"Saving" Children

[Collecemall]

I'm not sure what this post is about exactly. It might create something to talk about or it could just be me throwing out some thoughts that nobody else connects with and ignores.

I've spent most of my life in the "Bible Belt" of the US and of course felt the influence of the culture as I moved through different phases of my life. I'm not sure if many of you who don't live with this deeply religious culture understand just how messed up it is. While I experienced it first hand as a child I was lucky enough that my parents didn't push religion on me. I was however taken to church functions where I was indoctrinated with the Southern Baptist teachings. The local day care even carried us to Vacation Bible School (VBS) several years in a row during summer break. Before I was 10 yrs old I had been told I was a sinner, doomed to hell, and inherently bad for several years in a row. It's that process that I want to talk about a bit.

Now that I'm "middle age" I'm seeing my "friends" on social media post about how their elementary school children have been "saved". I thought this would be a fairly rare occurrence but I'm seeing it several times a year now. Children ranging in age from 3 to 12. Following are examples of what I'm talking about. Names have been changed for privacy etc.

The past few weeks have been stressful for our family. Jane (6-7 yrs old) has been having a difficult time transitioning and has been acting out. Brian (brother age 10) went to her and was concerned about her salvation and talked to her about the Lord. Last night Jane couldn't sleep and came out of her room crying. She admitted that she was so scared that if Jesus came back that she would go to hell. She felt guilty for her sins, but pride was getting in her way. After discussion with Ron (Dad) and realizing that she was truly repentant, she asked Jesus to be Lord of her life. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present. She is a different child today. Her sin erased. Praise the Lord! Thanks to all the teachers at Blah de Blah Baptist who planted seeds in Jane's life.

God is GOOD!! Harry (1st grade) asked Jesus into his heart durning VBS last summer. We explained the process but he wasn't so crazy about the idea of getting up in front of the church & being baptized. Not sure he understood "why" we get dipped in holy water. We told him when he was ready we would see he was baptized. We did not want to pressure him in anyway. This past Sunday at the end of service he whispered in Arron's (Dad) ear he was ready to be baptized. So this Sunday Harry will be baptized! My heart is so full! Can't wait to see where God leads him.

Both of these posts were of course followed by comments such as :

Harry is ready to be baptized. I have watched him grow spiritually and his child-like faith is stronger than many adults that I have prayed with during the past few years. I can't wait to see our precious Harry baptized and to watch what God does with this little life!!

PRAISE THE LORD!! She was talking to us at the supper table last night about sin. She said she had a billion of times. We talked about being saved. My precious baby girl!

At supper last night she said her Mommy and Papa were perfect she said well almost perfect. We told her the only perfect person to walk on earth was Jesus. I'm proud of her! Praise the Lord!

These are the two I could find from this summer but there were 2-3 others that I can't put hands on at the moment. If I can remember exactly who posted them I'll try to update it. But I know at least one more child under age the age of 8 was "saved".

So in the above we have a girl age 6-7 and a boy age 5-6. One of whom was scared senseless yet understands pride and the other who didn't understand what was happening. Yet both were "saved".

Is this something any of you encounter in other parts of the world? Do you consider it abuse? The first example literally had a child crying at night from fear. Am I the only one that sees the parents selling the children the cure for a disease they infected their children with? I'm baffled why we as a society think it's ok for a child to be put through these types of psychological traumas. We don't think they are even capable of dressing themselves yet they can reason their way through eternal damnation, pride, and sin? How much of this do you think is religiously motivated and how much of it do you think stems from cultural pressure where parents feel like in order to be "good parents" their children have to be "saved" and the earlier the better?

Anyway, I just noticed this happening and thought I'd share/try to stir up some discussion.

 

[Visaki]

IIs this something any of you encounter in other parts of the world?

Granted that I come from a family where religion was not a thing (I'm not even sure what or how my parents believe about god). Here in Finland we have a few sects (one or two are locally significant) that do something resembling that, but I've never heard it from any people close to me, only read about it in the papers. And when I read about it, it doesn't feel that extreme.

Do you consider it abuse? The first example literally had a child crying at night from fear. Am I the only one that sees the parents selling the children the cure for a disease they infected their children with? I'm baffled why we as a society think it's ok for a child to be put through these types of psychological traumas. We don't think they are even capable of dressing themselves yet they can reason their way through eternal damnation, pride, and sin? How much of this do you think is religiously motivated and how much of it do you think stems from cultural pressure where parents feel like in order to be "good parents" their children have to be "saved" and the earlier the better?

It is clearly abuse. I do not care if it is the parents sincerely held religious belief or cultural pressure, it's abuse and there is no excuse for it. I hope that in my lifetime we would see a time when child protective services will intervene in these cases on the basis on psychological damage done to the child. One can teach a child about religion and belief without damaging it's psyche, and if one can't what does that tell you about the religion (or the parents)?

 

[atheistcatman]

Darn, saved at such an early age. Most of the Churches I attended put the "age of accountability" at 8-12 years of age. Latter-day saint church plan baptisms at age 8 for children born into the following. My family never really pushed religion unto me, I grew up secular here in the bible belt. My mother never took me to church, unless as friend's guests, some holidays, or weddings until I turned 16. Still deal with the dogmatic programming that got brainwashed into me by those outside the family. Religion and dogma will be harder habit for me to eradicate than my addiction to nicotine and caffiene. I kinda see dogma like a mental addiction that removes all rational thought processes.

