I started thinking the other day about things like:
- Baptism of Children
- Confirmation of Children
- Vacation Bible School
It led me to some questions:
Are they really old enough to commit for life to our belief system that they probably, don’t understand?
How many different worldviews have they been exposed to this early in life?
Won’t they be shamed if they abandon this belief system later in life?
Aren’t we forcing them into something before they can realistically decide for themselves?
How many options do we give them?
This seems mildly abusive and manipulative to me. They are publicly accepting something that they didn’t really have a choice in deciding. It was essentially their only option.
Would we publicly announce if they choose a different belief system?
Would we celebrate their choices if they contradicted our belief system?
It seems like a manipulative practice to me. It seems to model a manipulative God that only celebrates us when we agree with him, at least in the way we comprehend him.
So, do we only celebrate followers that agree with our interpretation of the divine.
Doesn’t sound like a good thing to me!
Be where you are,
Be who you are,
Karl Forehand
Being: A Journey Toward Presence and Authenticity
Karl Forehand is a former pastor, podcaster, and award-winning author. His books include Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart and The Tea Shop. He is the creator of The Desert Sanctuary podcast. He is married to his wife Laura of 32 years and has one dog named Winston. His three children are grown and are beginning to multiply!
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