I am sorry I could not post this earlier, but I have just found this forum recently and I was anxiously waiting approval for me to post this.My name is John Tenaham. I currently live in Boston, Massachusetts. I have a lovely wife, and two children: one son and one daughter.I am also a hardcore (for lack of a better word) Christian. I love my religion a lot, which is one of the reasons I joined.The second is mainly what this thread is about. I have been having problems with my son.It was two weeks ago, and I woke him up to go to church. He went, with a sleepy face on. While the prayers were being conducted, he refused to pray along. I didn't want to make a scene at the church, so I let him slide.The last time I went to church, last Sunday, he acted different. He refused to go to church at all. He would not get up, he would not take a shower, he would not get dressed. I really had half a mind to beat him, but I stopped myself. He said he had no reason to go church. I had a feeling he was saying this out of sleepiness, so I let him slide. Myself, my wife and my daughter went to church that day. My son stayed at home.The whole time I was wondering what could be wrong with him. Was he that sleepy that he could not come to his senses to go to church? It was a Sunday, and we didn't stay long enough to a point where he could not relax the other half of the day. Maybe he was confused. Dazed. Stressed.I went home, and my son was in the bathroom. I didn't know this, however, and walked into his room. I was shocked.The Bible he used to always keep on his shelf in prime condition was on the ground, with a mud footprint on it. The pages of the book were ripped to a point where they could not be repaired or read. Pictures of Satan cluttered his walls. I stood there in shock. I didn't understand what I was looking at.My son walked into the room and yelled at me for "ruining his privacy". I asked him what he had done to himself, and he said that it'd be best if I left.I told him that God would send you to hell for this sin. Big mistake.He plainly replied that God does not exist. There is no hell, there is no heaven. I stood there in shock while he was talking.I asked him about Satan. He said that Satan didn't exist either, but it was "better" for him to believe in Satan than a fake God. I started yelling at him, reminding him of the Bible and what the consequences could be. But he was blind to my talks.I snuck a peek at his textbooks, and I was outraged. He had a book about biology opened to a page about evolution. He had a book about history that told the story of how we evolved. I think this was the main part of his atheism.He has always been a devout Christian all his life. I don't see what went wrong. Taking a shot in the dark, I think his friends and even his teachers have corrupted him. I really don't know what to do, and I need help.If you need more information about the story, I will gladly provide it.Last night, we had a huge argument about the Bible. He told me that God could not create a universe so vast and complex, and that someone had to be there to create God.He said that religion was often mixed with government, and the fact that religion is corrupting his life was horrible.He said that abortion is fine, despite what I told him about killing another, because you'd rather have a baby die instead of living in a bad household.He said that God did not exist, because there was no proof.He said other things, things I don't want to repeat on this website as it would make myself and others mad.I have no answers to his questions.I doubt this is a "phase" he is going through, as he is 17 years old.Please help.-John Tenaham
[Troll] My son is really scaring me...
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Going out on a limb and assuming what you are saying is completely honest, what you have written on this board should have been written AFTER you have already spoken with your church pastors/ministers/leaders.AFTER you have already given them facts, sought their guidance, and received their commitment to begin praying for him.AFTER you have already begun fasting, laying your own life before God and asking him to remove any barriers/items/sticking points in your own life that would prevent you from being an intercessor for your son. If that is not the case, then you know what you must do. Don't hang on the words of strangers in a chat room. Sit down face to face with men of God in your own church. If they don't appear up to the task, call or visit another church. Or another. Eventually you will find a strong. spirit-filled church that will support and assist you and love both you, your son, and your family enough to intercede.
[quote name='Tombstone;72766]Going out on a limb and assuming what you are saying is completely honest' date=' what you have written on this board should have been written AFTER you have already spoken with your church pastors/ministers/leaders.AFTER you have already given them facts, sought their guidance, and received their commitment to begin praying for him.AFTER you have already begun fasting, laying your own life before God and asking him to remove any barriers/items/sticking points in your own life that would prevent you from being an intercessor for your son. If that is not the case, then you know what you must do. Don't hang on the words of strangers in a chat room. Sit down face to face with men of God in your own church. If they don't appear up to the task, call or visit another church. Or another. Eventually you will find a strong. spirit-filled church that will support and assist you and love both you, your son, and your family enough to intercede.[/QUOTE']I doubt he is ready to listen to a preist. He explicitly says that preists are tools; they read the Bible set on the path of Christianity and cannot exit said path.And then he questions me about other religions. He says if he believes in a God from another religion, will he go to hell? And if he believes in the Christian God, won't he go to tell based on the other God?The only way to please him is with answers, which I lack.[quote name='Jordan;72767]I am sorry you are going through this. But God and Christ clearly spoke of His children (mankind and womankind) having Free Will to accept Him or deny Him... to love Him or to hate Him. God's Truth or Satan Lies? And John 14:15' date=' Hebrews 11:6, II John 1:9 just to name a few.We know God exists, but we can't prove it to the world physically, but we can prove it in the bible... If they refuse to hear God's Words and see God's Words as just some writing and demand us to prove it to them physically... we can't. We can't save our love one's, but we can save ourselves if we stay in God's Words, let him guide us, to trust in Him. And Him to be our Lord and Saviour of our lives. Hold on to what is right...I am sorry to hear this... all you can do for Him is pray for Him and set yourself a good example of what God wants us to be, whether you're a friend, or a parent etc. Be a good example as a parent despite his beliefs. He might come back... nobody can't guarantee anything when it comes to man's Free Will.Hold on to the Faith.Blessings[/QUOTE']He says there is not an ounce of truth in the Bible. He says it's just another fiction book which would make a great fantasy novel when the religious parts are extracted out.Again, I have no answers.I am afraid that he will influence my younger daughter (13) in a bad way and make myself and my wife question our faith.
Unfortunately, not a very smart troll this one is...http://forum.yugiohcardmaker.net/thread-154633.htmlRegardless, good can always come out of something like this. Thanks to this individual, another thread with keywords gets indexed by Google. The problem is, these folks thinks stuff like this bothers Christians and makes a mockery of them. It doesn't. It's nothing new under the sun. Contrary to popular assertions, most of us here don't assert beliefs on others. We don't "troll" atheist / other faith forums looking for fights. I choose to view the glass half full. I do appreciate the respect of other members of that forum which advised against these actions.
John T.;72768]I doubt he is ready to listen to a preist. He explicitly says that preists are tools; they read the Bible set on the path of Christianity and cannot exit said path. And then he questions me about other religions. He says if he believes in a God from another religion said:
well here comes the hard part, Faith, fear comes from the enmy and he is using your son, he uses mine too, so now you have to overcome that fear, that takes away the foothold the enemy has, and just hand it all over to God and try be a good father. This is what wlking in faith is all about. Fear and worry is unbelief, neither are from God and both hinder His work.In His Love
Im sorry that your having to go through all of this, not to be harsh here but you or anyone else cant choose your sons path in life. Keep in mind though for your own comfort Luke 10:19. You have power over satin and anything hes trying top put in your way. Dont put up with it and whatever it is thats evil or coorupt in your house order it out in the name of jesus. John 20:26-29 would be good scriptures to keep in mind as well. Look at thomas and others in the bible a good portion doubted jesus but they started beleiving once they saw how jesus was moving. My personal advice is dont get angry with your son or dont talk down to him react with peace and show the christ like example. I know how hard it is to deal with unreasoning people but set the example he will come around in due time. The main thing though i would say for you is dont stop beleiving and trusting in god he will see you through this and make sure that evrything pans out. God bless 
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