A British judge rules that mother can’t indoctrinate son with religion

Posted on 2015/06/01 by Belgian Biblestudents - Belgische Bijbelstudenten

A problem may arise when civil courts come to intrude with the upbringing of children about what to believe or what not to believe. But in the case of the JW mother judged about the upbringing of her son it has more to do with bringing up the child with discriminative ideas. Discrimination does not suits our civil society. All children should have the right to have contact with both parents whatever faith they may have.

All children also should not only learn about learning about mainstream Christianity or Christendom, but also about all other sorts of believes (atheism, Buddhism, Hinduism , shamanism, etc.). All children should learn that in this world there are different opinions and that every one should have respect for the different beliefs of others.

Though our society should also allow parents to bring their children into those communities they like to bring their children in, as long as they are not damaging the child. Kingdom halls are not a damaging environment. They are even less damaging than what can often be seen on television.

Taking a child away from the mother and the father is not at all a good idea and is not at all helping the child plus giving wrong signals to society in general.

As the writer of the article rightly says:

“Truly enlightened parents either tell kids to investigate different religions on their own, or help them do so without promoting one over the others. “

In several countries, like in Belgium ethical and religious education is part of the education program, giving all children the opportunity to learn about all sorts of religions, humanitarian and atheist visions. States should help the weaker ones, children, to receive an unbiased education, free from brainwashing and making the pupils strong enough to detect such forms which limit the right to think freely and to detect discriminating thoughts even by their own parents.

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Why Evolution Is True

Perhaps the statement from a New Atheist that most angers believers (or faitheists) is Richard Dawkins’s characterization of religious indoctrination of children as “child abuse.” Yes, them’s strong words, but there’s something to be said for their truth. Of course it depends on the religion, but nearly all forms of parental teaching about religion abuse the intellectual curiosity of kids by taking advantage of their natural credulity. If you’re a Christian, you teach your kids stuff that is regarded by Muslims as not only false, but worthy of death. If you’re a Christian Scientist, you teach them to reject scientific medicine, a decision that can ultimately harm or even kill them. Further, religions can instill in children horrible feelings of guilt (ask an ex-Catholic), fear of hell, and a moral code that is bigoted, irrational, and hateful.

I don’t know how to remedy this problem, because clearly the state doesn’t want to…

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An anarchistic reading of the Bible—(1) Approaching the Bible

Posted on 2015/02/22 by Marcus Ampe

As human beings we do have to make a lot of choices in our life. the first one is who we want to follow and trust. First of all those we consider our parents, but next we can see many human persons asking for our attention. People have written loads of books, but none of them can really compete with a master-work which has different styles of literature bundled together to offer us a lot of knowledge and advice for life.

Many do ignore it and neglect what it can bring to them.

Believer or not a believer in the Most High Divine Creator of all things, that book which Christians consider to be the infallible Word of God, has a lot of knowledge, wisdom and idioms we should look at, in it.

The Bible actually presents itself as a very non-authoritarian collection of writings. It never pushes its ideas on others, contrary it tells itself that people are free to take it or leave it. It gives us one of those choices in life about which it speaks thoroughly. It let us see what happens if we go through life without seeing the many opportunities, without making use of the different choices laid in front of us.

The Best Seller of all times does not demand that we follow this or that rule or saying but it presents openly the different possibilities, the many choices we can make in our life and tells us also what the consequences are of our choices made freely or deliberately.

One of the difficulties of the Book of books is that in some way it can not be taken up passively. It is impossible to read or to go though it without having questions posed to yourself.
This amalgamation of works from the very old times is still accurate and actual, an authority that requires the participation of the reader — and, actually, the participation of many readers.

That it has certain powers can be seen throughout history. Many people tried to destroy it but never succeeded. Lots of people tried to break it down and bagatelle it, but did not succeed and even several negative people reversed their standpoint and became a believer in God, became Jew, Christian or Muslim.

This collection of books, as no other, can transform people. It has so much power, never seen by any other peace of literature or any written work of human beings.
Yes “Its power on its own terms—different from the power that comes from being expropriated by human authoritarian institutions — is power than empowers the reader. It is not power that lends itself to being concentrated in top-down structures but the power that enhances diversity and decentralization.”
The book of books breaths the Power of a much more higher Supreme Being, that surpasses all modern technology and human knowledge.

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To look at:

How the Bible works as an authority is a complicated and contested issue.

approach Bible as source of absolute truths that simply need to be heard and followed

“the house of authority” => three authoritative presences:

Bible revealed truth from God, official doctrinal statements (creeds, confessions, etc.)

Bible actually presents itself as a very non-authoritarian collection of writings.

pick up Bible and read from it =>one will be struck by what we could call an epistemological humility.

Bible makes few claims for its own truthfulness.

gives us a bunch of stories that upon reading together, numerous times, does seem to have a kind of coherence

Bible’s message is invitational. The reader can choose to enter the story or not.

The characters in the Bible are quite human— sometimes strikingly so.

an on-going conversation within the Bible where different points of view challenge each other.

Beyond the internal dynamics that humanize the Bible and present a non-authoritarian kind of authority, we need also to recognize that the humanness of the text for us is reinforced by the fact that what we have in our English Bibles are translations made by human beings from ancient languages that at best provide us with what has been called “dynamic equivalence” where the translators can do no better than approximate the meanings of the original.

authority of the Bible =anarchistic = requires participation of the reader

Its power on its own terms = empowers the reader = enhances diversity and decentralization.

reader of the Bible, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, may read the Bible and find direction from it for oneself

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Find additionally: Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #5 To meditate and Transform

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The Bibles we use emerge from two distinct ancient communities. The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) comes from the history, people, and traditions of ancient Israel. The text of the New Testament first originates in the early Christian church. When I say, “the Bible is the product of well-intentioned human beings”, I’m not denying the existence of God. Nor am I disputing the idea that God inspired humanity to do certain things then record those events for posterity. I am saying the Bible isn’t a divinely created product in the way Islam regards the Quran. The Bible is a collection of many different types of writing (politics, history, theology, poetry, genealogy) which tell the history of how people understood their relationship with God. Fallible people wrote our holy book. God didn’t write or dictate words to a scribe. There are contradictions and errors throughout the Bible. Once we realize that God works within our mistakes, we can read scripture with fresh eyes.

Think Einstein believed in God? You probably haven’t read this letter he wrote in 1954 (deadstate.org)
Some religious figureheads such as Ray Comfort claim that Einstein believed in some form of God and acknowledged a higher power’s presence.

“Although he clearly didn’t believe in a personal God [like the one in Christianity],” Ray Comfort says in his book Einstein, God, and the Bible.

“Einstein wrote that he wanted to know ‘His’ thoughts, referred to God as ‘He,’ and acknowledged that He revealed ‘Himself.’”

But in contrast, vocal atheist

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On their Facebook page, the Jundiaí School of the Bible wrote Feb. 10 about our new book, Cristianismo Original (=Original Christianity), by Joel Stephen Williams

Did Plato influence the Book of Genesis? (lionoftheblogosphere.wordpress.com)
Now the belief among Orthodox Jews is that the book of Genesis is very old, but as the web page points out, there are no outside historically dated references to the book of Genesis until the second century B.C., which is two hundred years after the founding of Plato’s Academy. This all fits in with a general pattern I’ve pointed out before that Judaism isn’t as old as people think it is.

Thus it’s likely that Genesis was not influenced by God dictating Genesis to Moses (who probably never existed as a real person), but rather by the scientific research and philosophy of Aristotle, Plato, and other ancient Greeks scholars.

A Unification of Creation and Evolution (robertjrgraham.com)
When people say that “god created the heavans and the earth in six days and on the seventh he rested”, who can say how long one of god’s days is. Why are we so egotistical as to believe that his day is the same as our’s. We don’t know god (Most of us who believe in god do so because we want to not because we have proof.) but if there is a god why can’t his, her or it’s day be a thousand or a million or even several billion of our years.

Chapter 2, verse 7 of the book of Genises states “then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” It does not state how long this took or what form the being we call man originally took. God’s image can be many things. We have no way of knowing. Additionally, although the bible is supposed to be the word of god, it was written by humans and therefore subject to human interpretation.

Big Brother has a lot to offer (georgehach.wordpress.com)
We all have a big brother who would like to help us have a better quality of life. His name is Jesus. He inspired 4 books in the Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They will give you great insight into how to live better.

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God doesn’t need us in any way, shape, or form. God would still be God if no human being ever worshiped Him.

