Mother Talkers

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  • well, I said I did believe (0 / 0)

    in God because there was cake for those who said it.  I may have been a heathen, but I wasn't stupid!

    I also roped all the neighbor kids into coming to my Sunday School one time, because whoever brought the most new kids got an airplane ride.  Yeah, I'm a sucker for incentives.

    Mama to one son, born 12/93.

    by mamacita on Sun May 04, 2008 at 04:51:38 PM PDT

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    • I'm easy (0 / 0)

      I'd have done it for a shiny sticker! :)

      by Suzanne77 on Sun May 04, 2008 at 05:00:37 PM PDT

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    • That's a little warped.... (0 / 0)

      Or maybe it's just me. But you got a prize for dragging in other kids? Okay...it's warped in a sort of funny way. I'm smiling. But still warped. :)

      Mum to DD, born 6/04 and DS, born 4/06, and no more!

      by aussieyank on Sun May 04, 2008 at 05:22:01 PM PDT

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      • Warped, maybe. (0 / 0)

        However, its  a pretty standard mega church tactic.  Alas, I'm no purist....one time I allowed my kids to help out one of their friends this way.  They won a limo ride...and I let them go.

        by tjb22 on Sun May 04, 2008 at 05:24:34 PM PDT

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        • a limo ride?! (0 / 0)

          How ... incongruous. Does a limo pass easily through the eye of a needle?! ;-P

          by Rachel on Sun May 04, 2008 at 05:28:41 PM PDT

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        • I'm a big fan (0 / 0)

          Of using the system!! You want to give me free stuff for sitting there? Great!

          Mum to DD, born 6/04 and DS, born 4/06, and no more!

          by aussieyank on Sun May 04, 2008 at 05:32:57 PM PDT

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          • If only I could find a church (0 / 0)

            that provided free college...we'd be all set.

            by tjb22 on Sun May 04, 2008 at 05:34:06 PM PDT

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            • be careful what you wish for (0 / 0)

              it could be free tuition to Falwell's college... Now there's a dilemma.

              by Rachel on Sun May 04, 2008 at 05:37:07 PM PDT

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              • I'm not too worried... (0 / 0)

                those folks don't believe in giving away education, even their version of education.  Free college?  Downright un-American and certainly not Christian.

                by tjb22 on Sun May 04, 2008 at 05:39:08 PM PDT

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              • snicker.... (0 / 0)

                I grew up 45 minutes from Falwell's college. They had the best haunted house in the entire state at Halloween! But you had to sit through a prayer session afterwards. And they said "if at this time you're ready to accept Jesus into your life, just raise your head and look at us". I always wondered if anyone ever did..

                Mum to DD, born 6/04 and DS, born 4/06, and no more!

                by aussieyank on Sun May 04, 2008 at 05:39:54 PM PDT

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                • My Baptist friend (0 / 0)

                  actually had the preacher do that AT HER WEDDING! He waited so long for someone to get "saved"... and there I was in 4 inch heels as a bridesmaid... I almost gave hime the signal just to end it.

                  by Suzanne77 on Sun May 04, 2008 at 05:46:22 PM PDT

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                  • OMGOODNESS! (0 / 0)

                    That would have been awful.

                    Once, I took Zach (maybe age 10 or 11 at the time) to an inspirational talk by a someone who survived the 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center, I believe. At the end, the man suddenly did this "call to the front" ... and he did it this way: If you love Jesus, raise your hand and come forward, but only if you love Jesus."

                    I looked at Z, he looked at me, and I was like, "What am I going to do? Of course I love Jesus." So, we sheepishly raised our hands and got swept up to the front, and when they tried to make us go to a back room of the church for Bible counseling of some sort, we fled! We were horrified. That was a dirty trick, to make you feel like you'd be saying you didn't love Jesus if you didn't participate.

                    Mother of Zach, 9/91, and Mia, 12/06

                    by Kay on Tue May 06, 2008 at 07:25:09 AM PDT

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              • No, not really a dilemma (0 / 0)

                that school's not even accredited! There are limits!

                Actually my church helped a lot of kids with scholarship money. We were just a small parish though not a mega-church. I read somewhere that a Mega church in Co. didn't hold any Christmas services last year, so people could hang out with their families... I was like, "What???"

                by Suzanne77 on Sun May 04, 2008 at 05:40:32 PM PDT

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      • definitely warped (0 / 0)

        It went the other way, too.  Once at church camp we were at a campfire and the group leader said "throw a piece of wood on the fire if you believe that Jesus Christ is your Savior."  Then he bullied us -- "We're going to stay here a l-o-o-o-o-n-g time, just so you can't go back to your cabin and say 'I was just about to throw a piece of wood but I ran out of time.'"

        I didn't throw a piece of wood into the fire and was pretty much punished for the rest of the week.  I do much better with positive reinforcements than with punishment.

        Mama to one son, born 12/93.

        by mamacita on Sun May 04, 2008 at 05:39:45 PM PDT

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