How to Raise Christian Kids: Two Tips and One Error

Last updated on: September 7, 2017 at 11:37 am by John Mark N. Reynolds

How to Raise Christian Kids: Two Tips and One Error 2017-09-07T11:37:54-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

photo-1470843810958-2da815d0e041_opt Truth is precious and error is easy. If you love your children, you hope they love the truth. As a Christian, I naturally hope my (now adult) children will embrace goodness, truth, and beauty. My experience (four grownup theists!) and years of teaching (mostly college) suggests there are two good ideas and one very bad idea.

Here is the bad idea: trying to make or manipulate one’s kids to accept reason. I would not make them if I could. Why?

Mind control is a kind of witchcraft, not the good Harry Potter kind, but the bad mind control kind. Here is a truth: when all was good, God put humankind in a garden and let us choose. If the best parent was willing to let us choose, even badly, we have to accept that we should do the same. I want my kids to be liberated in their hearts and minds. Who wouldn’t if they love their kids?

Here is a mistake not to make: Do not force ideas on children if you can help it.

What should we do? Hope and I tried to live our faith: same people in church, teaching philosophy, or playing the trumpet. We did not want fakery or lies We often failed, but tried to say when we failed. We wanted to train thinkers, passionate lovers, and doers. Our kids, we hoped, would surpass us and so they have.

Christianity encouraged us to do two basic things:

Teach logic, passion, exegesis and expose kids to ideas as they grow.

Jesus is the Divine Logos, or Word. This idea includes logic. If you love God, then you will wish to be like He is. God is reasonable and logical. To think like God is to think reasonably, cooly, and using the laws of logic. Math helps here as well. Dealing with abstract objects, things that exist but are immaterial, is excellent preparation for dealing with all of reality: matter and ideas.

Passion (as Plato and the Bible point out) is a good thing, because it powers us, motivates us to act. We love so we do. Passion can be informed by reason and submit to intellect. Training our passions is good, because a human should never be dominated by mere desire. We wish, but wishing is not enough! We need to be hearty, loving people, but those whose passions cooperate with the intellect and not overrule the mind!

Head and heart must be taught to agree.

Sadly, most people do not read well. They cannot follow an argument so teaching exegetical skills is necessary. Read. Read out loud. Fill the house with books. Recall that we are the people of a collection of books! As children get older, intentionally expose them to ideas that you think bad and discuss.

Keep discussing.

Accept disagreement and keep talking.

My adult children and the parents (!) do not agree on some things. Good. That is a sign we taught them to think for themselves. These disagreements are sometimes hard, often temporary, and can be enjoyable. It is hard when we do not all attend the same type of church. Temporarily each of us tries on a different kind of idea. When my adult children learn something new, it stretches me. One will challenge my literary taste, another my moral limits, a third my view of film, and a fourth my ideas about economics. I am often wrong.

This is a joyful thing, this learning from my children. My adult children honor us by talking to us, taking shots, and enjoying time with the family.

This much I know after decades of dialog with students. Bringing men and women to mature Christian manhood and womanhood, making adult Christians, is based on the Biblical ideas of dialog, disagreement, and development. I have not stopped learning from my children ever since my firstborn corrected me about spiders being insects! What a joy! What larks!

Culture

Education

Previous Post

September 6, 2017

Prayer Works and This Drives People Mad

Next Post

September 8, 2017 How to Find Genuine Rest in Stormy Times

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was the primary agricultural tool in Biblical times?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Bronze sickle Iron plow Wooden rake Stone hoe

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »