by leavingwt 49 Replies latest jw friends
not sure which bizarre stoned world you live in.
Excuse me?
You have absolutely no idea what I see and what I don't see.
But hey I get it . . . you're only here for a week so no restraint required eh?
I've met your type more than once sonny . . . how old are you anyway?
L Lee . . . please check your PM's
Jesus did not commission little children.
Au contrare, dear one (again, peace to you!). MANY were called and chosen as children. After his presence in the flesh, and certainly before (i.e., Moses, Samuel, David, Josiah, Daniel, Hanaiah, Azariah, Mishael, Jeremiah... heck, John the Baptist was still in his mother's womb)...
His core followers were adult men and women.
Now, just how would you know that? Because none seemed to have been mentioned by name?
"Then people brought little children to [Jesus] for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. [Jesus] said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there."
"[Jesus], knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me;"
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord..."
A whole lot of folks weren't mentioned by name, dear one. At one point he sent out 70. Do you know their names and ages? How about the 72? Do you know if their children went with them? Obviously, from the first verse above, there were some children who followed my Lord, to the extent their age would let them. They may not have literally travelled with him... or, they actually may have and were just not written about (especially considering how the Apostles/disciples apparently felt about children...).
Apparently, just, according to Jewish law.
That's a false teaching, actually... because the only one who had to keep the Law... was my Lord. Apparently, the disciples TRIED to control this, but failed. Just as they did as to women, Samaritans, and the nations in general.
I don't want a child like faith. God gave me a brain and other skills to use in his service.
Interesting. Because childlike faith is what Christ requires (and you profess to be a christian). But it isn't your brains and skills that are to BE childlike, dear one. It is your FAITH. Childlike FAITH... coupled with VERY "adult" brains... and skills.
Again, peace to you!
YOUR servant and a slave of Christ,
SA
Why would child like faith be a virtue?
It is one of my biggest problems with christianity that it infantilises its followers.
I think most don't understand what childlike faith actually means, dear Cofty (peace to you!). And given religion/christianity's teachings and examples, no wonder. It is NOT blind faith. Nor is it unreasonable faith. It is childLIKE... in that it doesn't try to undermine simply because it cannot RECEIVE that which is actually quite simple. Let me give you an example:
Ask a 5-year old "What color is the sky?" She is going to look up and then tell you "It's blue" (or maybe, "gray").
Ask a 35-year-old what color the sky is, however, and you most probably get, "Well, let's see: over there it's pastel blue, but over there it's a little gray because there are some cirrus clouds... but over THERE it's actually white... wait, no... gray... well, silver, actually... because there's a few cumulus clouds... but if you're asking about the sky over THERE, well, it's kinda pinkish... no, rose-ish... no, wait... it's actually sort of an orangey-purple because of the way the sun's hitting it. Oh, wait, are you talking about the sky here in California? Or the sky in New York? Or did you mean the sky right now during PST... or the sky over Sydney, Australia. 'Cause you know, the sky isn't really ever one color, actually. I mean, I know some say it's 'blue', but really is many shades of blue, if it's actually blue at the time. Do you know what the sky is made of?"... and so on and so on.
The point? For a child, it's SIMPLE. And thus, childlike FAITH... is simple. It's not complicated, rocket science, or quantum physics. Unlike those very "adult" topics, it is JUST THE OPPOSITE. One does not have to solve the mysteries of the universe to know God - one only needs to know GOD... to solve the mysteries of the universe.
I hope that helps and, again, peace to you!
A slave of Christ,
SA
Thank you for your answer, it helps in understanding your position but it only reinforces my negative feelings about faith.
Sizemilk, I sent you a PM.
As well as what Shelby said (peace to you) I also thought that 'childlike' faith indicated a willingness to listen and to learn. Sometimes adults are just concerned with being right, and are soooo certain, that they might miss when they're wrong. (blind) Whereas a child is interested in learning the truth more than thinking about being right or wrong.
(teenagers do not count, btw... they are in a category of their own! Or actually, maybe they're in the same category as two/three year olds... since both are good at not listening, lol, though all in an effort to separate their identities from their parents)
Peace,
Tammy
Child like faith to me is faith based on love.
No faith based on self-interest.
My little ones have faith in me because they know that Ilove them and everything I do, I do for them because of that love, from that love.
Sure they still argue and try to get their way, LOL!, but that has nothing to do with their faith in Me, a faith based on mine and their love.
You're quite welcome, dear Cofty (peace to you!), and thank you both, dear tec and PSacto (peace to you, both, as well!). Your explanations are awesome... and accurate!
Peace!
A slave of Christ,
SA
