I just received a most disturbing email from Hazel over at Facebook telling me of this request from Jean who blogs at The Virtuous Woman:
Have bad news the NSPCC have tracked me down. They have found me and knocked on my door today. I am abusing Nakai emotionally. They could take her away.
Jean
Your prayers are urgently needed as Jean stands almost alone to fight against those bent on taking her daughter away just because it’s deemed cruel to “emotionally abuse” one’s child when the latter realizes that she can never be good or saved without faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
For the background to this request, please read this post by Jean.
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I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many responses on a blog that were filled with such hatred for her raising her child as a Christian. I stopped reading at about #50. (now there are 293 posts most of them filled with Satanic hatred) I feel for this woman and will be praying for her.
There is something a little off about this. There is such a thing as the age of accountability for children and 4 is too young to be burdened with such things.
I hope they are just trying to scare her. In my opinion, she should have deleted all those hate comments and hopefully the situation would not degenerate to such a state. Comment moderation is always good, and causes less heartache in the long term.
As I read the comments on her entry, my heart fell as it does pretty much every day that I read comments on similar sermon clips and the like. The radical depravity of man stands firm in those comments. And so I prayed as I read, and that’s when Matthew 7:6 came back to mind, a passage I have had some trouble with before became all too clear today:
Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet and turn and tear you to pieces.
Perhaps it’s time that we take that warning a bit more seriously. We mean well and we want for the world to know and understand and love God as we do and to celebrate with us when we see such beautiful victories in the people and parts of our lives most precious to us. Our sisters and brothers will, but the world won’t. The world will trample them underfoot and then turn and tear us to pieces. That much has been made abundantly clear through this. I pray for them all, and for us all. God is good. The world may mean it for evil, but He always means it for good.
Isaiah,
I linked to your posts about this. It is so sad, but to be expected. That is the way that things seem to be heading. Before long it will be abuse to not allow children to do what ever they want.
Praying for Jean and her family,
Berean Wife
THIS IS A MIRACLE! How can a four year old knows only jesus can change our wicked heart? I think we have to put our trust in god . Surely god loves that little child even more than her own mother and will give what is best to his own children. Lets pray for them!
We are praying for the family. What a tragedy.
I’m glad to hear this. I sincerely hope that she does lose her children.
Good. She deserves to have that child taken away so she can be raised in a real loving home where she won’t be considered a ‘wretched girl and a wretched sinner’. She is neither, she is a child of four who most probably can’t spell words with more than four letters.
What in the world? How dare they? I’m furious!!! May God punish the soul who picked up the phone to call the NSPCC?
I hope the little girl is in a better family by now, a loving foster family that someday may be able to adopt her- that woman is NUTS.
More proof that the world hates Christ - the true, Biblical Christ and His gospel, that is
Praying for Jean and her daughter. The negative response of many reminds me of early Christian days when nonbelievers thought that Christians were cannibals because of communion :”this is my blood which is shed for you, this is my body which is broken for you.” So much is born of ignorance. We should respond with love to them, but with wise watching against the attacks of this world that we should expect in these days.
What Jean did not say -along with the truths her daughter has already learned, I hope that Jesus’ message of forgiveness and love when “missing the mark” is also being communicated to her daughter. It’s the other piece of the puzzle. I pray for wisdom for Jean and protection for her and her daughter.
Wow, I’m amazed at how those who point this out as child abuse are such “brave” anonymous folks! Having a child who realizes the truth is child abuse while taking a child away from her mom is not? Hm…
Excellent. Tormenting a child in such a manner is emotional abuse. This little girl deserves to be raised as a little girl. Not some creature filled with so called sin. She’s four years old…four…she should be playing with dolls and learning to read…not be called a “wretched sinner” on a daily basis.
@ Sabazinus:
It’s obvious you didn’t actually read what was posted at Jean’s blog since it looks like you’re just jumping into the fray to condemn her because, well, it’s fun for you (I guess).
