Last night, I was reading to my two children out of their 'children's bible.' We got to the story of Abraham and Isaac and I read to them about Abraham being willing to sacrifice Isaac in obedience to God. When we finished my son, who is 9, looked very distraught. He then asked me the most difficult question that I have ever heard in my life....'Would you do that to me if God asked you to?' I sat for a moment and franically thought of what was best to say. Needless to say, my pause was cause for alarm in his mind. After a few agonizing moments, I responded with a very slow and distraught...'Yes. If God commanded me to, then I would have no choice but to be obedient; however, I hope that God would never demand such a thing from me.' He looked shocked. And I felt that I had said the wrong thing. Of course, my wife immediately spoke up and said that she would not ever do anything to hurt him. But I began to explain myself to him. I told him that he was saved, and that death on this earth brings life in heaven with Jesus. He understood perfectly and then said something amazing. He looked at his mother and said, 'I would rather die and go to heaven and God would be happy with you for obeying Him, than to know that when I died you could go to hell for not doing what you were told.'
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My parents were nominal Christians, i.e they believed in God but weren't very serious about it, so when we came to that story in the Bible, we skipped it. I asked why, but got no explanation.
And yet, when God does commnad someone to murder their babies, the christians all run around and complain that it wasn't REALLY God, cause god wouldn't do that.
And I felt that I had said the wrong thing. Of course, my wife immediately spoke up and said that she would not ever do anything to hurt him.
Joe: Having owned a few when I was young, they don't usually talk about these sorts of passages. Mostly, they talk about the parts of the bible which focus on commonly held values in society while adding "Praise God!" at the end of every insert. They might be as saccharine as Barney, but they're unlikely to "brainwash" to the extent that this kid's suffered (beyond the whole fairytale of God's existence anyway).
Actually it DOES fly in Texas...andrea yates case. She was GUILTY because she killed her children because SATAN tolded her they were going to hell...if you kill your children because GOD told you they are going to hell you can not be found guilty because GOD is a moral authority and it is OK to follow him, but not satan. That being said you are found not guilty for reasons of mentally insanity "because God won't tell you to kill kids so you are hearing voices" Rather than following Satan. It is very confusing, but there are some GREAT articles about this law if you goodle andrea yates.
... Then my child asked me, 'But how would you know if God wanted you to kill me' To which I answered, 'I guess he'd just tell me'. He looked puzzled for a moment and said, 'So ... you'd just hear his voice in your head ??' I said, 'Yes' He then asked, 'How would you know it was God's voice in your head ??' I told him, 'I'd just know'. He asked, 'Why ?? Would you try and find some evidence that the voice you were hearing came from God and wasn't just a mental delusion or something else ??' 'Oh no' I said, 'To demand evidence would make me a no good wicked doubter. We must have faith, that's the whole point of the story. When you hear a voice in your head telling you it's God and he wants you to kill a child you should just do it without question' He paused for a moment, turned to his mother and asked, 'Mommy, can I go live with Grandma ??'
This story. like a few I've read is bullshit anyway. Notice how their children speak so well? And understand completely after a simple explanation? A 9 year old would be full of "why" questions. Also, do childrens bibles carry this story? None I've seen and I've looked at quite a few,, they're often well illustrated and short on words
You missed a rather important part of the story Bone_Mender. After this incident, Abraham and god don't speak to each other again. Also, if Abraham and Issac ever spoke to each other again, the bible does not record it.
This story has been the subject of intense discussion among scholars, some of it quite fascinating. However it was never, EVER meant to be a story for children. The incident apparently ruined Abraham's relationship with his son and drove a wedge between him and god, and now it seems to have ruined your relationship with your children.
But hey, you expect that you are going to heaven and that's all that matters, right?
If I heard a voice telling me to do ANYTHING, I would go to a psychiatrist, who might prescribe something, rather than blindly follow it. After your kid gets through years of therapy, he'll be an atheist. Who wants to have anything to do with someone who might kill him?
Yeah, your son didn't mean that.
He thinks you're going to murder him because a voice in your head told you to.
One day when he grows up, he'll re-tell this "proud moment" to his therapist, and then they will agree that you are mentally ill.
You are brainwashed. Please do not ruin your son's life by telling him any more of this nonsense. I bet he cried himself to sleep over this...
Also, this story is used more in fundamentalist circles then the moderate denominations because Evangelists and Southern Baptists love to promise everything but counter it with don't expect much and be happy you're not put through what Abraham was. Old Testament fire and Brimstone fearmongering. What they foundly call the good old-time religion that was good enough for Grampa and Abraham too,
That, and to always remember, it's not what God tells you to do anyway, it's what your church, God's own emissaries, tell you to do.
I thought fundies claim their god is omnipotent.
Why can't he do his own slaughtering? He certainly did enough of it (including men women, and born and unborn children) in the old testament. I wonder how much of that is in your "children's" buybull...
Sweet crispy cactus, it's worse than I thought.
Speaking of, get your son to play a video game called The Binding of Isaac. Same story, so it must be good!
Words alone cannot convey my sarcasm.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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