I do, however, believe that human beings (and all of creation for that matter) were created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. As John Piper would put it “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.”

God cares about what we think about him because:

God is worthy of worship

God loves us and knows that there is no lasting joy, fulfillment, or life apart from Him.

God loves us and knows that apart from His love there is only wrath, destruction, and death.

Zionists Have Used Evangelical Christianity To Cheat Christianity (thetotalcollapse.com)
It’s no coincidence that the rise of Zionism, that is: the impulse of the Jews to seek a homeland for themselves, began not long before the Scofield Reference Bible was published. In the late 1800’s, England is where Zionism first found political support. England was already awash with the erroneous “Christian” doctrine of British-Israelism, wherein the British Christians were taught that they were of the lost tribes of Israel; therefore they should support the Zionist Jews venture to create a Jewish state: Israel.

Thinking Pacifism

Ted Grimsrud—January 25, 2015

[This post is a continuation of the conversation about anarchism that I have started in this blog in months past—the most recent post was “More thinking about an ‘anarchistic’ Christianity” on December 15, 2014. It’s an introduction to a series of seven or eight posts that give a quick survey of some anarchistically-inclined dynamics in the Bible.]

I have become motivated to pursue, as a thought experiment, an anarchistic reading of the Bible, for several reasons. For quite some time, probably going back to my discovery of Christian pacifism now nearly 40 years ago, I have found the Bible to be a great resource for thinking politically. However, it has been rather difficult to find connecting points between biblical politics and our current political landscape. I don’t find attempts to link biblical politics with liberal democracy all that attractive; likewise with Marxism. Yet, I also am…

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Words to inspire and to give wisdom

Posted on 2014/03/28 by Marcus Ampe

On the net we can find lots of words. They may have been written to inform us or to tell us stories. Lots of things are said on the internet. It is a world full of fantasies and full of things to bring people away from the truth.

Though in the wood of writings we are able to find also very interesting writings. Those we should use and not let them lay untouched. On this site we also want to offer words people could use to continue their life, perhaps in an other way. We do want to give inspiration and we would love to get people to think and reason.

The Aleppo Codex is a medieval manuscript of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), associated with Rabbi Aaron Ben Asher. The Masoretic scholars wrote it in the early 10th century, probably in Tiberias, Israel. It is in book form and contains the vowel points and grammar points (nikkudot) that specify the pronunciation of the ancient Hebrew letters to preserve the chanting tradition. It is perhaps the most historically important Hebrew manuscript in existence. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Those who believe in God and follow the Bible do know the importance of taking words at heart. They know that they should consider all things said. We have been instructed to search everything this world offers. For that reason we also do want to present on this site different ideas, even those which are not according to what we ourselves think. But we want to give “food for thought”.

A very wise man from the past said “Get insight” and talked a lot about how wisdom can also be something we can earn by doing our best to think and to listen to words and by using our words in the right way. “Laying hold” on words which can enrich us and give us wisdom. And that wisdom is a principal thing. Therefore we should try to acquire wisdom. Only by trying to use our brains to search everything we shall be able to get true knowledge, and with all our acquiring, get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7) Today lots of people are more interested to gain material wealth, but the spiritual wealth is so much more important.

“How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! Yea, to get understanding is rather to be chosen than silver.” (Proverbs 16:16 ASV)

Not only do we have the words which comes from people on this earth. We also do have words which comes from a Spirit, above this earth. That Spirit of Jehovah spoke by several people in the past, and His Word was upon many their tongue. (2 Samuel 23:2)

When we grow older we all can speak from our experience. Our parents and educators taught us many things and tried to give us wisdom. It was not by only presenting the pleasant ways and by spoiling us that they let us grow up and learn the necessary things. They made us bear the yoke in our youth, and now we should live to thank them for it.

There is a great temptation to spoil our only child or those we kindly love, a temptation which few are able to resist. Parents can deny themselves everything for their idol, except the pleasure of making the child a despot; they can endure any pain for their despot, except the pain of resisting him and instructing him. And accordingly they have sometimes to experience the shame and anguish of their children’s curses.

Good parents and educators are not those who spoil their children, but who are standing ready to help the children to grow up and to get more wisdom. It are those who want to share their wisdom with others and who want to tell them the tricky things and warn them for the dangers. It are not those who overprotect their children, but those who learn them where dangers looks around the corner. It are those who owes much to their parents and their previous educators, and give them honour. It are those who are eager to acknowledge what they owe.

God has no kinder gift to give us than a hallowed home, the memory of lessons from the lips of father and mother, the early impressions of virtue and wisdom, the sacred streams which rise from that fountainhead, and that alone, and run freshening and singing and broadening all through our lives. (Expositor Bible)

We learn to love, not because we are taught to love, but by some contagious influence of example or by some indescribable attraction of beauty. To come to the greater love we should get to know the Most Precious Giver of Love. He has given the most important Words which can give us the most important “Wisdom”. Those words written down in many books, a set apart or holy Library or Biblia of books we all can find in the bookshop and should get in on our bookshelf at home.

Words have a power all their own (Photo credit: Lynne Hand)

We should give ourselves to those Words of Wisdom, presented in the Bible or Holy Scriptures. We should offer ourselves to be willing to allow the Words of the Bible mould ourselves by heavenly wisdom, so that we shall be able to walk securely. Those Words shall enable us to look at matters of this world with the right eyes. They will give a certain trend to all our thoughts. A certain instinctive desire for righteousness will be engrafted in our nature; and an instinctive aversion will lead us to decline the way of the wicked. (Proverbs 4:14 )

Those Words shall help us to give ourselves, our children, and to those around us, an atmosphere to grow up in; to cultivate their affections, and set their hearts on the things eternal; to make them associate the ideas of wealth and honour, of beauty and glory, not with material possessions, but with the treasures and rewards of Wisdom.

Those who have become grown ups, should know that they still should feel and have the spirit of the child in them, eager to learn. We should keep the attitude of children in us.

First of all we should listen to God His Words. As we read God’s word we must have a child-like attitude to “hear” and then “accept” (the) words” we read and then “we will have treasure in heaven” Jesus told a ruler, adding, “and come,follow me.” [v.18,22] The very last chapter in the Bible, the final message of Jesus, tells us that, when Jesus returns, this treasure will be revealed, for I will be “bringing my reward (or recompense)with me to repay everyone for what he has done” (Revelation 22:12) {Bible Reading Thoughts for March 26th, Hear … Accept my words}

We“hear” by reading what God has caused to be written preserved and translated – the challenge to all of us is to read and then “accept” into our hearts what we read, so that they become a real influence on the principles by which we guide our lives..

Solomon writes (Proverbs ch. 4) “Let your heart hold fast my words” – this is the vital next stage after we accept them. The first verse tells us that these are “a father’s instruction” on what the acceptance of his words should lead to – “Keep my commandments and live” [v.4] “and whatever you get, get insight” [v.7] We must develop inward vision so that we can reflect on what we have accepted, comparing scripture with scripture so that our understanding becomes increasingly greater.

After saying, “Get insight” Solomon adds, “Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honour you, if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown” [v.8,9] ” {Bible Reading Thoughts for March 26th, Hear … Accept my words}

We should know how important it is to keep learning, to keep advancing in thought. As a tree tries to get all the ‘juice of live giving water’ we should know where or Whom is the right Source.

Wisdom is a tree of life to those who lay hold upon her. ”Lay hold” lit means to be strong, to hold fast, and when we consider the tree of life looking forward to eternal life, our minds are taken to Paul’s words, which show this being strong is not passive but active: {Bible Reading Thoughts for March 26th, Hear … Accept my words}

“Fight the good fight of the faith, lay hold on the life eternal, whereunto thou wast called, and didst confess the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12 ASV)

We all have to run hard and fast in this world but even better in the faith. We better seize the eternal life, the life we were called to, the life we so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. We should be running after one that’s gold eternally. (1 Corinthians 9:25) taking the Words of the Supreme Being at heart we should become fearless in our struggle, holding faith and a good conscience. We should lay hold on that for which also we were laid hold on by Christ Jesus, laying up in store for ourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that we may lay hold on the life which is “life” indeed. (Philippians 3:12; 1 Timothy 6:19)

We all should better listen to Solomon and other wise men who wrote in the Book of books. Solomon goes on to write advice to his son,

“Hear, my son, accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her; for she is your life” (Proverbs 4:10-13).

