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Featured Are we deceiving children ....

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by ktn4eg, Dec 4, 2013.

  1. ktn4eg

    ktn4eg New Member

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    .... when we tell them things that we know are not true?

    This time of year one often hears discussions of whether or not parents allow their children to "believe in Santa Claus."

    I've had different ideas about this, but what about other "white lies" such as "The Tooth Fairy," etc.?

    I'd like to read your take on this, preferably including God's Word to back up your position.
     
  2. padredurand

    padredurand Well-Known Member
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    Just keep the Boogie Man and the Easter Bunny out of the conversation. :tongue3:

    I remember a rather lengthy conversation in seminary about whether all of the parables of Jesus were literally true. Was there really a wise man who built his house on rock? A foolish one who built on sand? Did the have names? Families? Where did this happen? When? Were they real men or did they serve only to illustrate the point?

    If they were not real people than what are we to make of Jesus' use of them to teach an important lesson?

    Matthew 7:24-27 if you wanted to look it up.
     
  3. thisnumbersdisconnected

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    A synonym for "parable" is "allegory." It was not expected they were true. They were an illustration. If the intent of the discussion was to make Jesus out to be a liar, they didn't really understand the verbiage used in Koine Greek.
     
  4. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    Considering I'm the one buying the gifts and dressing up in the red suit, not to mention knowing if they have been bad or good or asleep or awake, where is the lie? :). I also moonlight by exchanging teeth for dollars.
     
  5. padredurand

    padredurand Well-Known Member
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    If you knew where I attended seminary you would know they had trouble understanding the verbiage of American English, too. :smilewinkgrin:

    Let's talk about Nicholas of Myra. 4th Century bishop. Imprisoned under Diocletian for being a Christian. Benevolent. Anything about him that could be beneficial?
     
  6. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    I agree.

    One of the most frustrating times I have ever had in a seminary classroom was in the Introduction to Biblical Interpretation class where the professor casually mentioned (referencing parables) that Jesus "invented" these profound stories to capture the imagination of his hearers. That statement immediately led a couple of the students to interrupt the lecture and demand to know if the professor believed that EVERY parable was LITERALLY true. He said that he did not place an expectation that any of the parables were LITERALLY true in the sense that Jesus was referring to specific persons, but that they were slice of life images that had parallels in the everyday lives of His audience. The professor was then immediately denounced as a "liberal" who taught that Jesus frequently lied to people. :BangHead:

    Fortunately, those students dropped the class after a few more sessions and stopped interrupting the lectures.
     
  7. thisnumbersdisconnected

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    An answer to corporate prayer? :laugh:
     
  8. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    Probably.

    I know I was pleased. :laugh:

    They were an embarrassment to the other students. They were making the other "conservative" students (sane people) look bad.
     
  9. Aaron

    Aaron Member
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    Teaching children to believe in the existence of Santa Claus (the jolly old elf who lives at the North Pole and delivers presents to all the good boys and girls of the world on Christmas Eve) is not something that Christ nor any of His Apostles would approve.
     
  10. evenifigoalone

    evenifigoalone Well-Known Member

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    I'm not sure what to think. I believed in Santa Claus and the Easter bunny until I was 8 years old and it never hurt me. I'm inclined to think things like that just adds a fun element of imagination and fantasy and is harmless. But I don't have a really set opinion.
    Anyway, not something I'm going to debate about. Against it? Okay with it? Whether you let your kids believe in these things or not will not affect me in any way. It's none of my business, so I don't care.
     
    #10 evenifigoalone, Dec 5, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 5, 2013
  11. thisnumbersdisconnected

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    Here's a new avatar for you, Aaron.

    [​IMG]
     
  12. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    But it could be your business - suppose the SS teacher tells your 5 year old son that beleiving in Santa is a sin? How would you deal with that.
     
  13. Thousand Hills

    Thousand Hills Active Member

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  14. Aaron

    Aaron Member
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    tnd thinks children should be taught to believe in things not true. Check. :thumbs:
     
  15. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    Yes, we are deceiving our children. But I don't think it is as terrible as some make it out to be. We didn't do Santa or the Easter Bunny because we want these holidays to be about the One who makes them important but we did do the tooth fairy. :) Our kids enjoyed that whole thing and were not surprised when they found out - they had kind of guessed at that point.
     
  16. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    :eek::eek: What do you mean there ia no Santa Clause ..... Didn't ya never read da "Yes Virginia" lettea? :love2:
     
  17. North Carolina Tentmaker

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    No Santa Clause?

    After surviving a period of unbelief that ran from adolescence until I became a parent myself; I now know the truth and have a much stronger belief in Santa now than I did as a child.

    Sophia P. Snow (Closing lines of the poem Annie and Willie’s Prayer)
     
  18. michael-acts17:11

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    How many of us have deceived our children as to where babies come from, or the anatomy of the opposite gender, or the nature of a mentally disturbed relative(we all have at least one), or one of a myriad other examples? Children believe in fanciful tales, imaginary creatures, & talking yellow sponges. It is a part of childhood. Belief in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, talking animals, or baby-delivering storks has no negative effect on children. Some people just aren't happy unless they are micro-analyzing & judging the lives of others.
     
  19. prophet

    prophet Active Member
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    Dont lie to them, the lying toungue hateth those that are deceived by it.
     
  20. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    The heart determines the lie. See Jonathan and David. God and Hezekiah. Jesus and the travelers to Emmaus.
     
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