How many kids have to die in the name of Christ?

Question

The number of children dying in the name of Jesus just keeps going up. As documented in multiple different cases here on DC, there is simply no reliable way for a believer to differentiate rationality from irrationality within the mindset of religion.

Yet it keeps happening over and over. The most recent case is the worst of the lot, for it appears this child wasn't even ill. He was starved to death at the age of 1 because he refused to say "Amen" after meals.

After denying Javon Thompson food and water for two days because he wouldn't say "Amen" after meals, the one-year-old's caretakers waited for a divine sign that their message had been heard: a resurrection.

For more than a week, police say in charging documents describing the scene, the child's lifeless body lay in the back room of an apartment. Queen Antoinette, the 40-year-old leader of a group that called itself 1 Mind Ministries, brought in her followers and told them to pray. God, she said, would raise Javon from the dead.

Instead, Javon's body began to decompose.

The boy's mother, 21-year-old Ria Ramkissoon, and four other people authorities say are members of the group face first-degree murder charges in his death. But Ramkissoon's mother and attorney say that she was brainwashed by a cult and acted only at the group leader's will

You can read the whole awful story for yourself.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2008/08/16/6474116-ap.html

The questions I continue to have for believers:

1. What test should "rational Christians" use to differentiate texts in the Bible that should be taken figuratively from texts in the Bible that should be taken literally?

2. How are believers to use their faith? Should they expect supernatural intervention from God on their behalf during their lives, or is this also figurative?

3. At what point can we differentiate rational religion from child abuse and murder? For example, was Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac good, or was it torture? If a modern parent did this to a child, would we allow that child to stay with that parent?

Answer 1

The abuse of this child brought tears to my eyes. You can't blame Christ for this, blame the leaders of all faiths who con people into believing the c**p they teach.

1, When it comes to text in the Bible, there are no rational Christians.

2. In the West, most children are protected, to some degree, from abuse from religions such as Jehovah's Witnesses, but more has to be done.

3. This is Biblical truth, once again there are no rational fanatics.

Answer 2

1) As others have said, the common sense test.  And nowhere in the Bible does it say a person should starve their child to death if he doesn't say "amen" after a prayer.  That's just ridiculous.

2) Yes, believers can expect supernatural intervention when they exercise common sense and good faith.  These people had neither.

3) If Abraham had sacrificed Isaac, then story would be much different.  As it was, God stopped Abraham before anything bad happened.  But I see your point.  Religious practices should not harm the innocent, nor should they be contrary to the laws of the land IMO.

Answer 3

This stuff you are talking about is NOT from Christians.You falsely judge us.You do not see the difference,you are a sad case.

Answer 4

wow i knew childhood indoctrinaion was severe child abuse as it was but i didn't realise it stretched that far

  

Answer 5

When it has to do with war that's when it is wrong for a child to die for their God. I mean there is only one true God-Jehovah. And he did say that in the last days the Wild beast is going to destroy the Harlot and leave her devastated. The wild beast is the Government and the Harlot is false religion.  

Answer 6

Get a life.

Answer 7

Still, more children are killed by abortion then though religious radicalism.  

Answer 8

That shows how psychotic the religious person is and it is not new.  NO religious person is RATIONAL for religion is irrational.  There are no rational Christians.

Religion is a form of child abuse.

$.05 please.

The psychopath religionist are trying to wiggle their way out of this one.

No such thing as common sense.  If there were everyone would have it and no one would need to talk much about it,  Noses, eyes and ears are common to humans and many other animals.  Sense is not!  And many that had posted  to the question prove it.

Since many religions don't like that fact that they are part of a cult they try to change the definition of the word and are stupid enough to think intelligent people will buy into it.  They are idiots.  All religions are cults but not all cults are religions and that is a fact.  Since religionist are to deluded, psychotic, to except a fact they make up fairy tales to pacify themselves.

Answer 9

You can with faith and very sincerely worship a toothpick, but it is all in vain.  They neither have authority or power to do that.  The Apostles were given a Priesthood to act in the name if God from Christ. Where those things are missing no matter how much you believe in something it will not happen.

Answer 10

Too many kids die for thier God. people should come to thier senses about  this

Answer 11

They are cults

A cult is usually defined as a "a religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader", is also often considered as a "obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing". It is also characterized for being "young in years of existence" and having usually "only relatively few followers".

A religion in change is defined as a "personal or institutionalized system grounded in the belief, worship and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe". It also has a "set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader". Religions are usually "ancient or very old in years" and have "millions of followers".

Therefore, a religion is not necessarily a cult, but a cult is always a religion. Being a cult a religion usually characterized by radicalism, oddness, obsession, short number of years, small number of followers and guidance by a founder who almost all the times tend to be authoritarian. Another particularity is that in cults, you found that in many cases the cult-followers worship the founder as God himself.

Answer 12

No True Scotsman fallacy coming in 5...4..3...2.

EDIT - Once again I can nail the inevitable NTS with pinpoint accuracy ;)

Somehow they will find a way to pretend that a woman described in the article (which they doubtless did not even read) as a Christian who was very religious, deeply into the Bible and obssessed with the risk of h**l was not, in fact, a Christian at all.  Since the only people who care about following the Bible are Christians and Jews and Jews do not acknolwedge h**l, I'm not sure what other options they have, but somehow it will be invented.  They will base this ENTIRELY on the fact that she did something wrong, as if there are not literally millions of examples of Xians doing this throughout their entire history and today.

Cognitive dissonance is one thing, but an NTS this egregious is borderline insanity.

Answer 13

I think that blaming a religious doctrine for this action is pointing the finger in the wrong direction, while at the same time taking away responsibility from the parents.

Answer 14

I dont like babbys, but thats horrible. Imo, 1 year is to long to wait to get rid of it.

d**n fundies...

Answer 15

the story clearly states its a cult...that means it goes against mainstream Christianity...this is fear smear...besides more children die from abortion...most Christian oppose that...

Answer 16

1.The common sense test...

You're not supposed to act out the story, you're supposed to learn the lesson behind it.

2. No, they should use the means God gave them to cope with the things that go on in life..If you get sick you go to the doctor..

3. It's child abuse when a parent is delibrately harming their child. Be it whatever your belief system. Abraham did not harm his child, and Isaac trusted his father.

People do sickening things for all their own reasons.