Why do we tell bad kids that the boogeyman will get them. Why not tell them God will get them?

Question

And we all know God keeps his word.

Exodus 12:29
29Now it came about at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle.

2 Kings 2:23
Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, young lads came out from the city and mocked him and said to him, "Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!" 24When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number.

Answer 1

God is generally associated with 'goodness', and hence can' be associated with fear. The bogeyman has been associated with badness and evil and hence fear. Most children grow out of this.

Life's Lovely! Love & Live Life!

Answer 2

umm because. telling them that the boogey man is almost a joke. kids are too young to be really held accountable for there actions until they are at least 10 years old. by that time they don't believe in the boogey man anyways. God wouldn't get them regardless. A child acting up isn't a sin.

Answer 3

1) Most Christian types want to believe that their God is all loving and all caring, that no evil/bad/harm can come from him - this is part of the lure of modern Christianity. They pass this belief on to their children, naturally.

2) People who are either no Christian or don't take Christianity seriously don't believe that the threat of a nameless, faceless god would have much effect over their children compared to something considered "scary".

Basically, only indoctrinated kids truly believe in God, and they are taught that he would do no harm to them.

Answer 4

God is not to be portrayed as a bad person. God is the One that protects them and watches over them always. As a matter of fact, the parent shouldn't have to scare the child that way if the parent is doing their job to enforce rules and regulations on the child.

Answer 5

These days the boogy man is more real to them. They probably just got through watching saw 27 or Jason vs. Santa Claus

Answer 6

God is a man of his word. He won't be mocked. Tell your children about John 3-16

Answer 7

You must be slightly mentally challenged if you believed the bible, literally. Besides, the boogeyman is a cultural saying developed in America. How man Catholics celebrate a pagans day, Halloween. I celebrated it, but it was just to have fun and do not believe in that halloween crap anyway, but it is fun.

Answer 8

Actually, from experience living in the Bible Belt in southern America, some children ARE told God will get them! Its horrible! I went to a play called "Eternity" once and it was emotionally manipulative and actually scarey for younger kids. You wont believe how many young kids ranging in ages from maybe 9+ wen't down to the alter (no kidding with TEARS in their eyes, probably from fear) to "commit their lives to Jesus".

Like I said, it was a very sad and horrible experience for me, I can't imagine for them.

Answer 9

this proves that you can't mock God and get away with it!
the Bible says "touch NOT my anointed and do my prophets NO harm." in both cases these people would suffer because of what they did to God's prophets.

by the way, I never told my children the boogie man would get them when they were bad.

Answer 10

The justice of the Lord is swift and powerful. One would think some people would think twice before they mock the Lord.