 

[Grumpy Santa]

Those poor children, exposed all their young lives to psychological torment and torture until the brainwashing sets in and they break. What a horrible thing to do to kids.

 

[thenexttodie]

I'm not sure what this post is about exactly. It might create something to talk about or it could just be me throwing out some thoughts that nobody else connects with and ignores.

I've spent most of my life in the "Bible Belt" of the US and of course felt the influence of the culture as I moved through different phases of my life. I'm not sure if many of you who don't live with this deeply religious culture understand just how messed up it is. While I experienced it first hand as a child I was lucky enough that my parents didn't push religion on me. I was however taken to church functions where I was indoctrinated with the Southern Baptist teachings. The local day care even carried us to Vacation Bible School (VBS) several years in a row during summer break. Before I was 10 yrs old I had been told I was a sinner, doomed to hell, and inherently bad for several years in a row. It's that process that I want to talk about a bit.

Now that I'm "middle age" I'm seeing my "friends" on social media post about how their elementary school children have been "saved". I thought this would be a fairly rare occurrence but I'm seeing it several times a year now. Children ranging in age from 3 to 12. Following are examples of what I'm talking about. Names have been changed for privacy etc.

The past few weeks have been stressful for our family. Jane (6-7 yrs old) has been having a difficult time transitioning and has been acting out. Brian (brother age 10) went to her and was concerned about her salvation and talked to her about the Lord. Last night Jane couldn't sleep and came out of her room crying. She admitted that she was so scared that if Jesus came back that she would go to hell. She felt guilty for her sins, but pride was getting in her way. After discussion with Ron (Dad) and realizing that she was truly repentant, she asked Jesus to be Lord of her life. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present. She is a different child today. Her sin erased. Praise the Lord! Thanks to all the teachers at Blah de Blah Baptist who planted seeds in Jane's life.

God is GOOD!! Harry (1st grade) asked Jesus into his heart durning VBS last summer. We explained the process but he wasn't so crazy about the idea of getting up in front of the church & being baptized. Not sure he understood "why" we get dipped in holy water. We told him when he was ready we would see he was baptized. We did not want to pressure him in anyway. This past Sunday at the end of service he whispered in Arron's (Dad) ear he was ready to be baptized. So this Sunday Harry will be baptized! My heart is so full! Can't wait to see where God leads him.

Both of these posts were of course followed by comments such as :

Harry is ready to be baptized. I have watched him grow spiritually and his child-like faith is stronger than many adults that I have prayed with during the past few years. I can't wait to see our precious Harry baptized and to watch what God does with this little life!!

PRAISE THE LORD!! She was talking to us at the supper table last night about sin. She said she had a billion of times. We talked about being saved. My precious baby girl!

At supper last night she said her Mommy and Papa were perfect she said well almost perfect. We told her the only perfect person to walk on earth was Jesus. I'm proud of her! Praise the Lord!

These are the two I could find from this summer but there were 2-3 others that I can't put hands on at the moment. If I can remember exactly who posted them I'll try to update it. But I know at least one more child under age the age of 8 was "saved".

So in the above we have a girl age 6-7 and a boy age 5-6. One of whom was scared senseless yet understands pride and the other who didn't understand what was happening. Yet both were "saved".

These Facebook posts, to me, sound mostly like lies parents would tell to try to fit in with some new decree made by the SBC. Or some new idea the SBC is flirting with.

Is this something any of you encounter in other parts of the world? Do you consider it abuse? The first example literally had a child crying at night from fear. Am I the only one that sees the parents selling the children the cure for a disease they infected their children with? I'm baffled why we as a society think it's ok for a child to be put through these types of psychological traumas. We don't think they are even capable of dressing themselves yet they can reason their way through eternal damnation, pride, and sin? How much of this do you think is religiously motivated and how much of it do you think stems from cultural pressure where parents feel like in order to be "good parents" their children have to be "saved" and the earlier the better?

Anyway, I just noticed this happening and thought I'd share/try to stir up some discussion.

The southern baptist church is an old institution. The will become more corrupt as time goes by. Probably these dumb Facebook stories are more motivated by peer pressure than actual facts. But It is abusive to manipulate a 3 year old with the idea that he could possibly end up in Hell if he were to die in his sleep tonight or something like that.

 

[thenexttodie]

Darn, saved at such an early age. Most of the Churches I attended put the "age of accountability" at 8-12 years of age. Latter-day saint church plan baptisms at age 8 for children born into the following. My family never really pushed religion unto me, I grew up secular here in the bible belt. My mother never took me to church, unless as friend's guests, some holidays, or weddings until I turned 16. Still deal with the dogmatic programming that got brainwashed into me by those outside the family. Religion and dogma will be harder habit for me to eradicate than my addiction to nicotine and caffiene. I kinda see dogma like a mental addiction that removes all rational thought processes.

I went to 2 different churches once or twice a week until I was about 10. I had a lot of fun there. If we wanted to go to our Sunday School lessons we could or we could just run around the church playing hide and seek.

What were the things you say were brainwashed into believing?