But Solomon’s son Rehoboam, did not listen so as to remember his father’s words, they did not stay in his heart and we read of the tragedy of his lack of wisdom when he succeeded his father in 2 Chronicles 10:8-13 in rejecting wise counsel. This is reflected in Proverbs 1:25,26

“because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you …”.

We see these words as also having a final application in our days as the whole world ignores God’s counsel, despite his word being available in every language! {Today’s thought “My father … he taught me” (March 26)}

Solomon writes in chapter 15,

“3 The eyes of Jehovah are in every place, Keeping watch upon the evil and the good. 4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life; But perverseness therein is a breaking of the spirit. 5 A fool despiseth his father’s correction; But he that regardeth reproof getteth prudence.” (Proverbs 15:3-5 ASV)

Let us heed God’s word!

Words of the Most High. – Page of a rare black-letter Bible, 1497, printed in Strasbourg by Johann Grüninger. The coloured chapter initials were handwritten after printing (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Title page to the ASV (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Devotional on Proverbs 8 (Wisdom) (365devotionals.wordpress.com)
Wisdom is talked about many times in the bible but today we don’t really honour or celebrate wisdom so much. Rather the people who have the most power, most money, who are the most beautiful and talented are celebrated and honoured.Rather than seeking wisdom many seek riches and i also seek and desire riches more than wisdom sometimes. It is constantly in my face, through advertisement and just living in the world in general. But wisdom has this to say “I love all who love me. Those who search for me will surely find me.”
Several quotes about wisdom. (closetoeighty.wordpress.com)
The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom. ~Isaac Asimov
Secrets of Wisdom (peterdavid28.wordpress.com)
Secrets of wisdom have been collected and preserved for you. Solomon, the rich and wise king of Israel, son of beloved David, will teach you to be great in the sight of God and men (Pr 3:1-4; 10:1; 25:1).You stand before an open door of knowledge, prudence, honor, riches, and life, among many other blessings. These are not the mere words of a pagan thinker, whose sayings have long ago been proven false. These are the inspired words of God as learned, proven, and written down by the world’s greatest analyst and philosopher (Eccl 1:12-18; 2:1-12).
March 27: Wisdom= Generosity (pastorpekari.wordpress.com)
Want to know how you’ll use a billion (with a b) dollars? Just take a look at how you use $100, and you’ll know.
Wisdom: Cue Sound Effects! (pastorpekari.wordpress.com)
We usually think of wisdom connected to the mind, but a reading of wisdom literature in the Bible shows that wisdom might not be as much about getting the right answer as it is about living the right way at the right time.
Wisdom by A Schoonbee (christianmotivations.weebly.com)
The bible says that those who walk in wisdom will be successful and live long lives. they will be happy and be blessed. See Proverbs 3:1-18
Wisdom From Above (theresaboudreau.wordpress.com)
Life is a journey that can be difficult at times, as you try to navigate your next steps. In some cases, there are no black & white solutions to your problems or straightforward answers to your questions. You may travel hard roads and encounter gray and foggy days on your venture. What you need is wisdom from above to make the choices and decisions that will ultimately move you forward in the right direction. Wisdom from above is wisdom that can only come from God in Heaven.
Thursday Thoughts: Pattern of a Wise Woman (keeponswimmingblog.wordpress.com)
The Proverbs 31 woman is one example of a woman who feared the Lord and applied that wisdom in everyday life. Just as with many examples, we can learn from them without feeling the pressure to conform to every practical application of the wisdom principles behind each application. Clearly some applications, like her speech being characterized by kindness, is echoed in the New Testament as descriptors of a believer in Jesus Christ.
The Value of Wisdom (2-23-2014) (worshipwithheart.wordpress.com)
Solomon asks for wisdom. Even God acknowledged to Solomon how rare it was for such a request. Would I have made such a request? Or would have I asked for the other things God named that most people would ask for? (Possessions, wealth, honor, a long life.)
A Fool (inspirationalchristiansfortoday.com)
A fool is a person lacking wisdom and common sense. They act imprudently and are easily tricked or deceived. If you wish to avoid the label of simpleton, dunce, blockhead, or imbecile I encourage you to seek out and find someone wise and sit at his or her feet for a while. Soak in their knowledge and try to apply it to your life.

King Solomon had many faults but he did appreciate the value of wisdom and understanding. He had the common sense to ask God for wisdom in order to lead the children of Israel. God blessed this son of King David with a wisdom so great it was known around the world. A fool leading a nation is dangerous and both King Solomon and God wanted a wise and competent ruler.

Importance of parents 2

Posted on 2013/11/04 by Belgian Biblestudents - Belgische Bijbelstudenten

In our ever changing world coming closer to the End of Times, much more things would go wrong and disturb many people. the world evolving to go to the wrong end makes the position of the parents, the guides of the next generations more important.

Parents (Photo credit: leef_smith)

The parents would not be able to escape from the consequences things which happen in the world. It is possible their family would also be tested be what is going on. How can you keep these problems from arising in your family? Clearly, every member of every family needs to learn and to value some principles that rule out abusive and wrong conduct. The best place to find that kind of guidance is in God’s Word, the Bible.

The parents are the once who should take care in the first instance of the children they brought on to this earth and should raise. True Christians realize that the Creator God has provided a manual for the world. It is available for all those who like to know how the world is, what the world can do and how the world is to evolve. The Originator, Creator of all things gave His Guide to the world, with all His principles. Those full instructions are recorded in the Book of books, the Bible. God his Word has not changed, though the world has changed a lot and tried everything to destroy that Word.

God sees every deed we carry out, even those that are hidden to most humans. The Bible says:

“All things are naked and openly exposed to the eyes of him with whom we have an accounting.” (Hebrews 4:13)

“Love,” the Bible tells us, “is a perfect bond of union.” (Colossians 3:14)

As described in the Bible, love is not simply a feeling. It is defined by the way it motivates — by the conduct it prompts and the deeds it forbids. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) By love man and wife should come together and unite to be with child. Making children out of love, they shall have to receive the full love parents can give. In the family, showing love means treating each member with dignity, respect, and kindness. It means living in harmony with God’s view of each family member. God gives each one an honourable and important role.

The parents do have to rip the cover off those frauds in this world and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ. they have to wake up from their sleep they perhaps had previously in this world full of many traditions not according to the Will of God. Uniting man and woman as wife and husband they should try to find the light Christ will show them. They have to watch their steps and use their head. They shall become confronted with many opportunities and will have to make the most of every chance they get.

These are desperate times! Therefore we must be observant and not live carelessly, unthinkingly. Parents have to make sure they understand what the Master wants. The apostle Paul gives advice like not to drink too much wine, which cheapens the parents their life. They better drink the Spirit of God, huge draughts of Him.

Jesus Christ has given the world his good example how to behave. Out of respect for Christ, they should be, like every person who calls himself or herself a Christian, courteously reverent to one another. Wives, should understand and support their husbands in ways that show their support for Christ. The husband who provides leadership to his wife, should do this in the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands. Husbands, should go all out in their love for their wives, exactly as Christ did for the church — a love marked by giving, not getting. As Christ’s love makes the church whole, his love makes also the family to one unit, blessed in his name. His words evoke not only the beauty of the church, the ecclesia or parish, but of every member of the household. Everything Christ did and said was designed to bring the best out of his followers. In the same way parents should, as part of the body of Christ, carry the unselfish love with them, dressing each other in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness.

As the family head, the father is to take the lead in showing love. He understands that a Christian father is not given license to be a tyrant, abusing his power over his wife or children. Rather, he looks to Christ as his example in headship.

²¹ Be in subjection to one another+ in fear of Christ. ²² Let wives be in subjection+ to their husbands as to the Lord, ²³ because a husband is head of his wife+ as the Christ also is head of the congregation,+ he being a savior of [this] body. ²⁴ In fact, as the congregation is in subjection to the Christ, so let wives also be to their husbands in everything.+ ²⁵ Husbands, continue loving YOUR wives,+ just as the Christ also loved the congregation and delivered up himself for it,+ ²⁶ that he might sanctify it,+ cleansing it with the bath of water by means of the word,+ ²⁷ that he might present the congregation to himself in its splendor,+ not having a spot or a wrinkle or any of such things, but that it should be holy and without blemish.+

²⁸ In this way husbands ought to be loving their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself, ²⁹ for no man ever hated his own flesh; but he feeds and cherishes it,+ as the Christ also does the congregation, ³⁰ because we are members of his body.+ (Ephesians 5:21-23- 25-27)

Parents Cerebral Palsy – Children both NO C.P. * Spring 1978 (Photo credit: Whiskeygonebad)

Though parents must be cautious as serpents and yet innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16) should in their wedding flee from the desires incidental to youth and should start pursuing righteousness, faith, love, peace, with the willingness to share everything with their partner and the offspring. (2 Timothy 2:22) They should do nothing out of contentiousness or out of egoistic intentions. In the household nothing may be done through strife or vainglory, but should be done in lowliness of mind letting each esteem the other better than himself. (Philippians 2:3)

So the man must be tender and loving with his wife and patient and gentle with his children. He loyally should protect them and give his all to prevent anything from happening that might rob them of their peace, their innocence, or their sense of trust and safety.

