I took my TBM nephew shopping to pick out a birthday gift. He just turned 7. I asked him if he was still saving up his money to buy a Nintendo Switch. His response, "Well I was, but not anymore. Now I'm saving all my money for a mission! I want to save enough to do 9 missions!" I was kind of shocked...we spent about 2 hours with him and he spouted off with great zeal about going on a mission the whole time! WTF I'm thinking the next time I see him and he goes on about a mission, I might ask him what exactly does he think a mission is? I truly wonder if he has any idea.

Also, knowing that my daughter (his cousin) just turned that infamous age of 8, he randomly spouts off that "in church you get baptized when you're 8, so bluebutterfly'sdaughter should come to church and get baptized!"

It was just me, him, and my kids. He is already this zealous about Mormonism when not in the presence of his parents. It doesn't help that he now goes to a Charter school started by BYU grads that is uber popular/trendy among the TBMs around here. I know they are not allowed to teach religion, but it is an entire school of MOSTLY TBM brainwashed children.

My heart ached for his innocence today. :-( Oh, and I firmly vow to not attend his baptism next year. I am to the point of refusal to step into an LDS chapel (or support anything Mormon), if not for any reason but a funeral.

Yes, very sad. Hopefully the teenage years will change all of that. They very often do.

In time growing out of this stage might mean he'll start using his brain and not reacting to pressure so much. At least we can hope.

I have never heard a kid go on like that about going on a mission. I think your nephew is an outlier. Nine missions? That is simultaneously horrifying and hilarious.

Charter schools are not allowed to teach religion? Serious question. I thought it was allowed. I know kids in Lutheran and Catholic schools here in SLC that certainly get religious instruction as part of the school program.

Brother Of Jerry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Charter schools are not allowed to teach religion?
> Serious question. I thought it was allowed. I know
> kids in Lutheran and Catholic schools here in SLC
> that certainly get religious instruction as part
> of the school program.

Charter schools are public schools funded by taxes. They operate under "charters" from regular school districts, counties, or states. They must be open to everyone in the community, can't discriminate, etc. They are just free from the bureaucracies and regulations that govern schools directly operated by regular school districts. Because they are funded by taxes, it is unconstitutional for them to teach (i.e. "establish") religion.

Catholic or Lutheran (or Jewish, or Buddhist, or christian) or other "sectarian schools" cannot be funded by public tax money. They can select whom they want to attend and teach, pretty much, what they want.

Here's what I found on the CA Dept of Education website:

Q.5. May a charter school offer, provide, or teach religious curricula? If it does, is the school still eligible for apportionment?
Charter schools and non charter schools may teach about religion, but may not teach a sectarian curriculum. EC Section 47605(d)

https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cs/re/qandasec4mar04.asp#q5


So no, they cannot teach about missions during school, but what gets talked about on the playground...that's another story (LOL). ;-)
And no...I've never seen a child talk so incessantly about going on a mission either! The weird thing is that he is new to this school and he wasn't like this before. He's just inundated with other morgbots allll day. I feel bad for the few kids that go there that aren't Mormon. But then again, their parents should have known better.

Yes, that makes me sick, too. To debate with my TBM daughter and SIL about their Mormon-raised kids is a loosing battle. I found out the hard way. The Mormons turn it into a battle, and they play dirty, and they always have to win. I have a great relationship with the Mormons in my family--as long as I keep quiet! I can not even mention religion.

Yet...I see no reason why you can't bring up other subjects. Tell your grandchildren about your own life experiences. For example, did you go to college, did you save money to buy a car, did you travel, did you take lessons to become proficient in something, did you play sports, did you have a job you liked, what about your career, what did you do in the summers? Suggest that your nephew could do many wonderful things in his life! Open doors of possibilities for him! That poor kid has been so LIMITED

That's all I can do for my own grandchildren. I like to read to them, and get them thinking. I love to LISTEN to what they have to say. (Although, they never talk about church to me.) They are naturally curious, and love science. I do wonder what charter schools teach about science, in general, and about evolution.

Teach them MORE, give them MORE to dream about. My grandson wants to be a fireman, for God's sake--what ever happened to dreams like that? He also wants to play soccer, and get a soccer scholarship to a university, like his father did. His father also went on a mission, and he's the ward clerk, but his education, career, skiing, coaching, riding bicycles, etc. overrides the church stuff.

You have probably been doing things like this with your own children. Invite your nephew to join you, once in a while! In answer to his "invitation" to your 8-year-old daughter, reply, "Well, we're going to the dinosaur museum/on a family hike/whatever this Saturday, come with us!"

