Should You Force Teenagers to Go to Church?

[April_Rose]

I might get a lot of negative feedback for this but I don't care. I wouldn't force my teenager to go to church just as much as God doesn't force us to turn to Him. I mean if they don't want to be there in the first place or hear the gospel then I think it's sort of pointless of making them be there.

 

[farouk]

"Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." (1 Timothy 4.16)

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22.6)

"My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways." (Proverbs 23.26)

 

[Alvertsky]

I might get a lot of negative feedback for this but I don't care. I wouldn't force my teenager to go to church just as much as God doesn't force us to turn to Him. I mean if they don't want to be there in the first place or hear the gospel then I think it's sort of pointless of making them be there.

Jesus is not real anyway until a person finds him on their own. So forcing a person to go to church is the same as forcing them to believe, which is better called brainwashing.

 

[Pisteuo]

It was the goodness of God that brought you to repent. It will be His love and mercy that calls our young ones to Him. We can be examples of that love and encourage them as they grow in their own relationships with Him. I pray they become the church rather than go to church.

 

[Alvertsky]

It was the goodness of God that brought you to repent. It will be His love and mercy that calls our young ones to Him. We can be examples of that love and encourage them as they grow in their own relationships with Him. I pray they become the church rather than go to church.

What should abused Catholic children be ask to believe?

 

[Pisteuo]

What should abused Catholic children be ask to believe?

I wouldn't ask much of the abused. Just that they know Gods undying love for them is real. His healing is real. His rest is real. I would just prove His love for them if given the opportunity by example and through testimonies. I'm sure I'd be insufficient but I would just be there as long as God would allow...

 

[JohnDB]

Oh I firmly believe that you should make your kids go to church.

My house, my rules. I set the standards and practices that happen here.
Things like "please" and "thank you" are said.
"may I?" Instead of "Can I?".
And we have and express our sincerest reverence for God in this house...it's not a multiple choice thing.
That means everybody goes whether they want to or not. There are friends there if you will just take the time to make them.
And later in life...when you finally wake up to the fact that you need God more than He needs you... you will appreciate how your parents made you go and learn.

The whole "train up a child..." Thing says nothing about the years in the middle...it end by "When he is old" and likely that is when all that "forcing" will pay off.

 

[April_Rose]

Jesus is not real anyway until a person finds him on their own. So forcing a person to go to church is the same as forcing them to believe, which is better called brainwashing.

I wouldn't go that far as brainwashing is something that you do to get people to believe ridiculous ideas, but other than that I totally agree with you.

 

[Alvertsky]

I wouldn't go that far as brainwashing is something that you do to get people to believe ridiculous ideas, but other than that I totally agree with you.

I actually found Jesus after I stopped going to church because the church was just a big cloud that told me what to think and believe. Once I left the church the cloud was gone and he was right there, guiding my every step