More amazing is the sheer number of folks who read their own stuff between the lines and twist what Jean said ….never seen so many straw men in my life.
Referencing an above comment and several I’ve seen on the other site….
Jean did NOT say that she calls her daughter a wretched sinner every day of her life to her face. She said she is honest with her about her behavior, good or bad, and that she is not perfect, none of us is and cannot be, apart from Christ, and yes in God’s eyes that IS sin and sin is what separates us from God. Christ ’s sacrifice on the Cross, laying down His life and taking upon Himself the wrath of God, the justice of God that we are due so that we don’t have to face it and can then come to God, is correct. That is what TRUE Christianity IS. Romans 3 is very clear about our depravity, as is Genesis 3 and Genesis 6 and Psalm 5 and Isaiah 59. That’s biblical. Esteeming Christ (the Creator) over self (the created) is Biblically correct. Not lying to your child is also biblically correct. Submitting to Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, agreeing with Him about our sinful state and then turning from that and depending on Him, He who is always faithful, always loving and ready to forgive when we REPENT; this is a good thing. But forgiveness does not come apart from repentance. And repentance cannot come if we don’t believe we’ve done anything wrong.
No Isaiah, I did read her blog entry. More than once in fact. Relying on that kind of reply is a pretty weak argument at best. The woman may think she’s doing this in the best interest of her child, and I can tell that she loves her child dearly, but it’s going to leave the child with oh so many scars emotionally.
I tried to edit the above (I wish you had a preview) but I wasn’t able to, sorry if my references had a typo.
And Barbara, Jean comes right out at the end of her post and says, “She is a wretched little girl, who knows she is a wretched sinner who needs only a good saviour to help her” See? She’s saying that her own daughter is a wretched sinner. She doesn’t admit to saying this to her daughters face, but this is what she thinks of her own daughter. A four year old.
@ Sabazinus:
And you know this, how?
It doesn’t look like you’ve really read it, despite your claim that you’ve read her blog entry more than once especially since there’s nothing there to suggest that she calls her daughter a wretch daily or to her face.
@ Sabazinus:
Sure, what’s next? Calling your child naughty and mischievous will soon be child abuse too?
She’s just stating the truth, and sadly, you just can’t handle it.
No, Isaiah, I wouldn’t suggest that calling a child naughty would be child abuse…that’s YOUR straw man argument.
I’m basing my statements on what she has written, in her own blog. That’s how I know this. Reading comprehension is my friend.
The truth? No. She’s not stating the truth. Her daugter is four years old…she doesn’t even know what the concept of sin is. Try again.
I think now might be a good time to implement comment moderation, as Daniel suggested.
Al Mohler has a very timely post today regarding even SECULAR concern about a study showing that kids think too much of themselves and need a reality check: http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=2773
Dear reader:
I’ve received more comments on this subject but those won’t be seen.
Here’s a piece of advice: If you’re thinking of passing off snide remarks or even rejoicing at the fact that her child might be taken away from her, don’t bother — your comments will not be approved.
“The truth? No. She’s not stating the truth. Her daugter (sic) is four years old…she doesn’t even know what the concept of sin is. ”
For once, I will agree with you on this, Sabazinus. Truly, the child wouldn’t really know what the concept of sin is, in fact, at any given age, no man is capable of knowing what the concept of sin is unless God enables him to.
In Jean’s daughter’s case, you are clearly underestimating God’s power. The child may not know on her own capacity, but God has clearly shown her so and no one has the right to argue with that.
What gives you the foreknowledge that Jean was not telling the truth? How sure are you that what Jean wrote was fabricated? In what capacity do you base your judgment?
Is there any more news about this? Have been greatly disturbed ever since I heard about it.
@ Susanna:
I’ve been away but I’ll check and help update if there’s any. I’m quite sure Jean appreciates your concern, Susanna.
