Is there a support group for Christian parents of New Age kids?

[Woodthrush42]

Hello,

We have raised five kids. We taught them the Scriptures at home, took them to church, homeschooled, and sent them to Christian schools. We kept standards about the kind of TV that was watched or books that were in the house, as well as the people that were in our home around our children. Sadly, we look back and realize those standards were not high enough. We regret many of the “harmless” movies and books that were in the house: fairytales, Disney movies, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars. We had no business entertaining ourselves with witchcraft. We have repented and gotten rid of all of it.

One of our chickadees has strayed into the New Age movement. We don’t know if he ever truly accepted Jesus as a child. We never saw it happen, though he told us he did when he was about 13, upon being asked. At age 19, he told his sister he had accepted Jesus. Then he went into a sinful lifestyle. Again, at age 23 he told us all he had accepted Jesus, but now he says that was all fake, in order to gain acceptance of the family.

This son now lives out of state. In 2016, I saw an evil spirit in his home. (I believe that it is a familiar spirit that has come down through the family lines associated with freemasonry.) Our son told us that he was gay several years ago. I know he uses marijuana on a regular basis. He now tells us he is a Wiccan. He uses tarot cards, express “magical” love to vegetables and hopes for a good harvest, and has recently begun to advertise psychic reading services.

It’s difficult to have a conversation with him, as he is very intelligent and manipulative. He has all the hallmarks of a narcissist. He is full of false accusations of abuse as a child, while his siblings all roll their eyes and talk of what lies they are. They tell us we were good, loving parents. All of us have start-again, stop-again relationships with him. We try to keep things “light and polite” while just trying to be a light to him, to love him. We’ve all been praying for him to be saved. He tends to turn the conversations ugly and then there is a cut off for a while. I recently blocked him from texting or calling my phone. (He has several other family phone numbers if there is an emergency.)

I would dearly like to join a group of other parents going through all of this. I think it’s important for us to encourage and advise each other. If any of you know of such a group, could you please put up a link or private message me? Thank you!

 

[GospelS]

I'm not a parent but just wanted to give you a word of support. Keep praying and have faith.

Read Luke 7:36-50

41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

Who loved Jesus more? The woman who knew her many sins or Simon who thought he is good.

Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Luke 7:47

If we had been just doing okay and not aware of how great our own sin was, we will not have a proper degree of love and gratitude to God for the mercy that He has shown us in making forgiveness possible.

 

[Kenobi]

Hello,

We have raised five kids. We taught them the Scriptures at home, took them to church, homeschooled, and sent them to Christian schools. We kept standards about the kind of TV that was watched or books that were in the house, as well as the people that were in our home around our children. Sadly, we look back and realize those standards were not high enough. We regret many of the “harmless” movies and books that were in the house: fairytales, Disney movies, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars. We had no business entertaining ourselves with witchcraft. We have repented and gotten rid of all of it.

One of our chickadees has strayed into the New Age movement. We don’t know if he ever truly accepted Jesus as a child. We never saw it happen, though he told us he did when he was about 13, upon being asked. At age 19, he told his sister he had accepted Jesus. Then he went into a sinful lifestyle. Again, at age 23 he told us all he had accepted Jesus, but now he says that was all fake, in order to gain acceptance of the family.

This son now lives out of state. In 2016, I saw an evil spirit in his home. (I believe that it is a familiar spirit that has come down through the family lines associated with freemasonry.) Our son told us that he was gay several years ago. I know he uses marijuana on a regular basis. He now tells us he is a Wiccan. He uses tarot cards, express “magical” love to vegetables and hopes for a good harvest, and has recently begun to advertise psychic reading services.

It’s difficult to have a conversation with him, as he is very intelligent and manipulative. He has all the hallmarks of a narcissist. He is full of false accusations of abuse as a child, while his siblings all roll their eyes and talk of what lies they are. They tell us we were good, loving parents. All of us have start-again, stop-again relationships with him. We try to keep things “light and polite” while just trying to be a light to him, to love him. We’ve all been praying for him to be saved. He tends to turn the conversations ugly and then there is a cut off for a while. I recently blocked him from texting or calling my phone. (He has several other family phone numbers if there is an emergency.)

