Would you pay your kids to read the Bible?

[Leanna]

I totally agree with your first statement, but at what point/age do you say it is ok to stop going to church/reading the bible/praying because they do not want to?

Are you suggesting that there are certain ages where it is okay to force your child to pray even if they don't want to?

 

[-~Truth_N_Trust~-]

see this is a big thing for us... I don't want my children to just do what I say when it comes to their relationship with God, I want them to seek and understand and think for themselves. I will/do encourage it and God is a part of our daily lives and their daily influence, but in the end I cannot force anything - and trying to would be detrimental IMO. Better to pray myself for my child rather than force them to pray!

 

[Neenie1]

Not only would I not pay them I wouldn't coerce them in any form. They're going to know it from the environment, whether or not they choose to live it will be up to them and my trying to make them have a relationship with Christ might make them ultimately reject it.

I agree.


I don't think you should pay a child to read any book, especially the Bible.

I want my children to have a love of reading, and an appreciation of the Bible and wanting to know God.

I don't see how paying a child to read the Bible will help in that.

 

[MikeMcK]

We required it.

Our daughter had a list of things to do every day (making her bed, brushing her teeth, setting the table, etc.) and we had "Read your Bible" on the list. At first she couldn't really read much, but it was a picture Bible and she enjoyed looking at it. When she got a little older we picked up one of those 'first reader' Bibles for her and she read that every day.

We didn't do allowances, so she wasn't actually paid for it, but she was praised/encouraged for doing everything on the list without reminders and there were consequences when she didn't do everything on her list. She never balked and I've never had any regrets. She outgrew the list on the fridge by the time she was 8 or 9, but continued to read her Bible each morning. She's 16 now and reading her Bible is as much a habit as making her bed and brushing her teeth is.

We require church attendance and participation in our family devotions, too. It's never been an issue - it's just what we do.

We've not had to deal with any resentment/rebellion over this, perhaps I'd feel differently if we'd had that struggle.

That's great. When our two oldest were little, they could only read a couple of verses but we would give them incentives for memorizing verses and for being able to show that they understood it. Nothing big, just a piece of candy or something.

As Melody grew in her reading ability, we would often find her sitting with Jason reading and explaining the scriptures with him.

They're fifteen and thirteen now and even though we've stopped rewarding them for it, they both love God's word and they're each leaders in our church's youth group.

We're still rewarding the younger children and they each look like they're following in big brother and sisters' footsteps.

 

[moonkitty]

No I wouldn't.. what's the purpose of free will again?

Technically paying someone to read it isn’t forcing them. A bit tacky I think to pay someone to read a book—but it’s a common method in the sense of using a reward system to get someone to do something they wouldn’t normally do.

 

[Thankful4HIM]

Technically paying someone to read it isn’t forcing them. A bit tacky I think to pay someone to read a book—but it’s a common method in the sense of using a reward system to get someone to do something they wouldn’t normally do.

I think on behalf of the individual who wanted to do that he had the best intentions..yes.. but yea know... not in the sense of religion... I don't think it's fair to bribe/persuade/push anyone into religion.. I don't think a reward system should be used from family members to get a child to know religion... God shares with us enough rewards doing it on our own. jmo.

 

[Green Orchid]

No way!

 

[PoundingMetal]

Are you suggesting that there are certain ages where it is okay to force your child to pray even if they don't want to?

Not at all Leanna. "Force" is definitely the wrong word. Barb stated it really well...

We require church attendance and participation in our family devotions, too. It's never been an issue - it's just what we do.

We've not had to deal with any resentment/rebellion over this, perhaps I'd feel differently if we'd had that struggle.

What I was wondering was at what age do you let your kids not participate in what you as a family celebrate for your love in Christ because they don't feel like it. Does it start when they are 8, 13, 18? When do you say "Ok honey, if you don't want to go to church you do not have to"? I see it this way: As a parent who believes in Jesus Christ I owe it to my kids to teach them the way of the Lord. If, when my son is 6, 7, 8 years old and says he doesn't want to go to church anymore, I'm sorry, I'm going to tell him he has to go. It is what we as a family do for our Lord.

 

[Leanna]

What I was wondering was at what age do you let your kids not participate in what you as a family celebrate for your love in Christ because they don't feel like it. Does it start when they are 8, 13, 18? When do you say "Ok honey, if you don't want to go to church you do not have to"? I see it this way: As a parent who believes in Jesus Christ I owe it to my kids to teach them the way of the Lord. If, when my son is 6, 7, 8 years old and says he doesn't want to go to church anymore, I'm sorry, I'm going to tell him he has to go. It is what we as a family do for our Lord.

I don't know, I think I will know it when I see it. Obviously I am not going to leave a 6 year old home while I go to church or anywhere else for that matter, so he's stuck with me.

 

[Neenie1]

I don't know, I think I will know it when I see it. Obviously I am not going to leave a 6 year old home while I go to church or anywhere else for that matter, so he's stuck with me.

Exactly.

I don't want my kids to feel like the HAVE to go to church but for the time being they are too young to stay home alone, when they are old enough to stay home alone, that is when they can say they don't want to come to church.