Monday, November 29, 2010

Lying Justified to Innocents Not "Old Enough to Know Better?"

Here's something to ponder:  Is it okay to lie to young children simply because they are not "old enough to know better?"  I'm sure the immediate answer for most is, "No."  That's certainly my answer.  We just got back yesterday from visiting family for several days.  One day, while we were at my parents' house, I was eating at the table, and behind me a kitchen tv was going, and my boys were at the bar, and my mother was in the kitchen.  I'm not sure exactly what was on the television, but it was some stupid commercial that mentioned or had Santa Claus.  I heard my firstborn (7 years of age) son say, "Santa is a freak."

I corrected him by saying, "A fraud.  He's a fraud."  He asked, "What is a fraud?"  I told him it meant he was a lie, an imposter.  (I don't ignore the fact that there was a Catholic bishop named Nicholas, etc., which we are learning about as an educational aside.)  My son W. then says to my mother, "You lied to my momma about Santa Claus."  She first said, "No I didn't.  She knew it was make-believe." He argued, "No, you lied."  She retorted, "Well, yeah, only until she was old enough to know better."

I bit my tongue.  But, wow.... So, I sat there thinking, "Yeah, and when I was old enough to know better that a good God does not torture people in a fire for eternity and that Christmas was a lie and that the true sabbath is the Roman 'Saturday' and other numerous things were lies, I spent MONTHS in deep shock and feeling greatly betrayed by all those I loved and trusted most."

And this is the truth.  When I was "old enough to know better," I discovered that those whom I thought I could trust were just a bunch of liars who love lies, because many of the lies are lies so many ADMIT to being lies, and yet they take pleasure in the unrighteousness, anyway.

I have found that the big false religions of the world (at the top is Christianity and Islam) forbid children to learn about other religions.  They're afraid they'll convert to something else!  Well, if something is totally truthful, should it not stand up to scrutiny?  I am different than most.  I have told my firstborn several times already, "I teach you now as a child, but when you reach adulthood, it's your responsibility to PROVE whether what I taught you is right or not."  And it is.  Adults are supposed to be responsible.  If your parents and pastors and teachers and friends and other trusted and loved adults told you lies like those of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Jesus/Yahushua was born on "Christmas," Sunday is the sabbath, and other such things, then what makes you think they weren't lying about a lot of other things, too?

True Christians do NOT lie.  How could anyone with good sense believe in Jesus Christ if they do not know the TRUTH in the scriptures but are taught about all the other pagan religions having their sun god born on December 25 and being resurrected from the dead and being born of a virgin, etc.?

If we want our children to TRUST us, then we need to tell them the TRUTH from the very START, when they are innocent and not "old enough to know better," so then when they ARE old enough to know whether you are lying or not, they'll continue to trust you!

Well, all this OUGHT to be good common sense, I would think, but in a WORLD FULL of liars and those who love lies, I guess not.

And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie (Revelation 22:12-15).

Monday, November 22, 2010

Babes to Maturity, Physical Love to Spiritual Love

A few weeks ago I received a revelation as I once more meditated on a battle that goes on within me concerning my children growing older.  I mostly love the maturing process of my children, because I can connect with them better on a mental level.  I love having deep conversations with other human beings and learning things along with them.  However, I am one to give a lot of kisses and hugs to my children.  I could snuggle them all day, if I didn't have anything else to do.

It seems a person cannot have fully have both, and that is what fully dawned on me one day.  As a child gets older, he or she cannot be cradled or carried around.  He doesn't or cannot be held in the lap and snuggled.  He doesn't want as many kisses or hugs.  It's sad in a way, but the joy of having a fulfilling spiritual relationship with the child more than makes up for it, and if the bond is great enough, he'll never outgrow regular hugs and maybe kisses.

I got to thinking more about marital love, too.  Marital physical love is quite enjoyable.  Physical oneness is a good thing between a man and his wife.  However, there is no question in my mind that spiritual oneness between a man and his wife is so much better.

We were made with bodies that enjoy physical closeness, various ways to love physically, with different ways toward our children, spouses, and others.  But, spiritual love, a deep fulfilling relationship between the minds of people is so much greater!

Upon even further meditation, I realized that newly begotten sons of God still have a tendency to cling too much to physical/earthly things and not to spiritual things.  It's a beautiful thing to see babes of God love our Father so strongly with the way they know best (being familiar so much with earthly things), but it's much more enjoyable to fellowship with mature saints, to have those deep conversations and learning together.  It can actually get pretty draining if spiritual babies do not move on to maturity (Heb. 5:11-14; 6:1-2), and some do not move on too well.  I've had much experience with this, and also knowing how human children take a lot of work, I can better appreciate their ever-growing maturity, because perpetual human babies would also be very draining.