I am divorced from my children's father. Their father pretends to be TBM and drags them to church whenever he can. (After all they do pay his rent and give him food each month!)

I am thankful that the church's policy requires BOTH parents to agree to baptism (2 of mine are now eligible) and it AIN'T happening!

My 10-year-old is very bright and I can speak plainly to him. So, yesterday, after searching for a while, he emerged from his room and exclaimed, "Thank God I finally found my Nintendo game!"

I then asked my son if he thought that GOD really did help him find his Nintendo game or was it his perseverance in looking for it that actually did the trick. He paused and said, "I don't know. (He continued) How come some church members say that God helps them find things?"

He then told me that brother XXXX told the ward that he was running late getting to work for a very important meeting. Brother XXXX prayed because he could not locate his briefcase. Within minutes...yep, there appears said briefcase (no doubt where the lunkhead left it the night before).

I reminded my son of the devastation that we had seen regarding the recent disaster in the Philippines. When we watched that, he seemed particularly concerned for the video footage showing small children ALONE climbing on top of rubble. He asked me, "Is anyone going to help those little kids -- where are their parents?" [We had a discussion about this topic.]

So, back to the finding of the Nintendo game. My son is highly motivated by money. He is also a musician and loves to act and tell jokes...so I gave him a challenge.

I told him that I would give him $5.00 dollars if he would get up in the next F&T meeting and tell how GOD helped him find his Nintendo game and then he has to add: "But I don't understand why God would help me find my game, but would allow so many people in the Philippines to die! ~Amen

He actually joked..."Mom, for $5.00, I would get up there and call the bishop an A-hole!" I asked him to simply stick with the original plan.

Lol...well hey, I got another five bucks for him.

LOL!

I'll throw in an additional $5.

He also thinks the bishop is an a-hole (this kid calls 'em as he sees 'em!!)! There cannot be a place hot enough in HELL for that bishop!

Heh heh. Let us know how it goes.

Yes, please return and report.

this story makes me very uncomfortable

I feel sorry for the kid who gets dragged along to morg-meet by his dad
and I agree that you should discuss rationality with him

but ....meh..... it just sounds so tacky

Lighten up.

That's funny stuff.

Tacky? The kid is simply asking an honest question. Why is that tacky? I would like to know the answer to that also.

It's also tacky and quite frankly disrespectful to bribe a kid to talk about his open atheism behind the pulpit. That's just opening a can of worms the kid quite frankly doesn't need at this point in life.

Its just a question, and a very worthwhile one at that.

what happens, OK?

If you could have someone covertly record this on their phone and then put it on YouTube I'm sure you'd get your five bucks back from more than one member of this crowd. If he added the a-hole thing you might get enough to pay for the kid's Christmas.

You're teaching your son that critical thinking has value. Good for you!

I read the "tacky" comment and I do understand your point of view, but I do NOT agree with it.

I do NOT, for one moment, want my children to join the CULT mentality.

I know what my boy can handle (despite my terrible typing skills) -- I am very well educated in child psychology. If I thought for one moment that I was -- in any way -- harming him...I would never have these conversations.

I agree very much with what DONBAGLEY writes, "I am teaching my boys to be critical thinkers!"

We even discuss commercials that use "weasel" words like..."This product MAY HELP...blah,blah." I ask them, "Is this for certain or is it a maybe?" Even my 6-year-old can answer these questions....

I'd be inclined to agree with the "tacky" comments if the child was there of his own free will. Since he's not, fire away.

Bingo!

Out of the mouth of babes...

Amazing what kids will do for $5. I shot a woodchuck that was terrorizing my garden. I told my 8 year old daughter i'd give her $5 to bury it. She did.

She told her friend about it a couple weeks later. Her friend didn't believe her so she went out and dug it up to prove it! They were pretty disgusted how bad it smelled. lol

My son is NOT there (attending he LDS church meetings) of his own free will. He is forced there by his father.

I thank you (so very much) for acknowledging that there is a difference between WANTING to participant and HATING going to church!!

Isn't it tacky for the top 15 to say you have to pay 10% tithing on your gross earnings in order to be able to have the saving Temple ordinances to sail onwards and upwards to the CK?

Those 15 have perfected the money making machine.

It's time for this 10 year old to learn how to create his own money making machine.

Record the event. Video and Audio. Put it on youtube. Put a link for folks to donate to his college fund.

Watch the $$$ roll in from RFM viewers.

Now you've taught the kid to be honest with his questions. To be a critical thinker. And the reward is $$$ from all of us.

I like it.

ETA: It would go viral. 1,000,000 hits at $5 bucks a pop.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/2013 05:43PM by jiminycricket.

For the record, the cult does not require both parents' permission to baptise. Just the custodial parent. And in a pinch, they would probably do it with permission from the parent with legal, but not physical, custody, as long as the divorce decree doesn't specify which parent gets to make religious decisions.

I have FULL and SOLE authority (custody) to make ALL decisions; medical, educational, etc.....

In my divorce decree (some of you may remember) is the clause that NONE OF MY NCHIDREN ARE TO BE PRIVATELY INTERVIEWED BY ANY MEMBER OF THE LDS CHURCH. IN ADDITION, (IT READS) NO ONE IN THE LDS CHURCH IS ALLOWED TO ASK THEM ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING MASTERBATION OR MORALITY!

[A most gracious member of the high council came to court with me and explained to the judge that this might actually happen!!!]

I am not playing here!

Good for you and your kids!

I love this post. Wish I could've been as smart as your kid at 20!

By the way, I think the whole church is tacky. And since when does asking honest pointed questions make one an Atheist? Oh, that's right, he was using logic, my bad.

And like the others are requesting, if he does it, you've got to update us. That is just precious.

You do realise that in all likelihood you have another motive, too?

You will be able to put one over on your ex-husband. By using your child as the delivery mechanism.

Is that why parents have children?

I do not NEED to tell my children what a SOB their father is...he continues to prove it to them by his actions!

As they get older, they will decide and map out what type of relationship they each want with their father. I will do my very best NOT to interfere with those relationships...but, I am not perfect!

THIS ISSUE (my post) is about educating my children to think for themselves. Until you wrote your post, it did not even dawn on me as to the connection to my son's father.

I have training as a counsellor, so sometimes can spot cues. ;o))

The thing is, you need to step back a little in this one point, only.

Your husband is a SOB, you need to be 100% 'squeaky clean' to ensure your children can tell the difference between a SOB and a nice, caring, considerate person, which is you.

I will be on heightened awareness for this particular subject and I am always trying to be teachable.

Thank you, again, for your comments (and kind words!).

~Chris

Many children who received religious instruction, not just Mormons, think God will help them in various situations. Questioning that idea is good for all children.

Please report back! Your son may be lost in a pile of five dollar bills!

I have a feeling that my son will never WANT for a $5.00 bill!

Smart kid. I'm in for $5.