Likewise, the wife and mother has a role of vital importance and dignity. The Bible uses the protective instincts of mothers in the animal kingdom to illustrate how protective Jehovah and Jesus can be.

³⁷ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets+ and stoner+ of those sent forth to her,+—how often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks together under her wings!+ But YOU people did not want it. (Matthew 23:37)

A human mother, bound by law to her husband while he is alive, (Romans 7:2) should likewise be staunchly protective of her children. Lovingly, she is quick to put their safety and well-being ahead of her own. The parents do not allow abuse of power, bullying, or intimidation to enter into their dealings with each other or with their children; nor do they allow their children to use such tactics on one another.

Parents should take the Word of God at heart and should also let their children know that infallible Word. In the Bible they can find the basic principles that can help. Many fathers have found that they and their families benefit when they follow the wisdom found in the Bible.

Surely there are many things parents can do for their children, including the sacrifices they shall have to make to feed them and provide them with an adequate home. Parents would not do such things if their children were not important to them. Yet, if they do not spend significant amounts of time with their children, they might conclude that the parents care more for other things, such as their job, their friends, or their hobbies, than they do for them.

Parents should be aware of those feelings of the children and should take care that the children always shall be able to feel that the parents are there for them. Marriage is a Divine institution and each person playing a role in the unity God wanted to see, from the beginning of the world, should make the best out of his role working for the other and being ready for the other, out of love. Today we can find couples of the same sex, but originally God provided the first act of marital union so that there may be a further population. The basic pattern by the creation given is simple – a man (male) will leave the confines of parental authority (again male and female) and cleave to his wife (female) and thus become one flesh.

This creation ordinance was also affirmed in the teaching of the Nazarene Jesus Christ. When questioned on the issue of the validity of divorce, he reminded his audience that the first couple were male and female and then quoted Genesis 2:24.

²⁴ That is why a man will leave his father and his mother+ and he must stick to his wife* and they must become one flesh.+ (Genesis 2:24)

The master Jesus said:

⁵ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother+ and will stick to his wife, and the two will be one flesh’?+ (Matthew 19:5).

Man and woman were to be united, joined to be one body, to “be one flesh”. (1 Corinthians 6:16)

Today we should still have the continuance of this Divine design of marital union where man and woman, becoming parent should not depart from each other until death comes in between.

³¹ “For this reason a man will leave [his] father and [his] mother and he will stick to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”+ (Ephesians 5:31)

⁴ Let marriage be honorable among all, and the marriage bed be without defilement,+ for God will judge fornicators and adulterers.*+ (Hebrews 13:4)

¹⁰ To the married people I give instructions, yet not I but the Lord,+ that a wife should not depart from her husband;+ (1 Corinthians 7:10)

We all should try to become good parents, fulfilling the Wish of God and His creation.

Preceding articles:

Importance of parents 1

Father and motherhood

Poverty and conservative role patterns

Connection between women and environmental sustainability

Find also:

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Also of interest:

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Equal? (dizzydaisydoo.wordpress.com)
Are men and women a) equal in the full definition of the word, or b) are they equal with different roles, or c) are they not equal? (okay, it’s definitely not c.) If you think it is, you really need to re-read the Bible.)
A Comparison Of Rahab In Bible (dwilliamcruise.wordpress.com)
Surely, a quality Christian education may be the most valuable gift any child can receive. Through the guidance of Christian parents and teachers, children will become mature Christians, devoted to a life of loving “the Lord thy God with all thy heart, together with all thy soul, and just about all the thy mind” (Matthew 22:37b), reflective of Christ’s love that dwells within them.
Why does God hate divorce? (altruistico.wordpress.com)
Malachi 2:16 is the oft-quoted passage that tells how God feels about divorce. “‘I hate divorce,’ says the Lord God of Israel.” But this passage says much more than that. If we back up to verse 13, we read, “You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. But you say, ‘Why does he not?’ Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.”
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God clearly explains His reasons for esteeming marriage so highly. He says it was He who “made them one” (Malachi 2:15). Marriage was God’s idea. If He designed it, then He gets to define it. Any deviation from His design is abhorrent to Him. Marriage is not a contract; it is a covenant. Divorce destroys the whole concept of covenant that is so important to God.
Does the Bible Say that Women are Distinctly Under the Authority of Their Fathers? (afittinguncertainty.wordpress.com)
As both experience in the world and the Bible testify, the instruments of interpretation (humans) are at our best bent, and at our worst self-servingly disingenuous to the facts in front of us. I think that true humility consists in an understanding of our own fallibility when it comes to matters of interpretation (that goes for all interpretation, and it gives rise to this blog’s title).
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Within the Christian context in which I was brought up, people believe (I would even call it an assumption) that the father of girls has a specific authority over that girl that is distinct from what he has over boys. There’s nothing “creepy” about it–the (well-meaning) idea is that the father is supposed to protect his daughter by keeping bad boys away from her (this mostly crops up during discussions of relationships). This comports with experience up to a point–most people think that young girls (like 13) do need to be protected to a degree (experience differs about whether this is distinct from the protection of, say, a 13 year-old boy, but that’s not the point of this post). But I have heard it (and seen it acted on) many times, that before a girl can date a guy (or “court” or whatever you prefer to call that), the guy has to get the approval of the girl’s father. This includes the father’s ability to say “no” when both the girl and the boy want to date. I have seen guys “date” their hopefully future girlfriend’s dad, where the dad hangs out with him, makes him read books, etc, to “vet” him. Note that there is no corresponding “vetting” of a girl from the boy’s parents, which is why I frame the question the way that I chose to (“Does the Bible say that women are distinctly under the authority of their fathers?” The “distinctly” is doing a lot of work in that sentence, as it does in practice).This leads to my question: Where does the Bible proscribe, or even describe, this practice? This practice does not pass my definition of compelling. There is no text, or stream of texts, or coherent theme throughout Scripture, that rules out a mutually exclusive conclusion (such a conclusion would be: the Bible has nothing to say about a distinct authority fathers have over their daughters, so it is up to the conscience of the individual family–I did not say “father” because that presumes that fathers have a distinct authority for such decisions–determine what that means). In other words, this idea that women are specially under their fathers’ authority (until marriage) is pretty far into the “interpretation-dominant” area of the compelling spectrum.
What’s “Biblical” About It? (kingdomventurers.com)
Regarding male and female behavior I’ve come to the conclusion that masculinity and femininity are social contrivances or social regulators which help us navigate our relationships. Again, the Bible does not tell men how to behave like a man or a woman how to behave like a woman. The Bible does tell us in very simple general statements how we as men and women are to relate to the opposite sex and to each other. The Bible also provides us with examples of what men find attractive in a woman (e.g., the Shulammite woman of The Song of Solomon & the industrious woman in Proverbs 31) and what women find attractive in men (the Ruth/Boaz story). Masculine or feminine qualities, if there are such things, are worked out between each man and woman in the give and take of relationship. They certainly are not the rubber stamping of contrived gender roles promoted by such “Let’s-Get-This-Nailed-Down” Conferences.
Godly Parenting & the Bible by J. C. Ryle (ilyston.wordpress.com)
See that your children read the Bible reverently. Train them to look upon it, not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the Word of God, written by the Holy Spirit Himself—all true, all profitable, and able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ.
Sharing Jesus with Your Children (ourdailybread101.wordpress.com)
This is the mistake so many parents are making today. They spend their time telling their children “Don’t do this. Don’t do that. That’s wrong.” By such behavior, these parents are failing an entire generation. Many times, children are never shown the riches of Jesus Christ. In every 24-hour cycle, there are a multitude of teachable moments for sharing and modeling life in Christ.
Controlling Our Children? (yesihomeschool5.wordpress.com)
The most recent idea I have run across is the thought that we cannot and should not control our children, but rather, only the Holy Spirit can do such. I believe that is completely unbiblical hogwash! Of course the Holy Spirit can guide and direct a saved child that is learning to be a spirit filled believer, however, the Bible also teaches not only that children are to obey their parents, but, that the parents are, in fact, to demand the obedience, and yes, to control their children.
A Terrible Parent…. (derrickskelton.wordpress.com)
Here I am a Children’s Pastor, weekly sharing the importance of God’s word to kids and families… and I haven’t purchased by own kid the appropriate Bible. While this made me feel like a “Terrible Parent”, I was reminded of how we all are imperfect which is why there is a need for God…. As parents we all make mistakes.. WE have days we wish could be erased in our parenting… But how great it is to know that God knows where we are and exactly what we need…. and even more HE knows what our kids need…. I pray daily that my failures in life will not be my kids failures… And when they see me fail…they also see me “get back up”…..
Version 40.4: The Bible: A Word For All Ages (lie77.wordpress.com)
Regardless of your age, become a “little child” for a minute. Come to Jesus as one would to a loving parent. No requests. No expectations. You don’t have to brush your teeth or comb your hair. Simply come and linger in His presence, experiencing His love for you. Why not take a moment to do this right now? Learning from the Bible is the best way to build a “rock-solid” spiritual foundation. From the Bible’s inspired pages you will learn who God is, how He wants you to live and how He will guide you.

