Children's Fears Are Real? Are Ours?

Children’s Fears Are Real?   Are Ours?

          Ghosts, goblins, the bogyman, dragons, shadows that dance, witches, monsters and the dark where these things live, were very scary to you as a young child. You weren’t a scardy cat, but you knew they would creep into your room when the lights were turned off. It takes some kids longer to realize that these fears are all only figments of the imagination and nothing that can hurt you. Add Satan, the devil, the prince of darkness, to that list of fearful, foolish fears. Satan was Not created by God any more than the other imaginary fears were and Satan is no more real.

          What did you look forward to? The sandman for pleasant dreams, the tooth fairy that left money under your pillow, Halloween for trick or treat, your birthday because you were the center of attraction, the Easter bunny with his basket of chocolate candy eggs, and the best of all; Santa Clause with the parties and all the presents you want under the tree? These are not scary stories of things that go bump in the night. These are cute little stories that your parents entertained you with to keep you happy. You can add god to this list.

          Yes, I realize what I just said. The god most people believe in today is a made-up, ineffective, weak, copy of Santa Clause. Ask 10 kids around 12 years old what Easter and Christmas mean to them. Their answers will shock you. Neither Easter nor Christmas have any deep religious meaning. The schools names Easter a spring break. Christmas is a winter holiday. Churches are closing their doors for lack of attendance. Why?

          I imagine that you are too young to remember the “Christian Revival? When a charismatic preacher would deliver a Hell-Fire and Brimstone sermon. “Adam and Eve sinned. You are all sinners headed for Hell” People screamed and cried and swore they would never sin again. They didn’t until the preacher packed up his tent and left town. That was our cue to go back to our guilty sins.

          That message sort of morphed into, “Maybe sin isn’t your fault. There is this creature, a devil, called Satan, which has been giving god a hard time. This devil is out to “get you.” Eventually the devil and god will have a battle, with all of their forces, for supremacy. Naturally god will win this battle.

          The next stage was, “Ask God for anything your heart desires. He is our Father and He wants us to be happy.” At least god is now respected as God. It didn’t last long. When people realized that by their birthright they could lead the good life, they lost interest in the God that was taking care of them.

          There are two new destructive religions taking over the world today.

          Race Consciousness: This is where a statement repeated over and over becomes an undisputed fact to unthinking folks all over the world, regardless of how baseless in Truth. [The world is flat. Global warming.] You can’t accept everything that you hear, regardless of how often you hear it.

          This newest one is more dangerous. “Secular Humanism.” It is being taught in schools. Not as a religion, but as scientific facts. As science it isn’t open to debate. We send our children to school to learn, and they believe what they are taught.

          “Secular Humanism” believes: Man is merely an evolved animal, [Darwin’s theory of evolution is still theory and has not been proven] The Bible is a myth. God does not exist. Sex is purely a biological function with nothing sacred about it. [You have seen how sex without love has worked out] Everything is relative and absolute truth does not exist. Man does it all alone.

          Isn’t it a pity that we went from the dark ages with superstitious fears to modern technology where we feel no need for divine help? That in the 2000 years in between we have completely ignored the message that Jesus brought. I won’t preach to you. It will mean more when you read it yourself. The God Jesus gave us is far superior to any the world has offered.

          I don’t think of myself as an animal. I am not the sinful off-spring of Adam and Eve. I am the beloved child of the Father-Mother-Creator-God. The only Power, the only Authority with nothing and no thing that can oppose.

God Is!   Can we ask for more?

       748 words                     Loretta Ellen Edwards