Dear Fellow Christian Parents,

[2PhiloVoid]

Justifying the possible reality that this example of rage from Jesus influences young people in Christian homes to bully is in no way succeeding in having me to retract my statement. In this nation, violent video games, such as Grand Theft Auto, have been in discussion in regards to the possibility that games with such violent content are having a negative influence on our youth. It's a rather normal conclusion to consider when studying human behavior, the psyche and child development.

Your belief in your system has you to simply retort with " No, He's not a bully " and not once did I make the claim that Jesus was a bully. I'm simply stating that His actions very well may have had an influence on a young person who hasn't quite fully developed their comprehensive reading skills well enough to discern that this is not the example to follow due to the context of the situation Jesus was in, nonetheless, those actions still took place and that young person still knows of that episode of Jesus' life and because of that, possibly felt justified in being a bully due to lack of understanding.

Maybe it would be better to say that this is actually the case after asking the child referred to in the OP if this was indeed the case?

 

[Hearingheart]

Please teach your kids not to be arrogant, rude, hateful, bullies to kids who aren't Christians.

My oldest son has many struggles (but has been doing pretty well lately, all things considered). One of his struggles is that his father and step-mother are not Christians and have a strong influence on him. I have raised him as a Christian, and he was saved and baptised (his choice). He has since decided he is not a Christian.

So these "righteous, Jesus-loving" kids think this is reason to be outraged and mean.

I have spent probably the last four years getting him to calm down his anger, arrogance, and frustration over the differences between us spiritually. I have put a lot of work in teaching him not to be rude or mean to people for believing, and to be respectful and polite.

**I have trained him to not be mean to Christian kids.**

He has been verbally attacked and harassed by some of the more vocal Christian kids at his school for a couple of years now.

This last week there was a girl who was angry because one of the science teachers was telling her she had to take a biology course the next year. She doesn't want to take biology because she doesn't believe in evolution. She wants to skip the whole entire class. She obsessed over it, and made it an issue. She kept talking about it during lunches and in classes for two days.

My son is a good listener, and he just let her go on and on about it without saying anything. After a while she asked him why he wasn't saying anything. He told her it didn't matter to him, and that it was her choice (it's really not, she's required to have biology). So she asked him how he felt, if he agreed with her. He told her no, that he thought she was having a reaction that was over the top, and she doesn't have to believe in evolution but she doesn't have to get upset just because she has been told about the class or that it is included in the course work.

Her anger shifted to him, and she yelled at him in front of other kids. She spent the rest of the day talking bad about him to other students and spreading it around the school, saying bad things about him that have nothing to do with the conflict she brought on.

I am so angry. I want to know who her parents are, and what church she goes to. I want them made aware of this, and I want them to stop it. If they don't, I want them called out for it.

This is soo wrong. Jesus did not train his disciples to do it this way.

Thought about this some more. There will always be those who treat us poorly and the reasons may be many. I really feel for you. It's hard to see our children go through struggles.

Perhaps it would be valuable for your son to "consider the source" so to speak and try not to take the ranting personally. It's hard to be detached when someone is in your face, but it's obvious she pretty immature and self centered.

Your son's answer was quite logical and honest and she couldn't handle that someone had dared disagree with her. Her pride is hurt and so she is lashing out.

Prayers for you and your son.

 

[The_Believer7]

" What's that saying? " Like Father Like Son? Father is violent, the Son is violent. 2,000 plus years later a minor reads about it and is now violent in school. That's how it applies.

Issue is ... Father wasn't violent in this episode ...

 

[The_Believer7]

Maybe it would be better to say that this is actually the case after asking the child referred to in the OP if this was indeed the case?

Yes ... it's much more likely the bully gets her cues from a parent.

Interestingly, it was to parents that the OP (wisely, in my estimation) ... directed her request ...

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Yes ... it's much more likely the bully gets her cues from a parent.

Interestingly, it was to parents that the OP (wisely, in my estimation) ... directed her request ...

Yes, which Sheldon is not. However, I am a parent (which is why I'm sticking my foot out in front of Sheldon).

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Please teach your kids not to be arrogant, rude, hateful, bullies to kids who aren't Christians.

My oldest son has many struggles (but has been doing pretty well lately, all things considered). One of his struggles is that his father and step-mother are not Christians and have a strong influence on him. I have raised him as a Christian, and he was saved and baptised (his choice). He has since decided he is not a Christian.

So these "righteous, Jesus-loving" kids think this is reason to be outraged and mean.