Importance of parents 1

Posted on 2013/11/04 by Christadelphians

Jehovah, the perfect Father, greatly esteems godly parents who try hard to educate their children spiritually. When the children respond, they find great joy in pursuing true worship together with their parents. As such children mature, they store up pleasant memories of such experiences.

When we look at the children in the world and question their feelings with their parents, we may notice that many have a real connection with their parents which is unforgettable. About the importance of the role of the mother and the father we notice also that those children who lost one of their parents in early childhood may have to face many problems in their future life.

Even when they may consider themselves devoted husbands or wives, having the blessing of children they can suffer with depression and being constantly struggling with issues of faith and spirituality. when the child get mothered it takes it for granted to have its mother close by, nurturing, and able to catch it when it falls or help it when something goes wrong. for the child the mother often is the shell of their identity. When the mother dies early the safe-haven goes away, the shell collapses and all the pieces become shattered to lay fragmented in a heap. This may bring the child in despair and though things may go not so bad in life make it still to faced a constant battle with depression.

Cover of Questions of Life

Often the questions of life are shouted at the one several of the world consider the Creator. Most people when something goes wrong in their life give God the creator the fault of it. They forget what happened in the Garden of Eden and why man has to figure it out on his own. Many do not see the origin nor the reason why this world is so often in the struggle for life. They also question the matter of Grace. They question themselves about conditions on grace such as “you must do… or “this must happen”. Some try to put themselves at ease by thinking we receive Grace for nothing, so we should do nothing for it now. But they are mistaken. The Grace is really given for nothing, but when we do not live up to it, have no faith, do not believe nor want to worship a God we shall not receive the entrance to the Kingdom of God, though the grace was also given to us. faith without works shall be dead and result in death.

But in our life we are already able to receive the blessings of the Grace given unto us, because unto us a child is born. In our life we shall have to face the world in which we do have to live. We can’t escape this world-system. As long as Jesus did not return we are bounded to this system with all its problems.

It would be wrong to despair because the things not always evolve like we want. We must be conscious that often it is often our own minds which trick us and want to concentrate on our own self. Not out of despair but rather, out of self awareness we often go into a battle we cannot win on our own. Instead of focussing on depression we much better would focus on living life.

Those who encountered something bad in their childhood or in their parenthood may have their mind broken. But they should know that the next generation, their kids will still need a father or a mother. The wife shall need a husband the same as the husband shall need his wife. And both their lives need to be lived.

Though our world may be offering us lots of battle we may not let us be carried away and get depressed because we can not manage. Perhaps we even manage much better than we ever would think of ourselves. Often we do forget that we can give our worries to the Father in heaven, who would do much more than any father on earth. Would it not sometimes be better to trust that Creator God, and accept Him as our Best Father? Would it not be better that those who can fight, do it but for the rest of us, and that we all join hands to stand in God’s grace and enjoy our moments letting God handle our shortfall?

Preceding articles:

Father and motherhood

Gender Roles, What?

Poverty and conservative role patterns

Dignified role for the woman

Having children interferes with work

Surviving Motherhood: things to get excited about, right now

Next: Importance of parents 2

Concerning:

Please do find also to read:

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Growing up in Ireland report raises issue of stress and depression in parenting (irishtimes.com)
Greater supports for parents with depression or stress and more help for women at risk of giving birth to premature or low birth-weight babies are recommended in the latest Growing Up in Ireland report published today.The report, based on the study since 2006 of 11,000 children from the age of nine months, highlights the role of parenting and family contexts in child development.“Even from a very young age, the sensitivity that parents show when interacting with their babies is important for their development,” says co-author, Dr Elizabeth Nixon from Trinity College Dublin.
- Lack of investment in early years care will cost society dear
- What’s ‘good enough’ parenting?
“Both mothers’ and fathers’ parenting behaviours can be negatively affected by stress and depression, but babies can be protected from these potentially negative influences if sensitive parent-child interactions can be maintained.”

For both parents, a significant association was noted between higher levels of depression and higher levels of stress. Maternal stress was strongly associated with difficult temperament in a child, though this was less pronounced in the case of fathers.
An Example of How the Conflict Between Parents Can Seriously Children (sbwire.com)
The family court heard how the conflict between parents can seriously affect their child. The Court did not find that it would be in the best interest of the child for his parents to have equal shared parental responsibility due to the high level of conflict between them. Thus, the mother was awarded sole parental responsibility and the father was allowed to spend time with the child during specified dates.
The Psychology of Neurotic Romantic Attraction (psychologytoday.com)
One of the most common problems psychotherapists see today is a chronic pattern of dysfunctional love relationships. The person’s chosen partners typically share consistent similarities, such as physical and/or emotional abuse, unavailability, substance abuse, instability, lying, cheating, narcissism, etc. And each relationship eventually and inevitably ends badly because of these repetitive dynamics. After a while, such destructive relationship patterns–totally obvious to everyone else–start to become more apparent even to the patient. And then the glaring therapeutic question becomes: Why would anyone in his or her right mind persist in pursuing relationships that are clearly doomed to frustration, humiliation and failure?
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The repetition compulsion is a neurotic attempt to rewrite or undo one’s personal history. The history we try to rewrite is typically the troubled or unsatisfactory relationship with our parents, particularly, but not always, the opposite sex parent. When the early parental relationship is fraught with frustration, disappointment, rejection, abandonment, neglect or abuse, the child is in a precarious spot. As young children we mistakenly conclude that the problem with the parent(s) resides with us, and that, therefore, we possess the power to rectify it by changing ourselves into someone more acceptable to our parents. This illusory cognitive core belief not only nurtures our magical hope, but provides a much-needed sense of power and control over our environment, of which, in reality, children have very little. Children are, for the most part, victims of circumstance, possessing minimal control over their lives. No matter how cleverly they try desperately to change the distressing situation, it is typically to no avail.
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unconscious choices in life which we are unaware of making but nevertheless still do, are potentially the most dangerous and destructive decisions. Because they are basically “blind” choices, driven not by the present and what is best for us, but by the past and what traumatized us, by that from which we are running. This is the nature of a neurosis.
3 Ways To Ensure Your Parenting is an Epic Fail (greatbaygospel.wordpress.com)
First off, there are far more than three ways to blow it as parents. Secondly, I know all of these through experience. Third, God’s grace is not dependent on our success or failure as parents. But we are responsible for how we steward the children he entrusts to us.
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We have no control over whether or not God regenerates our kids hearts. We do however, have all kinds of control over whether or not we are communicating the gospel to our kids. Don’t just assume your kids are ”picking it up” from being around a church, but intentionally speak and show the gospel to them.
Devotional 04.11.2013 (thelifeofastrangercalledme.wordpress.com)
The “grace of faith” is an effective remedy against fainting in times of trouble. Jesus Christ is our hope of glory, and because of that hope we have in Him, that hope we have is enough to encourage us during our times of distress. And that distress is that advantage, that leverage we need for the glory of God to be even more visible in our lives.
The blessing to me, that was blessing my daughter. (kylesweeklythoughts.wordpress.com)
I do think there are equality issues within the Church and culture that need to be addressed, and I think that this movement is shining a light on areas of inequality. However, my own personal opinion is to have patience with the Lord’s revelatory process and look at the way the system now works and search for the good that exists because of the current sex-segregated priesthood system while not putting blinders on to any gross inequalities and injustices.
Holding Them Closer – Carl Desportes Bowman (blithespirit.wordpress.com)
Nearly 30 years ago, sociologist Robert Bellah and his team of co-authors in Habits of the Heart (1985) described the American parenting ideal as the production of independent children who “leave home,” both figuratively and literally. To never leave home, they wrote, violated the cardinal American virtue of self-reliance, contradicting self-understandings that individuals should “earn everything we get, accept no handouts or gifts, and free ourselves from our families of origin.” The essence of parenting was preparing children for just such a separation, reflecting the American belief that a meaningful life could be had only by breaking free from family and giving birth, in a sense, to oneself.
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Parents still hope, of course, that their adult children will attain financial independence, but this aspiration is no stronger than the hope that children will retain “close ties with parents and family”—both are considered “essential” by about half of American parents. The quest for long-term connection with children has taken central stage. Parenting is still about formation, but its overriding concern has pivoted from formation to connection.
Incarcerating Parents and Family Members – Why Our Jail-Happy Judges Are An Embarrassment (researchingreform.net)
The very real problem of non disclosure and other concerns the family courts must deal with on a daily basis should not be trivialised, but whilst the problems are serious, and it may seem as if intense punishments are the order of the day, they neither deter desperate parents nor improve the outcomes for children.

