JohnathanAmber

This is simple but yet tricky depending on the situation.

As I see it, if the kids can't be trusted to be home they go with you regardless if they want to or not.

I believe that you should push the topic as far as the child will go with it, now when I say child I mean teenager, someone who can oppose your as opposed to a 5 year old. Any child younger than, say arounf 15, should go reguardless.

As already stated. If you are a Godly parent and the kid sees your fruit and that you are loving them as they should, the child should follow suit and they would want to go as opposed to being forced to.

The problem is this, they have to make their own decision. THEY have to accept Christ, you can't decide for them. Now you can dedicate your life to get them to accept Christ, but if they don't, they don't, that if their choice. There is nothing you can do about it except treat them like God treats you. We were given freewill from God, you or no one can take that way from any other person... period.

Based on that, if my would-be 17 year old refuses to go with me to church, while I am gone I will have another person I trust, who is a Christian, be with them in my home. They don't get to go anywhere when I am not at home. As children they should not be left alone no matter how responsible they seem, they are still children. Then as a parent you need to show them that you love them and bring every oppertunity to your kids on experiencing God and Christ. Request regularly for prayer sessions. Watch movies and shows with a Godly message and moral Christian content. Play Godly music and don't allow other antiChristian type music in the house, music that goes against Christian views or morals. Show them unconditional love as God shows you unconditional love.

Did God force you into accepting His Son? Did God force you to go to church? Of course not. Because He loves you soo much that He gives you a choice but He keeps introducing Himself into your life and eventually you accepted Him and now you follow His ways. You should do the same for your children.

The Bible teaches us that His Word will not return void... so teach your children His work through your actions. Show them that you love the Lord and that you love them. Your actions teach louder to your children than your words ever will.

So show them you love them and show them unconditional love that God shows you.

God bless,
Johnathan

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KitsapGirl

I understand where you're coming from...

If I had been given the CHOICE at 14, 15, 16, I would have never stayed. I don't believe the choice to go to church should be theirs, the choice to follow Christ is.

I hated my parents when they forced me to go, now I am very thankful.

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JohnathanAmber

Let me also add something.

Obviously if the child is not responsibile enough to be on their own and not to burn down the house, they should always be with their parents, regardless if they want to or not.

Accepting Christ is their choice. And as a parent we have to show our children what lvoe is through our acts. But you also do not want to push them away from Christianity and from a good church, so ease it in.

Sometimes it helps to get my kids... all under 5, to do something we want by making them either realize the need or by making them think it is their idea. Teens are harder to do this with, but by showing them you lvoe them and by your actions every time they see you, they would be more suseptable to go to church even if they don't want to go.

It is by our actions that define who we are to our children.

God bless,
Johnathan

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JohnathanAmber

As for my family. I will do everything I can to get them to come to church with me, as I see it as a family event.

But if they can;t, or won't come to church, then I will rbing it home. One thing is that God is where we are. He is in us. So we don't have to go to church to reconize Him, to sing to Him, or to fellowship with others. So if your child won't go to God, bring God to your child.

God bless,
Johnathan

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JeremiahD84

I completely agree Kitsap!!
"spare the rod, spoil the child" The rod is a symbol of authority. That child is legally under your authority until they are 18 years old. And until my kids are 18, you can bet I will be deciding what they do and don't do, and they WILL be going to church!
If they turn 18 and decide they want nothing to do with God... well that would be extremely heart breaking, but it would then be their choice.

Remember Joshua said "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!"

Traditionally Men are the heads of the household and they make major decisions for the family. Although in their culture Men were the head, I believe here in the american culture, Men and Women should be a team as the head of the household, but as a Team, the decision should be made to force your kids to go to church.
Although I believe that if you raise your kids properly their won't be any forcing about it, they'll go willingly.

JeremiahD84

I'd like to point out that the question is "Should children be forced to go to church" not "should children be forced to accept Jesus"

Nobody can be forced to accept Jesus, but it's incredibly important, that if you go to church, then you make your kids go with you, whether they want to or not.
Families need to do things as families....

Their is a saying, Families that Play together and Pray together, Stay together.

Make your kids go with you....

believerintheword

I didnt like going to church when I was younger because I thought it was BORING!!! I always fell asleep and always just didnt like going on my day off of school.

But I started liking it when I got older. Because I started going to a diffrent church. Now, I absolutly LOVE going to church. I attend Lifechurch.tv in Tulsa OK and the pastor is AWSOME. He makes you want to go to church more than ever. he talks about interesting things in a new kind of way. for example, next week, we are having a sermon series called TEXT. its about what it took to put the book we call the bible together and why it is reliable. I have never heard a pastor talk about his before. I had to find out myself. but anyway. i Love Church and I personally think 1 day a week isnt enough for me.

Beloved

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Beloved
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Beloved

Good post as well Jeremiah

What does it mean under your name that you are a Former member............ twice???

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Beloved
1 Corinthians 14:1 Let Love be your highest goal.

Whirlwind

Of course parents should force their children to go to church!

I know some children who--if they weren't forced--wouldn't eat at all.

You need to eat to survive. Even though the children are young and thin, they never feel hungry. The child doesn't know what's good for himself. That's what parents are for.

The child needs to honor his mother and father. If mom says go to church, he'd better be up and ready to go to church in five minutes.

Seems to me, if more parents forced their kids to go to church today, we wouldn't have as much violence and being bad wouldn't be considered "cool".

I was forced to go to church...and look at how I turned out.

(he he he)