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Re: More On Kid Preachers
Sad that he is obviously being exploited, but that doesn't call the child's personal sincerity into question. I agree with the reporter that he seems concerned with pleasing his father and grandma.
Hopefully when he gets older he will put it into perspective, and not let the actions of greedy people skew his relationship with God.
As for the topic generally speaking, I have known some children who were VERY devout, and VERY sincere, who were not simply mimicking their elders. We need to be careful about calling the sincerity of others into question, without just cause.
And even those who do mimic what they have seen--I'm not sure I see harm in it. Stephen, what would you tell your girls if they were playing, and you found them pretending to preach a sermon, or praying for each other? Would that deserve a rebuke? Is it cute? Is there something wrong with it? What would your response be?
I do see harm in capitalizing on childish behavior, for personal gain. Past a certain age, I see harm in encouraging mimicry rather than personal relationship with God. But for very small children, I don't see the point in stopping their mimicry, unless it's disruptive or offensive to others.
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"God, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours."
--David Livingstone
"To see no being, not God’s or any, but you also go thither,
To see no possession but you may possess it—enjoying all without labor or purchase—
abstracting the feast, yet not abstracting one particle of it;…."
--Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, Song of the Open Road
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