by Terry 213 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Annanias asserts :
Terry, your question begins with an incorrect assumption. You apparently believe that fantasy is something that is put into a person's mind. This is simply not true. Fantasy, along with imagination, curiosity, language come pre-wired into the human brain.
Oh, really?
And you say that.....because?
We didn't put the fantasy into Danny's mind.....................he made it up himself.
Or..............maybe he really saw people. And a dog!
Yeah, children shouldn't play "let's pretend" either because that teaches them they can escape reality (or, as Terry would put it, REALITY) any time they want to. Hell, children shouldn't play at all. It's just not logical, right Terry?
When a Jehovah's Witness comes peddling a "better" fantasy that avoids Hell and provides a Paradise Solution to all life's problems---well, who wouldn't buy such a tale?
Pepole who lead examined lives would not buy such a tale.
I assert that by filling little children full of fantasy and fiction from their very start we are poisoning their capacity to tolerate REALITY. Fantasy tastes better. It is a sugar-coated world.
I agree.
I teach my kids the importance of understanding and seperating the things we know from the things we believe. As somone once said it's not what we don't know that hurts us it's what we know that's not true.
For everybody who has posted so far........
I have 7 children. I have reared them in 3 batches.
The first batch was three kids, Laura, Jason and Vanessa
The second batch was Terry Jr.
The third batch I'm rearing with my wife now, Nicholas, Lillian and Helena.
As I grew emotionally and intellectually over my life I've tried different approaches to child rearing. I've had the long term advantage of seeing things that work for them and things that disadvantage them
The first three kids I reared according to JW ideas mostly hate religion as a result of how stupid those restrictions were. The arbitrary aspect was insulting to them. The fantasy of God and the Devil having a bar bet and all humans being the game that decides it---infuriated them.
My second son, Terry Jr. was raised as a traditional child with Christmas, Easter, etc and boatload of fantasy.
This current squad of widdle ones are reared with only true statements about fantasy. They are given fairy tales and Christmas and Easter with a CLEAR MESSEGE of which things are make-believe. They seem to really enjoy the pretending and the atmosphere of holidays. But, they are also vocal and grateful that we didn't "fool" them like other parents.
The word "fool" is their word. We never presented it as a parent "fooling" a child. That was their collective assesment.
They do see other children buying in 100% to things that make no sense to them. They are baffled how how gullible other kids are about all sorts of things.
Is that bad?
Other kids seem ready to grow up and believe conspiracy theories, UFO kidnappings, Area 54 aliens crashes, Elvis sightings, Bigfoot photos, paranormal occurances, superstitious fixations of charms, tokens, spells, etc
Teaching kids that some people TRY to fool them and giving them the skeptical skills to investigate properly is a proper parenting strategy. It never hurts to know how to find out what is true from research.
Just simply knowing when somebody is telling you the truth is always an advantage.
You see, when you don't tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth....you are concealing information. You are witholding evidence. You never know what fact is going to be important to another person's decision making skills!
Grown-ups like full disclosure when they buy something or when they take a medicine or close a deal. Ask yourself why?
Knowledge is power.
Why withold the power of deciding on facts from your own kids?
Children can enjoy stories, books, movies and make-believe without plunging in with a distorted sense of what is real.
Don't cheat children by hiding true facts; it isn't kind, it isn't honest and it smacks of hubris.
That's just my opinion; but, so far--I'm sticking to it.
I am flabbergasted and amazed that so many people insist it is okay to teach children things that are not true. The true matter is this. There is no real Santa! That is a fact.
Then who is that man dressed in red with the long white beard that hangs out at the mall during Christmas season?
I personally enjoy the whole "Santa" fantasy, as well as many others, with my own children. I think their is a big difference between childhood fantasies and religious fear tactics.
Teach children THE DIFFERENCE between fantasy and truth.Wouldn't it just be better to know the difference between what we teach our children concerning what may be innocent fantasy and the cruel reality of truth? Afterall, there is alot of truth out in the world that I am just not ready for my young children to see. Where do you suppose we draw the line?
LOGAN'S RUN extolls:Yeah, children shouldn't play "let's pretend" either because that teaches them they can escape reality (or, as Terry would put it, REALITY) any time they want to. Hell, children shouldn't play at all. It's just not logical, right Terry?
Oh brother!
Other kids seem ready to grow up and believe conspiracy theories, UFO kidnappings, Area 54 aliens crashes, Elvis sightings, Bigfoot photos, paranormal occurances, superstitious fixations of charms, tokens, spells, etc
Now that is an interesting point to ponder. Good one, Terry.
Although, I grew up not believing in Santa, and thinking I really knew the "real truth" of things, and I tend to get sucked into conspiracy theories and paranormal things. UFO's, Elvis ............mmmm, no. I am pretty gullible................my kids get me all the time.
I personally enjoy the whole "Santa" fantasy, as well as many others, with my own children. I think their is a big difference between childhood fantasies and religious fear tactics.
I think his point is that if you teach children these fanciful stories at a young age, that they are more apt to believe more mature fantasies (conspiracy theories, UFO kidnappings, Area 54 aliens crashes, Elvis sightings, Bigfoot photos, paranormal occurances, superstitious fixations of charms, tokens, spells, etc) as adults. I find this a very interesting hypothesis.
Terry... am I the only one who noticed that you completely changed horses midstream?
You started out by objecting, not just to fiction presented as fact, but to "cartoons, science fiction and make-believe".
Now, you've narrowed your claim to pointing out that children should understand the difference between fiction and fact. It's not fair for you to start out with a wild claim that impeaches all the standard fare of children as "poison", and then back down without any acknowledgment or apology to all the parents you insulted.