Mormons need "balance." You can provide opportunities, and perspective, without mentioning church at all. I ignore Mormonism, and treat it like it has nothing to do with our life. It has nothing to do with what we are doing. It has no place in our relationships with others.

I'm ashamed at my own childhood zeal, though it was not as extreme. Did you read about Russel Nelson smashing all of his (non-Mormon) parents' bottles of liquor? The cult encourages this neo-Nazi-type fanaticism. Your little nephew enjoys pleasing the Mormons. You can encourage him to please you and your kids, as well, but in different ways. There is hope for him! He's lucky to have you.

I agree, kids like playing cops and robbers, cowboys and injuns. I would say try introducing him to other paradigms. maybe army toys, or space toys? then there's also the world of magic and harry potter stuff.

A lot of young people who get out ,were die hard when they were young and not understanding what they were talking about.
He has a chance, especially how the church is turning now.
He’ll hopefully hear a lot of other young people complain about the church when they’re among themselves and away from their parents ears.

Very true...
It's just that he sounds like a robot repeating a script. It was kinda creepy! It also reminded me of being a BIC child myself and we were taught that either you went to OUR church, or you were bad. That brainwashing during my formative years was brutal and messed me up for good. I did make it out alive, though. I've resigned, my husband is a nevermo, so none of our kids are Mo.
:-D

Some kids are just mean. Some have already learned about power and how to be unkind towards others. I'm not saying that your nephew is a bully, but he seems to be stuck on the idea that all children have to be baptized.

I still remember going to church at that age. I recall some of the lessons that were about being kind and loving one others. Then I remember the times that right after the lesson I was pushed into the bushes (outside) and got my pants and shoes muddy; which led to spankings at and after church.

I also recall being teased about things that I couldn't change; such as being called stupid by my peers because I didn't know how to do long division as a six year old. I was made fun over my lack of aesthetics; I was missing teeth and usually sick with a runny nose. Primary teachers thought that children making fun of other children was a good thing because it built character.

Knowing he would be baptized next year, I knew he would start blabbing about it a lot. I need to have a response prepared for him for the next time he says that my daughter should be baptized because she just turned 8.
I think my parents finally know I will bite their heads off if they mention baptism, so maybe this is their conniving way of trying to get to my kids...via a cousin. He (and his family) does live with my ultra TBM parents. They are super manipulative, too.

If you see all of the above and think about all the "young people" resignations and non attendance the old saying what goes about comes about might apply

I have long thought that, as with sex education, there should be a minimum age limit. Children are not intellectually, emotionally or culturally equipped to consider the weird things which are put into their heads (and were put into mine too) about religion. Wait until they're up to making an informed choice.

Of course, religionists wouldn't like it because it would raise the drop-out rate, but I don't think brainwashing unsuspecting kids is morally defensible.

Tom in Paris

A lot can happen in 11 years, a horse may learn to talk, to paraphrase the Bard.
If indoctrination always worked no one would leave the church.

I'd say give this a little time and see how the kid develops.

Without saying anything negative against Mormonism, you may still be able to throw in a wrench by asking quite innocent but pointed questions every so often.

You just have to do it carefully and gently over the years and avoid direct confrontations.
Good luck.

Every time I see those primary programs where they have the brainwashed kiddies go up to the microphone and say their memorized lines, it makes me so sick to my stomach I feel like my bowels are going to let go and I'm going to soil myself.

Man. Don't miss going to church at all. Between the open mic freak show called Fast and Testimony Meeting and the brainwashed zombie primary kid's show and all the other crap, man. Thank God I ran. I ran far away from all that.

I was extremely religious when I was young. By my early teens I was questioning and stopped going when I started college. He may well do the same. The amount of religiosity exhibited by a seven year old doesn't necessarily last.
I also disagree with suggestions that you interfer in your nephew's religious training. You wouldn't like it if your siblings tried to get your kids to church. It is the same thing and could result in you having minimal contact with the child.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2019 06:08PM by bona dea.

Your TBM 7 year old nephew should spend the day with the missionaries to see for himself how meaningless and boring a mission is. He can help the missionaries pull weeds for a while and then help someone move. After that he can wander the streets, looking for people to annoy but mostly just walk up and down the street killing time without talking to anyone. Hopefully the kid will see how turned off people are by missionaries. After a day of missionary work, perhaps the boy will start thinking about saving for a car instead of a mission.

Hey that's a good idea! LOL Somehow they seem to successfully glamorize missions to children so much that they are begging to go! So weird!