I would dearly like to join a group of other parents going through all of this. I think it’s important for us to encourage and advise each other. If any of you know of such a group, could you please put up a link or private message me? Thank you!

What a difficult situation!... I'll be praying for you all.

I'm 32, and my testimony sounds similar to your son's. I didn't grow up in a church home, but a strict, loving father.

I turned to new age around the same time as him. I got saved about 2012/2013, so 7-8 years ago (it was a long process that I went kicking and screaming the whole way, so it's tough to pinpoint). For sure May 2014 I was baptised, and the holy Spirit came upon me in a strong way. My life has never been the same since then, so I credit my saved date to then.

I renounced witchcraft, law of attraction, and other new age things I was practicing. One by one I asked God to close those doors I opened in my life and I've never looked back since...

I hated Christians. They were so full of rules, told me what to believe, but they didn't have abundant life. They were miserable hypocrites. Much of this was a false perception on my part, but looking back there was some truth to it and Satan exaggerated the truth to keep me blind.

But there came a day that I knew my life was less than it could be. I couldn't continue living the way I was... I was riddled with anxiety, and I was unhealthy, unhappy, and life was slowly constricting more and more around me.

In the parable of the prodigal son, the father did not go searching for the son... he let him leave and spend his inheritance foolishly. It was the son who realized one day that he was in misery.

I pray that day comes. And that he decides to come back to a family that loves him, and readily forgives, without question or conditions.

Sometimes to love people is to let them strike you down. God is the one who has us protected. And it's the foolishness of God that confounds the wisdom of men (1Cor 2). Have you ever loved someone so much you let them betray you, knowing they would do it, and them knowing you know, but you let them anyway? There's some things people who are lost can never shake when it comes to the ones who call themselves God's people. Sacrificial, non-judgmental, unconditional love is the biggest one. Because it's not normal. It's Christlike.

 

[Andrewn]

Our son told us that he was gay several years ago. I know he uses marijuana on a regular basis. He now tells us he is a Wiccan. He uses tarot cards, express “magical” love to vegetables and hopes for a good harvest, and has recently begun to advertise psychic reading services.

This is a very difficult situation and I do feel for you and the family. It's very difficult to deal with this type of situation except by prayer and meditating on God's word.

Mar 9:29 He said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out, except by prayer and fasting.”

In Jesus' parables, the good shepherd went after the lost sheep until he found it. The woman searched carefully until she found the lost coin. The gracious father waited patiently while scanning the horizon for his son's return. I can't think of anything more comforting than contemplating these parables.

I don't know the situation that lead to blocking him from texting or calling your phone. God created people with a free will. We can't change someone's will but we can show them love and compassion. With your prayers, God will give your son the grace of knowing His truth:

1Ti 2:4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

 

[MyLifeForChrist]

(bump)...hoping that you find the answer for a source that I am sure many are interested in...

 

[Sketcher]

Hello,

We have raised five kids. We taught them the Scriptures at home, took them to church, homeschooled, and sent them to Christian schools. We kept standards about the kind of TV that was watched or books that were in the house, as well as the people that were in our home around our children. Sadly, we look back and realize those standards were not high enough. We regret many of the “harmless” movies and books that were in the house: fairytales, Disney movies, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars. We had no business entertaining ourselves with witchcraft. We have repented and gotten rid of all of it.

One of our chickadees has strayed into the New Age movement. We don’t know if he ever truly accepted Jesus as a child. We never saw it happen, though he told us he did when he was about 13, upon being asked. At age 19, he told his sister he had accepted Jesus. Then he went into a sinful lifestyle. Again, at age 23 he told us all he had accepted Jesus, but now he says that was all fake, in order to gain acceptance of the family.

This son now lives out of state. In 2016, I saw an evil spirit in his home. (I believe that it is a familiar spirit that has come down through the family lines associated with freemasonry.) Our son told us that he was gay several years ago. I know he uses marijuana on a regular basis. He now tells us he is a Wiccan. He uses tarot cards, express “magical” love to vegetables and hopes for a good harvest, and has recently begun to advertise psychic reading services.