Noble motherhood and women

Posted on 2013/11/03 by Belgian Biblestudents - Belgische Bijbelstudenten

Motherhood may be highly overrated in some their society, but in the West it is downgraded. It is not because after child birth a woman continues to possess her natural needs, emotional as well as physical that she would have no opportunities to develop those as a mother.
Glorifying motherhood is not at all “but a trick to manipulate women to serve the needs of the male chauvinist society.”

Like the writer Durban says. “Noble motherhood” is not created by patriarchic society to keep women bound. If a woman is bound, like put in chains by a motherhood, it is not a noble but enslaving motherhood.
Men is much more than animal and having children cannot compared with the animal world where the mammals leave their flock go into the world not caring for them anymore. We as human being have more obligations. Those are for both parents, not only the woman. It is human mother’s job, but also father’s job to support the children to grow up to independent individuals. but they should always to be there to help and guide those they brought onto the world.

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Related articles

Review – Home Truths: Photography, Motherhood and Identity at The Photographer’s Gallery (disphotic.lewisbush.com)

Annonciation 4, Bruxelles, 23 October 2010 © Elina Brotherus

The reality of motherhood, as with all human experience, is inevitably much more diverse than the resources of scant personal experience and abundant cultural cliché that my imagination can draw on. Home Truths: Photography and Motherhood, a new exhibition at The Photographers Gallery (with a simultaneous related exhibition at The Foundling Museum), attempts to highlight some of these heterogeneous experiences, and ‘challenge reductive cultural assumptions of motherhood’.

Motherhood!….Part 5 {Whither Womanhood} (purplerays.wordpress.com)
In religion, parent-honor is almost a form of worship! Virtually every religion carves a special top-notch niche for fathers and mothers…….”

Post Partum Public Urination: Motherhood (Finally) Understood. ~ Licia Morelli (elephantjournal.com)
They talked blissfully about the wonders of motherhood and being pregnant. How giving birth to life is a magical thing and that the experience was not only life changing, but spiritually changing as well.
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Motherhood means taking the good with the bad, the laughter with the tears, and the love with the sorrow.

It means being embarrassed and shaking it off, falling and getting up, succeeding and failing on a daily basis.

Motherhood means giving up adjectives that no longer apply—like svelte, firm and bladder control.

It means taking that crying baby in your arms and holding him/her as the heat rises from their skin from hysteria and perhaps even crying with them for lack of a better idea.

It means knowing that no matter what lies ahead, I can handle it with attempted grace and perhaps a mishap or 20.

Motherhood is a balance and navigation.

Motherhood means learning and growing and missing and moving and above all: living.

Most of all, though, it means laughing, even if there is a risk of wetting your pants.

New Book Project For Me….and For You? (meetmeundertheeiffeltower.wordpress.com)
Considering all the judgment that surrounds parenting, it was shocking to me (and many others) when a mother of two unabashedly bashed motherhood in the UK Mail. The article, written by Isabella Dutton, is a confessional about the fact that she didn’t – and doesn’t – want her kids. Passage after passage describes a disdain for motherhood:

Motherhood maybe not as “good” as it gets (21stcenturylovetriangle.com)
“I was acutely aware that a child would usurp my independence and drain my finances. I felt no excitement as my due date approached. I had no compulsion to fill the nursery with toys, nor did I read parenting manuals or swap tips with friends. I focused on enjoying the last months of my freedom.”

Motherhood In The Workplace: I Was Asked to Tone-Down the ‘Mommy Thing’ (tinystepsmommy.com)
My children are everything to me and being a mother is a huge part of my identity. It has been for almost 15 years. That is except for the one year I was asked by my former boss, who also happened to be a woman, to tone down the “mommy thing.”

The Juggle of Modern Motherhood (childledchaos.me.uk)
I was a decade older than my mother had been when I had my first child, and had a degree and a career (of sorts) behind me. I was made redundant when I was three months pregnant with our first child, and I applied for work after she was born. I therefore became the default primary carer.

Motherhood (fendiliuenglish.wordpress.com)
What makes the Chippewa woman’s story sadder is that she was still valiant and unshaken even if the child she protects with her life abandons her in the wilderness. She accepts that fact peacefully then embraces her own death. While in Rose’s case, though Will leaves Medicine River and his family behind and doesn’t want to look back, he still regret that he can not be there for his mother when she dies and he often think of Rose.

Durba's corner

Nature wants us to evolve and so we procreate and leave our trace behind through our children. In a country like ours motherhood is noble but sex, through which a woman becomes a mother, is a taboo. Many a times orthodox families bring up their girl child, grooming her in household but keeping her unaware of sex. In her puberty nature makes her look sexually attractive and drives her to get close to a man of her choice. If she falls in love with a well-known guy and goes to bed with him, it is considered a sin. But when the family finds an unknown guy, just after a one day event called marriage, society gives him instant right to take her to bed.

Very often a girl gets married and thus gets exposed to sex without any preparation. She involves in unprotected sex to give her partner utmost satisfaction…

View original post 1,142 more words

Father and motherhood

Posted on 2013/10/29 by Belgian Biblestudents - Belgische Bijbelstudenten

Necessary population

Fatherhood/Motherhood (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today many people may not be interested in having children and look down at those who take the time to have some children. Many forget that children represent the future generation. Without any children there will be no continuation of the people. With not enough children there will be not enough working people able to take care of the ones who can not work any more.

Respect, honour, and support for those who want to take care for the next generation is long gone. Although the modern world sends mixed messages about motherhood, the Bible affirms that children are a blessing from God and can be a source of happiness for parents.

³ Look! Sons are an inheritance from Jehovah;+ The fruitage of the belly is a reward.+ ⁴ Like arrows in the hand of a mighty man,*+So are the sons of youth.+ ⁵ Happy is the able-bodied man* that has filled+ his quiver with them. They will not be ashamed,+For they will speak with enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127:3-5)

Yet, the Scriptures are not blind to the realities of motherhood. The Bible records many of its challenges.

Choices to encounter challenges

Depiction of Adam and Eve being cast out from the Garden of Eden

Throughout history men and women had to make their own choices. They could go their own way. The Divine Creator Jehovah God, has given humankind the right to prove that they themselves can manage this world. To make the best out of their life they have to make the right choices.

At the beginning of times the Creator gave the task to the first human beings (Adam and Eve) to multiply themselves. They had to take on the role of father and mother and to bring up children. Their children in turn had to make the choice to follow the commandments of God and creating new life, or to stay on their own and continue their life like they choose themselves.

Whatever choice the human being made, it would have implementations on their own free time and on what they could do in the future. Nothing has changed. As in the early times of men, today those who would like to have children, have to make decisions which shall change their life for ever.

The choice of being with child will be a irreversible choice in life. Choosing for parenting and motherhood have a deep and lasting influence on the life and character of themselves and their children. These decisions can bring large changes in the parents’ life-style, so they need to be made carefully. They include such questions as: Should a mother work outside the home? If yes, how much? Who is to care for the children while the mother is away working? In the end, parents must do what they believe is best for their children and also what is right before God.

