Should You Force Your Kids to Attend Church

When they are adults they can decide for themselves:

Adulthood defined (by me):

• Out of the house
• No longer supported in any way by the parents: Insurance, housing/rent, educational help, et cetera

While still in the house: still under Dad’s rules

We seem to have a group of parents who don’t believe in telling their children to do anything. Instead, they ask permission: “Billy, pick up your toys. OKAY?” (what if he says no?) More typically, Billy responds with “Why?” and the parental unit responds by explaining the reason why Billy should perform this task.

Our Heavenly Father wants us to obey Him and there are very few examples of Him asking His children “Please” or appealing to their reason and explaining why their obedience is beneficial.

Recently I watched a Dad tell one of his children to “Please” stop hitting their sibling. They didn’t stop. He then explained that her sibling was made in the image of God, that she was supposed to care for her sibling, and that physical violence was unacceptable behavior and she should choose alternative methods to solve her problems. The child was 4!!!!!!

I think the children obey your parents command is simple to understand and if they’re living in your house and eating your food they should be obeying your rules.

There! I’ve said it. Now get off my lawn!

….I’d say that if Mohler is assuming that most of these parents actually insist on their kids learning the three Rs, he’s being optimistic. I’ve met a lot of kids in junior high who cannot read well enough to read scripture. Lots of loveless parents out there who aren’t asking anything of their kids but to have fun, parents who are at least in grievous sin if not altogether unregenerate.

And for that matter, I’d also suggest a part of the reason is “pastors” who don’t actually preach the Word. Yes, they’re common in our circles, and you’re going to find them with all the right pedigrees, too. You’ll see it when they use the “text” as more or less a springboard for what they really wanted to talk about, and I would suggest that it’s a big part of why a lot of kids (and parents) are bored at church. They’re simply listening to the shaggy dog story of the pastor instead of the living word of God.

And when parents figure this out, sometimes courtesy of their children, it’s time to make a change. Yes, coming together with the people of God around the Word of God is a wonderful thing that parents ought to insist on. However, when it’s arguable that people are no longer coming around the Word of God because the preacher’s on his hobby horse, it’s time to call him to repentance and/or leave.