Jack Naneek discusses a monk’s enlightenment as he walks through the market. Our binary world is examined and compared with the less binary views of the East. Maybe the atonement represents a transition between the two? In the end, we realize we might be able to understand life as more than just a series of on and off switches.
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Great as usual, I can listen to you all day.
Odd thing is I’ve heard that phrase before, everything here is great, the best, and I’ve groaned over the comment.
May have to listen again should I want to remove my binary thinking and start using fuzzy logic.
So enjoy your perspective!!
Jack,
Can we have a podcast that address children no longer willing to be active in the church we love?
I’m not sure what the best way to encourage them except take away their privileges and there will come a point in time where that won’t work anymore, so I need better options than you have to do it because we tell you.
Even though church is messy it’s among the things that I know best, and I want them to continue being part of the club/tribe that I know so well? Not sure if those are the best words.. perhaps we can exchange some emails on this topic.
This would be a great topic. I wish I were any kind of expert regarding it! Having said that, happy to exchange emails
LDS Parenting guru Glenn Latham wrote and lectured on this topic. He passed away in 2001 while trying to finish a book on this topic. I was supposed to get a copy of the unfinished transcript but it fell through. Dr. Latham said to not punish kids (or spouse) for not going to church. Make going a good experience, not a forced goodness experience (that other brother’s plan).
Keep your positive attitude whether they go or not and do not be smug on condescending , disappointed, guilting, shaming or angry (you are modeling the type of Jesus and father in heaven they will then conceive – good loving ones or angry ones). Do not give other children treats in front of them for going and rub it in if they chose not to go. Instead you might sit down to icecream all together and talk about what we each learned or liked in church today.
Show your positive expectations to go as a family but without force if they rebel: “I love it when you go with us/me, I’ll miss you, be good. I love you.” He said that punishing them or giving them negative consequences and guilt trips on church issues drives them away from you, God and the church. Kids put two and two together.
Latham treats this a bit differently than other discipline and possessive reinforcement parenting. I tried it with my kids and it helped the resistance, to me and to that angry God like I had been. And I felt better, even when they chose not to go. And they didn’t all follow the one child who did not go, because they liked the positive experience.
Now, bullying in church, that’s another issue that can drive kids out of the church and religion altogether, and the church could make great strides of Christlike example by addressing and modeling this issue. Bullying is a behavior often mirrored from selfrighteous leaders and parents who don’t follow these rules of Christlike conduct, but would rather bully members and children into proper conduct (that other brother’s plan to force salvation).
So my son went on a mission to Italy left the church my second son went on a mission to Georgia left the church number two son has children wife goes to church pretty regularly teaches classes too. Children are invited to come and mostly say no. However I as grandma Am not concerned because both parents teach them to be honest loving helpful kind wonderful people and they will do just fine in life even though they’re not in Church. I consider all of them regardless of their church activity to be celestial kingdom material.
Great perspective, in my mind everyone is Mormon, but some (most) people just don’t know it yet.
That was really good. Now, I do know Jack. Actually after thinking on this overnight it came to me that the views by the prophets of the bible are very different one from another, even contradicting each other, and God. The words of men are not always the words of God, as we know from modern leaders as well.
This Jonah example seems to almost show that angry narcissistic God, but a more balanced God letting us learn lessons and maybe not so micromanaging angry after all? Almost? But Jonah can be a good parable nonetheless.