Isaiah
If I come across as rude or gloating I apologise now but I do have a few questions for you. Some things I will say will be blasphemous and may offend but I really don’t know how else to explain what I think of the situation.
Why does your God create people as born sinners in the first place?
If you accept the premise that you start off created by God tainted, wretched and worthless that to me shows God has made you guilty until proven worthy enough to not get sent to hell.
Am I to understand this is because of the actions of Adam and Eve?
I have been over Genesis 2 and 3 in the Bible over and over again, nowhere does it say, if we are to take the Bible at its literal best, that Adam or Eve had an iota of a clue about the ramifications of their actions until after they had eaten the fruit - from a tree placed by God in Eden in easy reach of them which they persuaded to eat by a talking snake, that was also created by God - the whole scenario is one whole set up. Until they ate the fruit how would they have understood God’s command to eat of anything in the Garden except that particular fruit?
If this is the case, that God intended this to happen, do you not think that puts human kind in an awkward situation?
For what are your choices after you are born a wretched good for nothing sinner?
1) Believe you are worthless in God’s eyes and continue to torture and plague yourself throughout your life, praying as hard as you can for redemption for a crime you had no choice in, no part in, no interaction with - but its somehow your fault nonetheless. You HAVE to accept God and Jesus in your heart no matter what.
Or
2) Burn in Hell for eternity in the afterlife.
The reason I am saying this is because I find it incredibly harsh that anyone would want to think this way about themselves and why they would want to inflict this upon anyone else, small children especially.
What horrifies me is that it is all based on fear and that is exactly what I see Jean doing to her poor child. If I am to take Jean at word on her blog, she does not want her child to have any self esteem in life and that its better to continue to frighten her.
“I do not believe in teaching children self esteem or that they should feel good about themselves, because they should not.”
Quote from http://thewomanofvirtue.blogspot.com/2008/10/four-year-old-who-knows-she-needs.html
I cannot read that sentence any other way than she wants to make her daughter feel miserable for the rest of her life.
I read Jean’s next post
http://thewomanofvirtue.blogspot.com/2008/12/mummy-what-must-i-do-to-be-saved.html
“Then she asked me a question I was not expecting, ‘Mummy does Jesus live in my heart?’ This question took me by surprise and I all I could think was I had to be honest with her, I do not believe my daughter is saved yet, so I told her gently that Jesus did not live in her heart. She looked at me heartbroken, her face fell and tears filled in her eyes, “But mummy I want Jesus”, she said, “I want him to come and live in my heart, what do I do mummy”.”
Her child is clearly in emotional stress in that post, she is looking to her mother for help and guidance because she is scared and what does Jean do?
Going further on she says this
“I could see the longing my little girl has to have a right relationship with God. She knows something is wrong, she is broken because of sin, and she is desperate for the love and comfort of Jesus. No amount of cuddles and kisses I give my baby girl would ever cure her heart”
How could you possibly agree that is a kind thing to do to a 4 year old - for that matter to any human being?
Life is worth so much more than that.
Do you not think this poor child will have problems when she is older when faced with the real world, where there are going to be people who do not share the same views or religion as her?
She is going to feel completely isolated and alienated because it has been drilled into her from day one that she has no worth.
I don’t understand any of it, I am a lucky man, I was brought up by kind loving parents to feel some worth about myself but not be arrogant about it. If I made mistakes I was told off for it and corrected, if I achieved something I was encouraged and congratulated but never threatened to live under a cloud of fear from something that was not there. Not once was I encouraged to fear anything like the way that Jean has encouraged her daughter to feel.
No I am not perfect and never will be, if I don’t make mistakes how can I learn anything? But I refuse point blank to go out of my way to psychologically damage anyone with such nightmarish thoughts from which there is little choice but to obey out of fear.
Why would anyone want to feel that way?
I look forward to discussing this with you if you want, I am interested in your response.
Philip