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The Conversation Continues: Reader's Comments
Readers respond to Leslie Leyland Fields's "The Myth of the Perfect Parent"

Displaying 1–10 of 47 comments.

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Nicole Wells

February 09, 2014  7:25am

I did not want to post 2 comments, but this site leaves me no choice. (continued from last comment) What would be the point of bringing a child into this world if I did not have the reassurance that he/she could not be snatched out of God's hands at any time (assuming that I brought him/her up in the ways of the Lord)? Sure, my child might wander as a lost sheep for several years after leaving the nest (or even before that)-- heck, they might spend the majority of their lives playing lost sheep-- but the promise (as I believe it to be) written in Proverbs 22:6 suggests that my child will be brought back to the Lord BEFORE the end of their time on Earth. Without this promise, I would be too terrified to have children. That's why I say to people, "If you feel that there is a contradiction in the Bible, then you're not reading it with the Holy Spirit."

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Nicole Wells

February 09, 2014  7:17am

I loved this article. It was very well-written and contained many good points. That being said, I did not agree at all with this part: "Proverbs 22:6...are not promises from God, but general observations and maxims. (Ironically, if King Solomon did pen this proverb, as many biblical scholars believe, he himself failed to exemplify its truth..." First off, nothing exists in the Bible unless it is true, for the Spirit of God is with the writers of the Bible. If we start making assumptions that parts of the Bible are simply observations of men and not Godly FACT, then everything written in the Bible is brought into question. Secondly, we do not know how David raised up his child (we only know what he instructs Solomon to do before his death), nor we do know whether Solomon made in into Heaven despite his shortcomings. It is therefore wrong to imply that Solomon's situation contradicts what is written in Proverbs.

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Terrible

January 22, 2010  8:09am

This article is ridiculous. We should just quit parenting altogether if it's just a matter of DNA and chance. It's simply worldly ideas coming into the church through an articulate and deceptive presentation.

Reader

January 21, 2010  12:04pm

This is a very well thought out article. My husband and I are praying to be blessed with children and this article is so encouraging. Very well done.

Madelin

January 20, 2010  3:58pm

This is one of the best, authentic, practical and thought provoking article on parenting I have read in awhile. It places this parenting thing in perspective. Parents need to realize that we are not God, Savior Jesus, nor the Holy Spirit in the lives of our children, spouse, siblings, friends, etc. I loved the reminder from parents from scripture and ultimatly Father God whose children failed miserably by sin. Is that a reflection on Father God? I think not. God is good, wise, loving, sovereign. I applaud the writer for daring to blaze a trail and speak the truth in love.

Karen

January 18, 2010  2:23pm

This was great. The title made me a little uneasy at first and made me wonder where the article was going... but the reference to Ezekiel and the conclusion really tied it up well. Thanks!

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Susan Messer

January 16, 2010  4:06pm

This was an excellent article, one of the best I have read recently in Christianity Today. Being a mother of three children, it has been disappointing to read countless books and articles written from a "biblical viewpoint" that only produce more guilt or more pride, depending on how I am doing as a parent. This article points us to a God who comes to us, who never sees us as failures, and who stays faithful to us. That is the God I desire to worship, who my heart longs to serve, a God who redeems my failures and weaknesses as a woman and a mother. That is the God I long for my children to know, and I applaud Leslie Leyland Fields for having courage to point us to faith in a God of grace, rather than giving us another formula to live by as parents.

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Joe

January 16, 2010  12:03pm

Someone, I think you miss my point, which is that many parents of today resent their parents on a blanket basis. Though not even a close analogy, the Chinese Communist Revolution took the strategy of "denouncing the parents". We must be careful to not have an "arrogant" attitude that "my parents are not good" without appreciating the good elements of their efforts.

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Someone

January 14, 2010  8:05pm

Joe, I would hope that parents in ANY generation would not be eager to repeat their parents' mistakes. Do you suggest we simply accept the status quo? In my case, I was raised in a non-Christian home where I received a great deal of misinformation on who God is. Should I throw my hands up and not try to guide my child to the Truth? Yes, I will undoubtedly make mistakes of my own. However, I would not call my mission to be a better parent "arrogant."

Joe

January 14, 2010  4:10pm

I think a contributing factor to the problems faced by the parents of this generation is that they resent their own parents, thinking that their made a lot of mistakes. The parents of this generation believe they can be better parents than their own parents. This sense of "arrogance" brings a lot of pressure.

Displaying 1–10 of 47 comments.

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