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How to Raise a non-Christian


People of faith and values are concerned about the collapse of culture. Recent polls from Cornell University and Barna Research note that only 1 out of 10 children keep the faith and values of their parents. Further studies have shown that is because parents are not engaged in teaching their children cultural wisdom.

The mass media, however, is advertently or inadvertently teaching children their values, and even when these values are not inflaming lust, greed, violence, ambivalence, and envy, they are all too often undermining the sure salvation that is available only through Jesus Christ. And, all too often, caught up in the publicity machine of the Entertainment Industry, the church and its associates such as Christian magazines, radio and television are promoting the movies and entertainment that undermine its future and true faith and values.

Much has been said about post-Christian culture. Europe is a sad example. There are more Muslims in Europe than there are Protestant Christians. Why does this matter? Because eternal life in the Kingdom of God is only available through Jesus Christ, and if we truly love our neighbor, then we do not want him or her lost forever. According to surveys, fewer and fewer children understand this.

Although we don't want to be hard on the film characters Bruce and Evan, it is clear that the view of salvation and the view of God presented in the movies featuring "Bruce Almighty" and "Evan Almighty" does not adhere with the truth. Salvation is found in none other than Jesus Christ. When God became one of us, it is only as Jesus Christ. When God appears to Moses or anyone else it is as Jesus Christ. He is the Truth. And the Hebrew word for Truth means, "to reveal." Jesus reveals completely and totally who the almighty God is.

These winsome movies and many others scrupulously avoid this Truth, who is Jesus Christ. They present God as a clown of a thousand faces or as just one of us in a manner that is reminiscent of Henotheism at best and Buddhism and Hinduism at worst.

The writer and director of Evan Almighty acknowledge their Catholic Christian background, but they don't adhere in these movies to the Christian doctrine that Pope Benedict so faithfully defends. In fact, they graciously give warm kudos to other religions, and the watered down view they present of God contains more non-theistic religion than the clear representation of the Truth.

That said, people who know the Truth will not be hurt by this, but children of all ages may buy the lie that God is just a sweet old man. Witnessing to them may not get at the root of the confusion, and therefore too many of them will fall into the 90 percent of children who drift away from the Truth that can save their eternal souls.

It is interesting that movies don't mind using the word "God," "Buddha," "Mohammed," or the names of the saints, but they carefully and politically correctly avoid the positive mention of Jesus, unless, of course, they are taking his name in vain, even though they would never take the name of Buddha, Mohammed, or others in vain. What significance does this have? It shows the almighty power of the name of Jesus because it is only in the name of Jesus, through his death and resurrection, that anyone and everyone can be saved.

Therefore, while we appreciate allegory, incarnational theology, Jesus types and Christ types, the true story that the church should shout from the housetops and proclaim in every media is "Jesus Almighty."

After all, there is no other God and no other name through which we can be saved.

    "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. …

    "No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known." – John 1:14,18


Not only is the media the problem but all aspects that our children today are being subjected to and the lack of Godly parental involvement and guidance in their lives. The following statements were made by individuals, some of whose parents were Christians attending church regularly, that tell us in their words the reasons why they are non-believers and how to raise a child to also be a non-believer.

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It all started when I learned how to read. Somehow, I went on a tear through Greek/Roman myths, Norse myths and due to the early multi-cultural slant of my elementary school library, American Indian myths.

By the time I was started in 'formal' religious education, my reaction was "Oh, so these are 'our' myths". It was a long time before I really understood that people believed this. It was even longer before I understood I was supposed to believe.

So, if you want ensure a young child doesn't become swept up by religion, don't sheild them from it - innundate them with it. Pay special attention to those religions that no longer have any followers. Maybe even encourage them to try to make up one or several of their own.


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There's nothing quite like a steady dose of moral hypocrisy,
irrational obedience to authority and self-righteous
proselytizing to drum the faith right outta' ya'.

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Kids will find religion in the weirdest places...just let them be.

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My grade school taught Greek and Roman Religion and Mythology, and it certainly contributed to my Agnosticism, too. We had to read Homer and Beowolfe, as well. I learned about religion, or that other types of religion existed. The same questions, some critical and some logical, I asked about those religions I asked about Chritianity. And, because of recent events, I am asking the same questions about Islam. In college I learned about Judaism, Buddhism, various aboriginal beliefs, both domestic and African.


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At a private religious university, I was required to take a Christian theology course. One of the current greats in Christian theology (the class Instructor), opened the Bible to Genesis and said 'Let's discuss this myth of creation...

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To sum all these statements up, children learn what they are taught. If you want a child to learn the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ then we need to insure that is what they are being taught. Not other religions or no religion at all. Exposing our children to the teachings that are being presented in public schools and the media without proper Christian guidance is to teach our children against the things of God.