It’s difficult to have a conversation with him, as he is very intelligent and manipulative. He has all the hallmarks of a narcissist. He is full of false accusations of abuse as a child, while his siblings all roll their eyes and talk of what lies they are. They tell us we were good, loving parents. All of us have start-again, stop-again relationships with him. We try to keep things “light and polite” while just trying to be a light to him, to love him. We’ve all been praying for him to be saved. He tends to turn the conversations ugly and then there is a cut off for a while. I recently blocked him from texting or calling my phone. (He has several other family phone numbers if there is an emergency.)

I would dearly like to join a group of other parents going through all of this. I think it’s important for us to encourage and advise each other. If any of you know of such a group, could you please put up a link or private message me? Thank you!

I don't think that Lord of the Rings or Star Wars did this. Many Christians grew up in much more mainstream homes that did not get into what your son got into.

The conversational angle is not uncommon for people that turn hard against the values they were brought up with.

 

[WDSobieski]

Conversely, as Sketcher has mentioned, how many Christians out there being uninterested at New Age at all despite growing up with the so-called secular culture? Plenty of them, since these New Agey beliefs are simply irrational and they don't believe them at all!

Another aspect is the side effect of sheltering, as in the saying, strict parents make sneaky kids. The good intentions are truly here for raising kids with a strong Christian faith and being more Christlike people, the curiosity is still there and we're not living in the pre-modern times with little information nowadays. Sometimes the kids might be underprepared for the modern world and they might absorb everything they see without filtering. I am not encouraging letting kids watching and accepting whatever they see, especially when they're younger. Instead of blocking and selecting anything for them, for older kids (12+) a better way is to discuss rationally whether they're beneficial for them or causing their faith to crumble. Discussions on real life situations are highly welcomed in bible reading and discussions so that they can better understanding them and applying them IRL.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Discussions on real life situations are highly welcomed in bible reading and discussions so that they can better understanding them and applying them IRL.

Good point there about family Bible reading!

 

[John42]

Hello,

We have raised five kids. We taught them the Scriptures at home, took them to church, homeschooled, and sent them to Christian schools. We kept standards about the kind of TV that was watched or books that were in the house, as well as the people that were in our home around our children. Sadly, we look back and realize those standards were not high enough. We regret many of the “harmless” movies and books that were in the house: fairytales, Disney movies, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars. We had no business entertaining ourselves with witchcraft. We have repented and gotten rid of all of it.

One of our chickadees has strayed into the New Age movement. We don’t know if he ever truly accepted Jesus as a child. We never saw it happen, though he told us he did when he was about 13, upon being asked. At age 19, he told his sister he had accepted Jesus. Then he went into a sinful lifestyle. Again, at age 23 he told us all he had accepted Jesus, but now he says that was all fake, in order to gain acceptance of the family.

This son now lives out of state. In 2016, I saw an evil spirit in his home. (I believe that it is a familiar spirit that has come down through the family lines associated with freemasonry.) Our son told us that he was gay several years ago. I know he uses marijuana on a regular basis. He now tells us he is a Wiccan. He uses tarot cards, express “magical” love to vegetables and hopes for a good harvest, and has recently begun to advertise psychic reading services.

It’s difficult to have a conversation with him, as he is very intelligent and manipulative. He has all the hallmarks of a narcissist. He is full of false accusations of abuse as a child, while his siblings all roll their eyes and talk of what lies they are. They tell us we were good, loving parents. All of us have start-again, stop-again relationships with him. We try to keep things “light and polite” while just trying to be a light to him, to love him. We’ve all been praying for him to be saved. He tends to turn the conversations ugly and then there is a cut off for a while. I recently blocked him from texting or calling my phone. (He has several other family phone numbers if there is an emergency.)

I would dearly like to join a group of other parents going through all of this. I think it’s important for us to encourage and advise each other. If any of you know of such a group, could you please put up a link or private message me? Thank you!

Tough situation.

FYI -

www.gotquestions.org/new-age-movement.html
www.amazon.com/dp/0898403316?tag=duckduckgo-osx-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1

 

[athenken]

Every Christian parent has this underlying fear (I know I do) that one or more of our kids will walk away from God and the faith, but at some point, you do have to say to yourself, "I did what I could and now it is in God's hands."

This may sound like a cop-out, but truly there is a point where we all must stand back, pray, and let God work His plan in their lives. Continue to pray that God will call your son to Him and be as supportive as you can be in the meantime.

 

[John42]

FYI -