What do you say to your son if they start gravitating toward evangelism.
Everynbody learns in their own way. However, is there any chance he might be becoming schizophrenic, or have other problems? Tread carefully, but remain aware!
Both my sons were raised to be critical thinkers, to question, to research using reputable sites & citations & to be able to lay out a well founded arguement based on fact. They were both exposed to religion & going to church. They both became agnostics in their teens & only more skeptical as they have grown older (both now in their 30s).
If they started to gravitate to religion, those would be interesting conversations.
I couldn't answer that as I have no children, but if I did and they started believing in imaginary people, a nice long chat would be in due course.
It's up to them but they knew my beliefs and havnt.
I'd take something like the Socratic approach. Ask him questions concerning the things make evangelism compelling. After a rich and honest discussion, one of us will be convinced.
I don;t think so. Neither will be convinced and one or both will end up angry
@Hicks66 7 steps? 7 steps to what? you've piqued my curiosity...
@crazycurlz 7 steps of grief. I think the third one is anger.
barak, I think you must ask questions and not supply or insist upon (correct?) answers. The desired response to questions is to make the person being questioned question their position. (Who's on first?)
How old? Old enough to make decisions? Mother involved? Lot of variables.
Following or not following any religion is choice everyone should be allowed to make for him or herself. It's his choice to make. It might be permanent or temporary. Be there for him when he needs you regardless of whatever decision he makes on this subject. (just my 2 cents)
If you are truly an agnostic, don't you at least have to entertain the thought that they might not be wrong. After all, we don't know.
you have to be a parent first, guide their thinking, challenge them to challenge themselves. you can't leave your own kid hanging, with his thoughts unchallenged.
I would say, "Boy, what the hell is wrong with you?"
Swat them with a rolled up newspaper, and tell them, "NO! Bad teenager! BAD!!"?
?
'Holy Shit!'
Sadly, I'm not kidding.
When my son was in pre-school the kids next door told him Jesus was in the clouds, looking down at them every day...serious bullshit. I took him outside and we looked at the clouds and we didn't see anyone up there.
Hope you go at this hard (NOT hard on him but don't be wishy-washy, tell him what you want for him, what you believe and why this concerns you assuming it does). Regularly engage him: find out why it's appealling, who's the influence? What is happening in his life that he's connecting in that way? I really think that if a kid has someone to help them through, they don't buy into bullshit and evangelism IS bullshit. Evangelism is cultish. The parent has to be dilligent, it may not clear up with one discussion and he might go this route anyway. Hope you give us some followup, Nevadarich.
Point him to people whose lives have been ruined by it?. Remind him he only gets one life, and encourage him not to waste it on insanity...?