(1) Are you a parent?
(2) I agree that some children do respond only to the "wishes of their parents" and that their choice to become a Christian may not be entirely, sincerely their own. But again, at some point, ultimately it IS THEY who must choose for themselves...no one, not even parents, can know the true nature of a person's heart, and parents cannot "choose" salvation for their children. It must be of their own volition. We can lead them, but we can't make them "drink the water."
Yes, I am, proudly! :-)
(2) I agree that some children do respond only to the "wishes of their parents" and that their choice to become a Christian may not be entirely, sincerely their own. But again, at some point, ultimately it IS THEY who must choose for themselves...no one, not even parents, can know the true nature of a person's heart, and parents cannot "choose" salvation for their children. It must be of their own volition. We can lead them, but we can't make them "drink the water."
Agreed. As parents, we all (well, some sickos don't...) want the best for our children. Is it natural for us to want our children to share our beliefs? I suppose so. The thing that gets me is when some people assert that "little Jimmy chose to go to church" or "little Jane accepted Christ as her savior" all by themselves, when they aren't even old enough to fully understand what they are being taught. Seriesly, that's all. Nothing would make me happier than if my children grow up and accept some kind of faith via their own volition. But I will not lead them down one path; I will allow them to explore them all. What they choose to do and what path they decide to take will be up to them. That being said, I WILL intervene if they decide to become Democrats! ;-)