christian parents? I barely scrape the surface on this topic, but I think this insight might help on-the-fence Christians become better parents.
Music: Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve
All images used under fair use.
Transcript:
Here is a short assessment to help you determine if you need to revisit some of your parenting techniques.
1) Do you teach your children that the bible is the perfect word of god?
2) Have you read the entire bible since becoming an adult?
3) If you answered "Yes" to #1 and "No" to #2... Then what are you thinking?
If you tell your children that the bible is the perfect word of god, but you have not read and personally approved the entire text - then you are exposing your children to the risk of psycological damage.
What happens when your child opens the book and finds a passage that you didn't realize was in there. For example: imagine that your daughter, she opens the Bible to 1 Timothy 2:11-14. What does your endorsement of that text teach her about her place in society?
Here are a few examples from four important women in my life:
My sister was brought up fundamentalist Christian - and now she is a housewife with no education and no marketable skills. If she and her husband split up - then she will be financially helpless.
My mother was also brought up believing that the bible was the word of god - now she is divorced, in her late 50's and living paycheck to paycheck with no health insurance. She was submissive to her husband - even during the divorce negotiations - which left her screwed.
Let's look at one more example from the bible before discussing the other two women in my life.
Imagine that you have a son. he opens the bible and sees (matthew 12:39) where Jesus rebuked a crowd for their lack of faith - because they asked him to prove himself with a sign. By endorsing that text you just taught your child to be susceptible to every con that tries to push something onto him.
The other Two women:
My wife had the benefit of a secular upbringing. Her parents did not even introduce her to the bible. She was taught to think critically, to question, to respect herself. Now she is a strong, successful business woman. I consult with her on every negotiation - whether it is for a car, jewelry, a new mortgage deal, terms on a new job - and without fail, she catches me in the act of believing something that the sales person is trying to slip past me. If more people were raised like my wife was then con-artists around the world would not find it so easy to make a fortune off the predisposition that religious people have to feel guilty about not believing. My wife simply doesn't have that predisposition - and it works brilliantly for her.
Additionally, she is fun loving, caring and considerate, she is spirited and she is always thinking of ways to help others.
The fourth woman.
My daughter is still a toddler. She will learn that the bible is simply a collection of books that were written a long time ago and had a heavy impact on western society. She will learn that she is valuable. She will learn to think critically, to question everything, and to not let anyone make her feel guilty for not believing something. She is a lucky girl - because her parents are not religious. Her parents will not act irrationally under fear of losing their daughter to an eternity in hell. After we teach her to respect herself and those around her, and to think critically, she can be whatever she wants to be. She will truly be free. She can be whatever she wants to be on her own terms: a musician, a sales person, a political activist, an english teacher, a lesbian, a housewife, a liberal, a conservative - and if she decides to, she can even become... religious.
I only mentioned two of the many things a child can find in the bible that could damage their psyche when endorsed by their parents. There are countless other things. If anything comes to mind, please leave a comment or make a video response. Thank You.
