Rites of Passage -Ex JW style

FormerMormon

I have a son turning 8 in 3 months, which is the baptismal age in the mormon church. We have all kinds of family and local pressure to have our kid dunked. My son knows the LDS church is full of it, but I think part of him is missing the ceremony, the attention-- the rite of passage. Wife and I liked some suggestions on an atheist site --having an "unbaptism" with a hairdryer, or a "sacrament" using peanut butter and jelly and crackers with root beer. We have been discussing cultic manipulation by ancient religions as well as modern ones. I want to think outside the Judeo-christian box.

What fun rites of passage have you Ex JW's heard of? I am looking for fun to serious ideas.

One idea I have... to show the silliness of religion, our kids have started praying to the "toast monster". We pray that we wont be hit by an asteroid, or that a tsunami wont get us today (we live in Idaho). I was thinking of having them craft a toast monster god, then ceremonially eating it. While that might be fun for all the kids, I did want something, some rite of passage focused on our oldest, maybe anointing his forehead, chin and cheeks with charcoal. Dunno.

You guys have any good ideas from your "cult"ure?

Thanks

Former Mormon

undercover

Why not just give him a special birthday?

Avoid all the religious or anti-religious stuff and make it about him...what he likes, what he would like to do, what he wants, etc. That, to me, would mean more than trying to add some anti-cult meaning to some activity meant to replace a cult activity.

FormerMormon

Many of his friends are LDS. They are having birthday parties AND a baptism. Like you say, I think it is a good year for a special birthday. Growing up, I felt sorry for the jewish kids during christmas. Being different than everyone else can be a drag.

I am tired of being different. I grew up in California where mormons are a minority. Now I am in downtown mormonville, and I am an apostate -- different than everyone else. Kinda sucks. I do want that soemthing special, a ceremony or something for him It will be difficult to do that with his friends around as celebrating a baptism alternative wont go well with the parents of his friends. His birthday party can be bigger, but has to be normal and without trace of being a baptism alternative.

Number1Anarchist

Make it something inspirational that rewards him and somone or something else! You could take him to plant a tree or do something with nature! Something that you will both remmber that he will appreciate! A hikeing trip and stop to plant some trees but make it fun buy plenty of candy and soda or whatever special food he likes. Do something that inspires you both and rewards and connects eachother more closeley. sounds like a great idea! Just make it a special day outside the house to a special location!

There are no rites of passage for Jdubs! They would consider that wordly and you know that routine. Thx

yknot

Have a regular birthday and then leave on a surprise mini vacation!

Over compensation is a good thing privately. You can claim you got an amazing deal too good to pass up!

There are no rites of passage for Jdubs!

True Dat ! The closest thing we have is 1st talk/presentation (usually between 3-5 years old), first doorbell (18mo-2years) and first meeting comment (2-3 years old). ................. this is why the LDS are kicking JW booty in retention, yall do have some 'fun' stuff.... all we have are talks, comments, FS, Circuit Assembly (area sales meeting report), Special Assembly Day (total BS just wanna have a reason to ask for more donations), and the District Convention where again everyone is encouraged to get the lead out and to dig deep into their pockets.......as a bonus they get to go home with a book or two......... there is absolutely no fellowship or upbuilding outside of preaching activity!.....

I hope he has a wonderful 8th birthday, he is fortunate to have parents that are so astute to his needs

parakeet

Plan something really special for him -- a trip to a amusement park (somwhere warm), a "ride" in a helicopter or jet simulator (we did this for our son's 13th birthday), a weekend of skiing or snow tubing.

One caution -- I'm not sure it's a good idea to teach small children to mock others' beliefs (no matter how irrational). My son was 3 when I left the JWs, and though my husband and I raised him as an atheist, we made sure we didn't ridicule religion in front of him. When he was old enough (in his teens) to discuss religion, I told him about my JW experience and my views on religion in general. Then I told him when he was grown up, he was free to investigate religion if he was so inclined. "Love your neighbor as yourself" is golden for everyone, religious or not.

StAnn

I agree with Parakeet. Sometimes the best thing is to teach him that it's more important to do the right thing because it's the right thing, rather than to participate in something you don't believe in just to fit in.

That's a hard lesson when you're 8 but it's a good one to learn.

StAnn

I quit!

There are plenty of things you can do without believing in them. Lots of people celebrate Christmas and Easter without being a Christian or a pagan. To them it is just part of the culture they have been raised in. As for creating a kind of anti-ceremony it is one thing to believe that what a particular religious group teaches is silly but it would be another thing to go out of your way to create an event to mock something you don't believe in or do something that could be interpeted that way. Not a good way to teach children to respect other people.

ninja

I like to annoy my kids so.........I would tell him there was a comet passing by the earth on his birthday.....and to celebrate ...I am going to buy him a new pair of nike trainers,a purple shroud and armbands with "the away team" emblazoned on them.........phenobarbitol cocktail anyone?...he he

cheers mormon dude...good to see ya on here again

ninja applewhite

OUTLAW

We make Pinyatas of Ted Jaracz..And ..Beat it with sticks until we get candy..............................LOL!!...OUTLAW

Rites of Passage -Ex JW style

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