whats with this whole "crhist died for our sins" thing?

Question

being a good pagan, i encourage my kids to learn about other religions. when my son was little he attended different youths groups of different faiths. my kids have always been taught to respect the traditions set out at these. one christian group he went to at age 6-8 sent him home with some pamplets. these were talking about how he is a sinner and jesus died for him. i couldn't believe how this brainwashing could be going on in this religion! i comforted my son by telling him he has never ever sinned and nobody died for him! that is a terrible burden to put on a child's shoulders. this is how the church gains so much control over people, by using guilt! i still encourage my kids (ages 9, 12, 15) to learn about other faiths, but i warn them about the techniques used to gain followers. comments?

Answer 1

Good for you.

Answer 2

I am sorry that you are putting up with all these zealots on here right now.
I hear what you are saying, with placing such a guilt thing on top of a kid.
(If you others don't understand, let me spell it out. THIS GUY JUST DIED FOR YOU, SHOULDN'T YOU BELIEVE IN HIM?!?)
I know that guilt is a weapon, just like hate and responsibility for something that other people want of you. While I know people say the religions mean well, I cannot believe that when they tamper with emotions you have to get them to join them.
Religion is a game of faith, not a game of your feelings.
The whole brainwashing thing is terrible too. Sending small kids at the age of 5 to a religous study is brainwashing, whether you like it or not. Kids learn from everything at that time, so sending them there all the time is BRAINWASHING. Simple as that.

Answer 3

I was raised southern baptist. Even at 4 I was disturbed and revolted at the idea of this perfect, all-ood god sacrificing his innocent son to a tortuous death. Now it reminds me of nothing so much as human sacrifice. Christianity was preceeded by many other religions and absorbed their beliefs and traditions. This one is the least admirable.

It reminds me of the wearing of crossses. What an insult! A loathesome custom, very crass. Take him as man or myth (where was he from age 12 to 30 btw? among many other ludicrous contradictions and absudities, such as the gurds falling asleep at his cross--they would have been crucified temselves for dereliction of duty!) he did preach love peace charity. The poor fellow deserves a better remembrance than the very instrument of his hideous death! I can't stomach reminders of such gore and cruelty.

Answer 4

perhaps the wording was a little stronger for a 6-8 year old. It is the truth but you are right in saying that is burden some children can't take on. My children have been raised in a Christian environment and have always known Christ died for them. They are 4 and 9 and my little ones love Christ and think it is awesome that he loved them that much. Its all the way it is presented to them. You can not present it in a blame manner like it sounds like that church did. We never say because you sin christ died.. We say that Christ died so that our sins could be forgiven and we can go to heaven. Big difference. I thinkits awesome that you let your children go to different religions. I have tried to let my older child experience different religions - so she will know about them and help her understand differences in people.
I don't think its brain washing. It was just an improper phrasing of the truth of Jesus Christ.

Answer 5

All religions use "brainwashing" to teach the aspects of that religion. In the Christian religion the Bible tells us that through the disobedience of Adam and Eve in that they ate of the fruit of knowledge that ALL men have become sinners. God set up through Moses, the ten commandments, but men, being human continually turned their backs on God and worshiped other gods. God then made another covenant with the world, He sent his Son to die on the cross, as a perfect sacrifice, to deliver the world from those sins.

Answer 6

Are you a good person? What a question, most of us believe that we are good people because we can look around and find someone that is far worse than we are. We can always point to the things that we think make us a good person.

But how good are we really? Dare we take this test and look at ourselves and see if we really are good? Hmmm.

If you are willing try this and see just how good a person you are.

The Good Person Test.

How will you do? Pass or fail?


Have you ever told a lie?
Doesn't matter how big or small, just a lie.
What does that make you? Before answering think about this, if I told you a lie what would you call me? A liar?

Have you ever stolen anything? Cost doesn't matter, a piece of gum, failed to give back an ink pen that you borrowed, anything.
What does that make you?

Jesus said, "You know the saying of old, you shall not commit adultery but I say that if look at someone to lust after them you have committed adultery in your heart.
Have you ever lusted?

Jesus said that hate is equal to murder.
Have you ever hated anyone?

See one day we all are going to stand before a Holy God on Judgment Day and he is going to judge us based on His Holy Law, the Ten Commandments. These are just 4 of them and how did you do? Guilty? I have broken all of these and more, what about you? How well will you do on Judgment Day?

If we break just one point of God's Law we are guilty of breaking all the law and Gods Wrath abides upon us all. Based on God's Law we are all guilty and all are deserving of punishment. But there is an out for us.

Jesus paid the price for each one of us, took on himself God's Wrath so we wouldn't have to face it on our own. Jesus was beaten, battered, bleed and died so we wouldn't have to face God's Wrath. He rose again so that we would life in his presence. Our crimes, His payment.

The real question is where will you stand on Judgment Day. Pay yourself or have it paid for you. Think about it.

Answer 7

It's about a religion where a father sends his son to be disgraced on earth, crucified, and shed his blood to be able to forgive sinners. A sadistic father is never a good father.

Answer 8

You can teach your children what ever you want, but if it is not the truth they may grow up and miss out on being in heave one day to spend eternity with Jesus. It is not a physical thing but a spiritual thing, we meaning you ,me, our children, were all born in to sin through Adam sin, and the only way we can get rid of that sin is through a spiritual birth, through the blood of Jesus.read John chapter 3 verses 1 through 6. King James Version. Now Romans chapter 5 explains all this.

Answer 9

Why do you encourage him to learn and then slant what he learns when he gets home? He is only still learning what you want him to. Parents with children are not teaching their children about God hardly at all today and they are all wearing t shirts with skulls on them and swearing like there is no tomorrow and suicide is way up and everything else. It seems to me they should learn about Jesus dieing for them before they just want to die themselves.

Answer 10

Yes, Jesus died for the sins of the world. We were born under the curse of Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. If your son is old enough to understand that Christ died for him, then instead of trying to comfort him with your words you should carry him to the nearest Christian, whether it be in Church or on the street and have the plan of Salvation explain to him and yourself. If not you will one day be sorry for this, because he and your other children may find Salvation on their own, then one day you will be looking up from the pits of hell and you will see them rejoicing in the arms of Jesus with no memory of you. Because there will be no sadness in Heaven and if they could remember you and think of you in hell they would be sad. The best thing to do is except Jesus and assure that you and your children will be together in Heaven. Another thing that could happen if they don't except Jesus and end up in hell with you, you will all hate one another because their is no love in hell. And their blood will be on your hands

Answer 11

It's not a guilt trip, it's how God works. It goes back to Judaism, when people would do animal sacrifices to relieve them of their sin. They transfer their sin to the lamb, then because God cannot look at the lamb, they sacrifice it. They burn it and give their sin to God in reconciliation. The lamb is completely innocent, takes on the person's sin, and dies. In Jesus' case, He did it for everyone's sin, past, present, and future. He took on the sin of the whole world, and conquered death (the idea of death as totally final eternal damnation, and that there's no way you can make it to heaven), and rose from the dead, as He said He would.

Everyone sins. Has your son ever disobeyed you? Then he sinned against you. God told us in the Bible what he does and doesn't want. It's that simple. When we sin against him, as your son sins against you, he forgives us, as you forgive your son. All it takes is repentance.

I know my answer isn't going to cause you to change your ways, and trust me that's not my goal, or my job. You see this "brainwashing" the same way I see that dateline show about radical Islam brainwashing kids to hate the west and America. Freaking scary. I just suggest that you read the Bible to see what God has to say about it instead of me, because trust me, He'll say it better than I can.