12 Step Program

[Bro Jim]

12 Steps to Raise A

Juvenile Delinquent

1 Begin with infancy to give the child everything he wants. In this way he will grow up to believe the world owes him a living.
2 When he picks up bad words, laugh at him. This will make him think he’s cute.
3 Never give him any spiritual training. Wait until he is twenty-one and then let "him decide for himself".
4 Avoid the use of "wrong". He may develop a guilt complex. This will condition him to believe later, when he is arrested, that society is against him and he is being persecuted.
5 Pick up everything he leaves lying around. Do everything for him so that he will be experienced in throwing all responsibility on others.
6 Take his part against neighbors, teachers, and policemen. They are all prejudiced against your child.
7 Quarrel frequently in the presence of your children. In this way they won’t be so shocked when the home is broken up later.
8 Give the child all the spending money he wants. Never let him earn his own.
9 Satisfy his every craving for food, drink, and comfort. See that his every sensual desire is gratified.
10 Let him read any printed material, and listen to any music he can get his hands on. Be careful that the silverware and drinking glasses are sterilized, but let his mind feast on garbage.
11 When he gets into real trouble, apologize to yourself by saying, "I could never do anything with him."
12 Prepare for a life of grief. You will likely have it.

Taken from a pamphlet e

nt

itled

Twelve Rules for Raising Delinque

nt

Children

distributed by the Houston Police Departme

nt

.

And, ye fathers, provoke n

ot

your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will n

ot

depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his m

ot

her to shame.

Proverbs 29:15

Children,

ob

ey your pare

nt

s in all things: for this is well pleasing u

nt

o the Lord.

Colossians 3:20

Edited February 23, 2011 by Bro Jim

[John81]

Our pastor touches upon this often. He points out that after all these years of pastoring he's still amazed to hear Christian parents who say, and really believe, they shouldn't "force their views on their children" and they plan to just "let them decide for themselves when they get older". Totally unbiblical and totally setting those children up for disaster.

As our pastor likes to point out, if the parents don't show them and instruct them in the right (Christian) way, then virtually everything they will be exposed to will be anti-Christian and ungodly. Given that fact, how can the children even have a chance to "decide for themselves" when they have only been exposed to the worlds ways?

Sins of ommission are very dangerous, especially where children are concerned.

Good post brother!

[trc123]

At what age is a boy a man? Is it the age that modern day western society deems it to be? 18, 19, 20, 21, etc............... Or is it the traditional Jewish age for bar mitzvah? 13

Depending upon one's understanding of Scriptures, coupled with their answer to the above question you may have a very different view about the how and when a child becomes an adult and thus how the parent-child relationship then moves forward.

[John81]

At what age is a boy a man? Is it the age that modern day western society deems it to be? 18, 19, 20, 21, etc............... Or is it the traditional Jewish age for bar mitzvah? 13

Depending upon one's understanding of Scriptures, coupled with their answer to the above question you may have a very different view about the how and when a child becomes an adult and thus how the parent-child relationship then moves forward.

Good point. The answer is, there is not "one size fits all" answer. Each child is an individual and should be trained, instructed and treated as such. If a child has reached the point of being a young man by the age of 13 he should be accepted as such, trained, instructed and treated as such. If another child doesn't reach that point until they are older, then their instruction and such should be in accord with that child.

A great disservice done to children and youth in America is to set arbitrary birthdates as holding the key to adulthood and other things. Individual maturity is much more important.

At 14 my Dad dropped out of school, got a full-time job and carried his own weight at home as a young man. For myself, I would not have been prepared for such when I was 14. Our oldest son has never exhibited adult maturity while our youngest son began exhibiting some well before he reached 13.

[Bro Jim]

At what age is a boy a man? Is it the age that modern day western society deems it to be? 18, 19, 20, 21, etc............... Or is it the traditional Jewish age for bar mitzvah? 13

Depending upon one's understanding of Scriptures, coupled with their answer to the above question you may have a very different view about the how and when a child becomes an adult and thus how the parent-child relationship then moves forward.

Time and again in the OT the age that men were called to service, war, service in the temple, etc, was twenty years of age, would that be considered the "age of accountability?

[John81]

Time and again in the OT the age that men were called to service, war, service in the temple, etc, was twenty years of age, would that be considered the "age of accountability?

No. The age when one has the capacity to choose or reject God/Christ, and is therefore accountable for the condition of their eternal soul, various from person to person, but almost always occurs well before 20.