Think on this for a minute, are you sending your children through the fire?

Thank you Pastor.
I think I know your 'gift'. It is to take a truth and put it so even a person of little learning can understand....I say again, well put.

Praise God for teachers such as you.....God bless you....Roy.

Praise God for His wondrous mercy.

Pastor Roger,

Brother, it should be easy for anyone to see the horrible cost our part of the world has suffered for turning away from GOD. It should also be obvious that there has been a mass departure from the faith of parents and grandparents. This happened for a reason, and all Christians need to take a hard look at the root cause - IT'S US! and OUR FAULT!

It's an easy and unreasonable COP-OUT to blame schools, churches, and other entities. Teaching the things and ways of the LORD is our responsibility, and it can't be shifted. We either knew or should have known that teaching of the ultimate priorities were being neglected. Many Christians are finally waking up and placing the responsibility where it belongs - PARENTS! - US! We must also place any blame for negligence where it belongs - PARENTS! - US!

Pastor Roger, you and others have made us aware of positive and constructive things that parents and grandparents should be doing for our children. Our children are gifts who were given to us by GOD. Our gifts came with some obligations that should be on the top of our priority list. The Bible tells us about our responsibilities to our children, and this must be taken seriously. Christians MUST re-prioritize our lives and make sure that our children aren't neglected. I love your ideas for homeschooling and your plain talk about the responsibilities of Christian parents.

Brother, the truth sometimes hurts, but the results of neglect are MUCH more cruel. What's more important than our own children and grandchildren? Christians must forget about many material things in this world and properly care for our children. Money and things aren't real Love. RAISING OUR CHILDREN IN THE LORD IS REAL LOVE!

Brother, I want to thank you again for helping all of us to put things in perspective and start thinking about the most important priorities we should have in our lives. If we love GOD, we will also love and care for our families and children. It's really just as simple and blunt as this. THANKS BROTHER!

Love In Christ,
Tom

Philippians 4:12-13 NASB  I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

No thanks to me are needed, brothers, all the glory and thanks belongs to God. It is He that opened my eyes to this situation with my own children quite some time ago. I was putting my own children through the fire, for which I have many regrets.

My family has all accepted the Lord as their Saviour and are trying hard to follow in His footsteps. I praise Him daily for that.


AMEN!! and it has results of true love that reach far beyond just our own immediate biological families.

Hatred, which is the lack of love, is contagious but so is the wonderful, powerful love of God that each of us should show forth in all that we do and say.

Amen....a very good work PR.

I find it very sad that a movie that makes light of God without coming out and putting a positive spin on things in the end to show the truth is just plain sad.  And that Christian outlets are also buying into it like Lifeway and WAY-FM is even worse.

Brothers and Sisters,

I don't know anything about these particular movies. My wife and I might average going to a movie theatre about once a year with our kids and grandkids. All of them in recent memory have been G-Rated animated films that were completely clean, harmless, and fun.

This brings up a lot of things that I don't understand. The films I mentioned above were sold out, so I know they made money for the producers. Why don't we have Christian Movie companies making Real Christian films? I'm not just talking about clean G-Rated films, rather films with Christian content containing the GOOD NEWS. I'm talking about Real Christians making Real Christian movies - WHY NOT? Christians would go and take their non-Christian friends.

Churches can rent good Christian films, but most of them are pretty old. Some of the best ones are over 30 years old. WHY?

Love In Christ,
Tom

Philippians 4:4 NASB  Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

That is an excellent question, brother. Why? Why do we have Christian children being about evolution, homosexuality, abortion, various paganistic beliefs? Why do we have homosexuality, abortion, pornography, and so much more being so prevalent in this world. Why do we have more and more laws each day that are whittling away at the freedoms that Christians have so enjoyed for so many years?


A quote that I just came across this morning that is quite fitting to this subject.

If we allow the consideration of heathen morality and heathen religion to absolve us from the duty of preaching the gospel we are really deposing Christ from His throne in our own souls.
Roland Allen

There are movies out there that are Christian and made by Christians about Christ.  But they get put into the Independent film category and many never make it to a real box office.  Some great ones I can think of off of the top of my head

Facing the Giants
End of the Spear
Sin Eater

Some good movies with good messages. 

It would be simply awesome to see some faith based production company step up and get a good number of flicks out there in the box office.  Time and again it has been shown that big money can be made with Christian themed movies, "The Passion","The Nativity Story" are a couple of examples.  That is one reason why "Evan Almighty" is pushing so much into the Christian venues because alone it would flop big time, but they are hoping to get the Christian voice to see it and thus kick up revenues.