I have spent probably the last four years getting him to calm down his anger, arrogance, and frustration over the differences between us spiritually. I have put a lot of work in teaching him not to be rude or mean to people for believing, and to be respectful and polite.

**I have trained him to not be mean to Christian kids.**

He has been verbally attacked and harassed by some of the more vocal Christian kids at his school for a couple of years now.

This last week there was a girl who was angry because one of the science teachers was telling her she had to take a biology course the next year. She doesn't want to take biology because she doesn't believe in evolution. She wants to skip the whole entire class. She obsessed over it, and made it an issue. She kept talking about it during lunches and in classes for two days.

My son is a good listener, and he just let her go on and on about it without saying anything. After a while she asked him why he wasn't saying anything. He told her it didn't matter to him, and that it was her choice (it's really not, she's required to have biology). So she asked him how he felt, if he agreed with her. He told her no, that he thought she was having a reaction that was over the top, and she doesn't have to believe in evolution but she doesn't have to get upset just because she has been told about the class or that it is included in the course work.

Her anger shifted to him, and she yelled at him in front of other kids. She spent the rest of the day talking bad about him to other students and spreading it around the school, saying bad things about him that have nothing to do with the conflict she brought on.

I am so angry. I want to know who her parents are, and what church she goes to. I want them made aware of this, and I want them to stop it. If they don't, I want them called out for it.

This is soo wrong. Jesus did not train his disciples to do it this way.

I was bullied a few times when I was a kid myself, so I can understand some of what your son is going through. I also didn't actually become a Christian until I was 17, so until that time transpired I wasn't always a firm believer in anything of biblical proportions. You're son definitely should not be bullied by other kids, especially Christian ones. Those other kids should know better.

You have my empathy, and some prayers, and I hope this situation is resolved in the near future. By the way, you might have your son look at a website called Biologos.org. It was begun by evolutionist/geneticist--and Christian--Francis Collins, who was the head of the Genome Project a while back. By perusing the materials on Biologos, your son might find another, but interesting, angle on the possibility of Christian faith. It could also give him another view that is useful in discussion when presented to other Christians.

Just a thought. ...still, those other kids need to get their acts together.

Peace,
2PhiloVoid

 

[psychologymajor]

I have to say it was sad to hear that both my kids (16 and 18 years old, believers but not really practicing Christianity) actually wanted to go to youth group and feel included, but being that they are a little different (high functioning Autism), though really not much different than typical computer nerds, they were pretty much excluded. Or at least felt that way. My daughter was pretty depressed when one 17 year old girl shared how if she ever saw someone sitting by themselves she would go sit by them and include them, yet she never did with her (no one else either). This is why they refuse youth group and my oldest refuses church. No connection. Sorry your boy is going through that.

Please teach your kids not to be arrogant, rude, hateful, bullies to kids who aren't Christians.

My oldest son has many struggles (but has been doing pretty well lately, all things considered). One of his struggles is that his father and step-mother are not Christians and have a strong influence on him. I have raised him as a Christian, and he was saved and baptised (his choice). He has since decided he is not a Christian.

So these "righteous, Jesus-loving" kids think this is reason to be outraged and mean.

I have spent probably the last four years getting him to calm down his anger, arrogance, and frustration over the differences between us spiritually. I have put a lot of work in teaching him not to be rude or mean to people for believing, and to be respectful and polite.

**I have trained him to not be mean to Christian kids.**

He has been verbally attacked and harassed by some of the more vocal Christian kids at his school for a couple of years now.

This last week there was a girl who was angry because one of the science teachers was telling her she had to take a biology course the next year. She doesn't want to take biology because she doesn't believe in evolution. She wants to skip the whole entire class. She obsessed over it, and made it an issue. She kept talking about it during lunches and in classes for two days.

My son is a good listener, and he just let her go on and on about it without saying anything. After a while she asked him why he wasn't saying anything. He told her it didn't matter to him, and that it was her choice (it's really not, she's required to have biology). So she asked him how he felt, if he agreed with her. He told her no, that he thought she was having a reaction that was over the top, and she doesn't have to believe in evolution but she doesn't have to get upset just because she has been told about the class or that it is included in the course work.

Her anger shifted to him, and she yelled at him in front of other kids. She spent the rest of the day talking bad about him to other students and spreading it around the school, saying bad things about him that have nothing to do with the conflict she brought on.

I am so angry. I want to know who her parents are, and what church she goes to. I want them made aware of this, and I want them to stop it. If they don't, I want them called out for it.

This is soo wrong. Jesus did not train his disciples to do it this way.