Equal in the eyes of God

Man and woman are both created in the image of God and are both equal in the eyes of the Creator. Not one is better than the other. Both have to prove themselves and make themselves worthy to enter the Kingdom of God.

Our society does not like men nor women to be unproductive, and caring for children seems for them something which does not generate money for the society. the pressure from outside can make it very difficult for men and women to choose to have children and to stay at home to take care of them.

Not alone

However, mothers need not feel alone in the struggle to make wise decisions. They can take great comfort in the words of Isaiah 40:11, which indicates that God takes special interest in the needs of mothers with young babies, whom he “will conduct with care.” God manifests such keen interest by providing in the Bible a number of guidelines that can make motherhood enjoyable and successful.

¹¹ Like a shepherd he will shepherd his own drove.+ With his arm he will collect together the lambs;+ and in his bosom he will carry [them].+ Those giving suck he will conduct [with care].+ (Isaiah 40:11)

¹⁰ They will not go hungry,+ neither will they go thirsty,+ nor will parching heat or sun strike them.+ For the One who is having pity* upon them will lead them,+ and by the springs of water he will conduct them.+ (Isaiah 49:10)

Someone to trust

Even those people who did at first did not want to know about God and His family, may trust the Creator that when they change direction and do want to leave this materialist world to foster a more spiritual world, God shall be willing to come to their help.

¹⁶ “The lost* one I shall search for,+ and the dispersed one I shall bring back, and the broken one I shall bandage and the ailing one I shall strengthen, but the fat one+ and the strong one I shall annihilate. I shall feed that one* with judgment.”*+ (Ezekiel 34:16)

Loving incoming money

Today we can see lots of people who love the incoming money and who spend their time not on family matters but pure on leisure. Many grown fat, have become thick, have become gorged. Today we can see that many are defrauding the lowly ones and crushing the poor ones. The Bible warns us for those who wanted to go the path of money and material gain instead of spiritual gain. Those who forsook God, who made them and despised the Rock of their salvation shall have to face, in the near future, the sword of God.

¹⁵ When Jesh′u·run*+ began to grow fat, then he kicked.*+ You have grown fat, you have become thick, you have become gorged.+ So he forsook God,* who made him,+ And despised the Rock*+ of his salvation. (Deuteronomy 32:15)

¹⁶ Therefore the [true] Lord,* Jehovah of armies, will keep sending upon his fat ones a wasting disease,+ and under his glory a burning will keep burning away like the burning of a fire.+ (Isaiah 10:16)

²⁶ And I will make those maltreating you eat their own flesh; and as with the sweet wine they will become drunk with their own blood. And all flesh will have to know that I, Jehovah,+ am your Savior+ and your Repurchaser,+ the Powerful One of Jacob.”+ (Isaiah 49:26)

Needing care, love and ingenuity

Jehovah, the Only One God, knows that children are small, delicate and tender, and that they need the necessary care. Those who want to give that care, not for their own gain or lust, God is willing to help.

² Shepherd+ the flock of God+ in YOUR care, not under compulsion,* but willingly;*+ neither for love of dishonest gain,+ but eagerly; (1 Peter 5:2)

God’s Word says that the person who “is guarding discernment is going to find good.”

⁸ He that is acquiring heart*+ is loving his own soul. He that is guarding discernment is going to find good.+ (Proverbs 19:8)

Children dancing, International Peace Day 2009, Geneva. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Discernment is needed to sort through the unending range of leisure activities, gadgets, and trends that overwhelm mothers and children. Everywhere we are confronted with commercials. Constantly we are being bombarded with new products, better technology, and more services! Economic pressures takes a toll. Modern conveniences come at a cost, so more parents are working. Being part of a mobile society has led many family members to live and work far away from the support system of their extended family and in some cases even far away from their spouse. In many lands popular culture is not helping either, as it often focuses on tearing down institutions that provide a sense of stability, such as marriage and family.

We as Christians can take on the right attitude so that we can cope with those challenges. As a person we do have to determine what is essential and useful to ourself and to those we love. As parents we also should help our children to do the same thing.

Making the changes that are possible

When we are going to have children we should use common sense and sound judgement.

¹⁹ Jehovah himself in wisdom founded the earth.+ He solidly fixed the heavens in discernment.+ ²⁰ By his knowledge the watery deeps* themselves were split apart,+ and the cloudy skies keep dripping down light rain.+ ²¹ My son, may they not get away from your eyes.+ Safeguard practical wisdom and thinking ability,+ ²² and they will prove to be life to your soul+ and charm to your throat.+ ²³ In that case you will walk in security+ on your way, and even your foot will not strike against anything.+ ²⁴ Whenever you lie down you will feel no dread;+ and you will certainly lie down, and your sleep must be pleasurable.+ ²⁵ You will not need to be afraid of any sudden dreadful thing,+ nor of the storm upon the wicked ones, because it is coming.+ ²⁶ For Jehovah himself will prove to be, in effect, your confidence,*+ and he will certainly keep your foot against capture.+ (Proverbs 3: 19-21-26)

If you are currently working outside the home, can your family live on just your husband’s income? To help answer this question, determine how much your actual take-home pay is after subtracting taxes, child care, commuting costs, wardrobe, meals out, and extras. Also, your husband’s income may be taxed at a higher rate if your combined income puts you in a higher income bracket. You may be surprised how little is left over.

Some work fewer hours or closer to home, which may mean less money but more time with the children. If you decide to stop working and if your job has been important to you for your self-worth and sense of accomplishment, think about how you can maintain these important elements while staying home.

Juggling act

Balancing work and home is not easy, but can be done. There are millions of working mothers and a few thousands of fathers who embraced the idea that ‘quality time’ with the children could partly make up for frequent absences — and who have found the idea wanting. Many mothers today say that juggling the stresses of work with the responsibilities of home leaves them overworked, overstrained, and underpaid.

Full-time mothers or full time fathers who stay at home to look after their children say that they have to endure being patronized and downgraded by a society geared to glorifying paid work. In some societies being a housewife is no longer considered an honourable position, so women are pressured to have their own career, even if the extra income is not necessary. To be a houseman is considered even more grave than a housewife by many.

Men escaping their duties

While a growing number of mothers work longer hours, fathers do not always compensate. The Sunday Times of London wrote:

“Britain is a nation of absent fathers, according to new research showing that men spend as little as 15 minutes a day with their children. . . . Many men do not take much pleasure in spending time with their families. . . . By comparison, the British professional mother will spend 90 minutes a day with her children.”

Some husbands complain that their wife finds it difficult to delegate tasks because she insists that everything be done exactly the way she is used to doing it. “Otherwise, you do it wrong,” the husbands say. Obviously, in order to benefit from the cooperation of her husband, a tired housewife may have to be willing to make some concessions as to the way certain household tasks are done. On the other hand, the husband should not use that argument as an excuse to do nothing.

Taking up fatherhood

David Blankenhorn, one of the founders of the National Fatherhood Initiative, which promotes responsible, committed fatherhood, noted that in a 1994 survey of 1,600 U.S. men, 50 percent said that their fathers were emotionally absent during their childhood. Many of today’s fathers do not want to see this pattern repeated.

Fathers who are actively involved with their children can be a wholesome influence. Referring to research published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, The Toronto Star said that when fathers eat meals with their children, go on outings with them, and help with homework, there are “fewer behaviour problems, higher levels of sociability and a higher level of school performance among children and adolescents.”

The foregoing highlights an arrangement for raising children that is as practical today as when first penned over three thousand years ago. The Originator of the family specifically instructed fathers to be actively involved in raising their children.

¹⁴ On account of this I bend my knees+ to the Father,+ ¹⁵ to whom every family+ in heaven and on earth owes its name,+ ¹⁶ to the end that he may grant YOU according to the riches+ of his glory to be made mighty in the man YOU are inside+ with power through his spirit,+ ¹⁷ to have the Christ dwell through [YOUR] faith in YOUR hearts with* love;+ that YOU may be rooted+ and established on the foundation,+ ¹⁸ in order that YOU may be thoroughly able to grasp mentally+ with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth,+ ¹⁹ and to know the love of the Christ+ which surpasses knowledge, that YOU may be filled with all* the fullness+ that God gives. (Ephesians 3:14-19)

⁴ And YOU, fathers, do not be irritating* YOUR children,+ but go on bringing them up+ in the discipline+ and mental-regulating*+ of Jehovah.* (Ephesians 6:4)

Fathers were counselled to inculcate a love for God in the hearts of their children and to speak to them of God’s regulations and commandments. God told them to do this ‘when they sat in their house and when they walked on the road and when they lay down and when they got up.’ (Deuteronomy 6:7).

