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Originally Posted by Peter Debelak
That is, you raised the notion that kids might not be ready or want the Bible itself, and yet you instead engage them to think about the world from a "Christian" perspective, knowing they don't have the underlying faith required to interact with it.
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Actually my thought is by HS via their parents and church meetings they would probably have a foundational faith in terms of the basics. Any "teaching" after that would have to be on practical issues they are actually facing: sex, relationships, porn, decision making process, career choices, drugs and alcohol abuse, how to respectfully interact with people of different faiths, peer pressure, boundaries, suicide, anger at God, handling loss and disappointments, etc. And how that "teaching" is done in my view would be more effective in conversational small group settings.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Debelak
My dad has always had an interesting perspective: don't necessarily raise kids as "Christians." Raise them to aspire to be the best "whatever" they can be. Inspire them to achieve, to be good to others, to work hard and to have integrity in what they do. Teach them to seek after truth. First, they will have a rewarding experience. But secondly, they will ultimately come face to face with their inherent fallibility.
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I like this too. Raise them to be decent human beings and inspire them to achieve their goals. Nothing wrong with that!
Regardless of the theory or methods used my thought and experience is HS kids don't need doctrine or Bible teaching in the general sense of the word. They need practical advise where the rubber meets the road regarding issues they are facing to help them as human beings to arrive into adulthood intact emotionally, socially and spiritually.