Shared responsibility

Parenting is a shared responsibility. The Bible admonishes children: “Listen . . . to the discipline of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother.” (Proverbs 1:8) The role of the father is vital. It includes supporting and respecting the mother and sharing in child-rearing tasks. It also requires spending time reading to and talking with the children. This fills a vital emotional need of children.

Unquestionably, the Bible is the most reliable source of counsel and sound principles for a well-adjusted family. A father who actively provides for the spiritual, emotional, and material needs of his family is fulfilling his God-assigned responsibility.

Find also to read:

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Letters To A Natalist World: Motherhood Is Not The Highest Paid Job In The World (childfreevoices.com)
I know you want parenting to look as appealing as possible, but come on, who do you you think you’re fooling here?If being a parent is so great, then you shouldn’t have to lie about what it is to brag about it. These cutesy-wootsey, natalism-worshipping FaceBook share-fodder pictures with ridiculous captions have got to stop.
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Rebecca Meyer wrote:
It’s funny that people try to say we have kids so that we have something that will “love us unconditionally.” It’s not even accurate. Psychologically, children love Conditionally because they depend on the parent for food, water, shelter, and any other basic survival needs. Infants do not love a parent unconditionally (meaning even if the basic survival needs weren’t met). Unconditional love actually to me comes from relationships mostly not within the family because you don’t feel obligated to love the person like you feel when family members are concerned.
Motherhood!….Part 5 {Whither Womanhood} (purplerays.wordpress.com)
At every turn, motherhood praises are deafening! In songs, poetry and prose, motherhood is cast in gold and eulogized in every culture, race and creed! Little wonder the whole earth is referred to as “Mother Earth”!
As things stand, motherhood seems to be rated above womanhood or regarded as the defining factor and crown of womanhood!
In not-so-liberal cultures, barrenness or, not bearing the ‘right gender’ of children is considered the fault of the woman and enough grounds for dissolving a marriage or desecrating it with impunity!
Many acclaimed preachers and religious teachers tell us that we are here to multiply, increase and fill the earth and where a middle-aged woman is not part of this multiplication equation, she is not fulfilling a Divine ordinance.
Motherhood!…….Part 4 {Children, Honor Fathers and Mothers} (purplerays.wordpress.com)
Generally, mothers are accorded a great deal of love and respect, even above fathers! Maybe because they are one of the first voices and faces the child recognizes; the first teachers; the caring hands that rock the cradle and, as a reward, the hand that rocks the cradle gets the larger dose of love!
Conventionally, daddy provides the comfort and balm but, it is mommy who solicitously applies them and gets noticed more! Cherishing dear mommy is usually the nurturing ground for love and other virtues!
In religion, parent-honor is almost a form of worship! Virtually every religion carves a special top-notch niche for fathers and mothers. The Christian Scriptures encapsulates it all with the Commandment “Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother”!
However, the wrong interpretation of this Commandment has inadvertently worked untold hardship on many a child who struggles to obey it! How is a child to honor a father who has degenerated to a drunkard and drug addict; or a mother who through hot temper, loose tongue and lack of self-discipline torments the household?
How can a child honor and revere parents who roundly abuse themselves and are frequently embroiled in violent quarrels?
Unless the child is also contaminated, he/she can only pay lip-service and empty habitual respect to such parents. The impetus for pure love and heart-felt honor which streams from the soul is lacking! The child simply tags along in make-believe obedience!
God is Jehovah Shammah-God is There! (crosbyp12003.wordpress.com)
Gods wants us to trust him with everything; hear that Everything. Sometimes we can get ahead of a God and think we have the answers. As new covenant believers God lives on the inside of us through the Holy Spirit. God is always with us. He does not turn his back on us to fend for ourselves . God wants to heal msny of us from a false view that he is a God ready to beat you down.
Motherhood (girlinterrupted28.wordpress.com)
What makes a mother?This is a question I find myself asking much too often, practically on a daily basis. Mostly because I wonder if I qualify. If I am a mother. When people ask how many children I have, when I have to fill out a form, when I watch friends struggling with their children or to create children at all…I ask myself. Because I want to be a mother. Because I was a mother.
Is there a “shortage” of single fathers? (dalrock.wordpress.com)
Captain Capitalism found an article on eHarmony titled 15 Reasons to Date a Single Mom. The fifteen reasons boil down to various ways of stating that single moms are easy, they will mother you, and you get to have fun with kids.
+
there can be good reasons why a woman might find herself without the father of her children in the household, but the fact that he’s not around isn’t proof of her loyalty; statistically speaking it is more likely than not an indication that she ejected the father from the home. Aside from widows, it is at the very least a red flag which needs to be thoroughly vetted.
Motherhood In The Workplace: I Was Asked to Tone-Down the ‘Mommy Thing’ (tinystepsmommy.com)
I decided to return to work after being home with AD for 20 months. My oldest AL was 8-years-old and my daughter B was only four-months-old. I was still nursing, yet I accepted a job in the corporate office of a franchise company to manage their communications. I wanted to give my “career” a chance. Looking back, I realize I was overwhelmed at home and suffering from a major case of the grass is always greener.
+
After our departmental meeting, my new boss pulled me aside and “suggested” that I don’t lead with the “mommy thing.” I was stunned and insulted and embarrassed. I figured she knew what she was talking about. I hadn’t worked in the private sector before. My experience was with not-for-profit organizations, trade associations, or at a newspaper. Again, I ignored my instincts.
Optional Parenthood (ordinarybutloud.wordpress.com)
One of my mother friends finds it strange that out of my handful of closest friends in the world (and she is included on the list) two of them are childless. She thinks it’s strange because a) I’m so devoted to my own parenting; b) my life is seemingly arranged to facilitate parenthood; c) most of the friendships she’s made or maintained have come through her kids and the parents of her kids’ friends. It bears mentioning that this friend is someone I met years and years ago, before either of us had children. It’s not as if we became friends because we are both parents. We were already friends and then we became parents.
The Juggle of Modern Motherhood (childledchaos.me.uk)
My mum first became a mother in the early 1960s. She was 20 when she got married, and a month over 21 when my eldest brother arrived. By her 24th birthday she had three sons, all under three.
+
Modern motherhood (and modern parenthood) is so far removed from five decades ago, it really is like comparing chalk and cheese. I can’t imagine how women (and it was almost exclusively women) in the 1960s juggled childcare and housework, let alone adding paid work into the mix.I was a decade older than my mother had been when I had my first child, and had a degree and a career (of sorts) behind me. I was made redundant when I was three months pregnant with our first child, and I applied for work after she was born. I therefore became the default primary carer.

I ‘returned to work’ when my baby was five months old and, as I didn’t breastfeed, this was easy. I had three days a week paid work, leaving four days to concentrate on motherhood, and pretended that it was just perfect that I had the benefits of both work and home. How jolly!

How untrue! Working part-time (or full-time) and being a full-time parent (because if you’re a parent, you are a full-time parent, especially when you’re the primary carer) doesn’t give you the benefits of both; it gives you the downsides of both. Multiplied.
Motherhood= Amazing (arichter0723.wordpress.com)
Ever since I was a little girl, I always wanted to be a mommy. I had many baby dolls and would take care of them as if they were my own. I would pay attention to my mother and what she did for me, so I could be a better mommy to my “babies.” I would read to them, take them on car trips, and put them to bed right next to me. My babies were my everything.

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Stepping Toes

Things said on this site possibly can upset someone

Tag Archives: Parents

A British judge rules that mother can’t indoctrinate son with religion

An anarchistic reading of the Bible—(1) Approaching the Bible

Words to inspire and to give wisdom

Importance of parents 2

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Importance of parents 1

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Noble motherhood and women

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Father and motherhood

Necessary population

Choices to encounter challenges

Equal in the eyes of God

Not alone

Someone to trust

Loving incoming money

Needing care, love and ingenuity

Making the changes that are possible

Juggling act

Men escaping their duties

Taking up fatherhood

Shared responsibility

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Necessary population

Choices to encounter challenges

Equal in the eyes of God

Not alone

Someone to trust

Loving incoming money

Needing care, love and ingenuity

Making the changes that are possible

Juggling act

Men escaping their duties

Taking up fatherhood

Shared responsibility

Find also to read:

Related articles

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