Grandma’s been secretly proselytizing with DC

[Anonymous]

The level of reactive fear some posters seem to have about something they claim not to believe in is remarkable. Would the reaction be the same if Granny was telling the kids about the Great Pumpkin?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The level of reactive fear some posters seem to have about something they claim not to believe in is remarkable. Would the reaction be the same if Granny was telling the kids about the Great Pumpkin?

Oh yeah. Because religion has always been a benign influence in public and private life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. It’s not just reading, it’s making DC resist prayers over and over. I know my mother. This is not a nice open ended discussion about Jesus. This id fir her own satisfaction. She’s gotten sneaky in her old age.

can you force her to read some terribly offensive Richard Dawkins passages?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The level of reactive fear some posters seem to have about something they claim not to believe in is remarkable. Would the reaction be the same if Granny was telling the kids about the Great Pumpkin?

Oh yeah. Because religion has always been a benign influence in public and private life.

NP we aren’t “afraid” of God. Many of the posters are probably like me: we were abused and manipulated in the named of this type of high-control religion and we recognize it as a space where our values of respect for our children as individuals is not welcome or accepted.

If grandma wants to actively brainwash her grandchild behind her parents’ backs, so is demonstrating very clearly that she would be happy to engage in other unhealthy and disturbing behavior because she knows what god wants and the parents don’t.

I don’t know anyone irl who hates or fears religious people because they don’t know enough about religion. It’s because we know to much.

[Anonymous]

Former Catholic here, holy water is available to take and laypeople can baptized people if necessary - the cases I've been told of are "in extremis".

OP I'd be cool with my kid reading the Bible but I don't like the secrecy and forced prayer.

I'd tell my mom this isn't allowed. If she does it again, DC will not be able to visit. Then follow through.

Of course I believe OP, if you never had a true believer of a Grandma who was worried about your unbaptized, religiously neglected soul, you don't know what they can be like. They are sincerely terrified for their grandchild's eternal soul. Not that this is an excuse, it's an explanation of why grandma is doing something so unhinged.

[Anonymous]

Next Grandma will force the child to watch Jimmy Swaggart reruns...

[Anonymous]

Why hasn't OP explained why she doesn't even notice this going on in her own home? Are Grandma and grandson locked away in his room where nobody can see? Why don't they visit together where OP can actually observe what's going on? This doesn't make a lot of sense.

[Anonymous]

Hold up. You have a FIFTH GRADER and you’re “holding off” telling them what you think about religion? I don’t care what you do about your mom but that’s way way way too late to still not have had a convo about it. What TF.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The level of reactive fear some posters seem to have about something they claim not to believe in is remarkable. Would the reaction be the same if Granny was telling the kids about the Great Pumpkin?

The issue is Grandma's behavior. Not the words from the bible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hold up. You have a FIFTH GRADER and you’re “holding off” telling them what you think about religion? I don’t care what you do about your mom but that’s way way way too late to still not have had a convo about it. What TF.

Huh? "Too late"?

DP, but we have explained what religions are to our kids. We've given them exposure to a few religions. We haven't gone into detail about our own beliefs because we want our kids to decide for themselves when they are old enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. It’s not just reading, it’s making DC resist prayers over and over. I know my mother. This is not a nice open ended discussion about Jesus. This id fir her own satisfaction. She’s gotten sneaky in her old age.

I believe you OP. My own mother did not do this, but I can't tell you the number of times I had to hear about my brother not baptizing his kids, to include her joking that she was going to get some holy water and baptize them when they were alone. She didn't do that, but I get it.

This is a huge breach of trust and crashing through boundaries. I think for me it would be a sit down with my mom, possibly with my husband there as well, and telling her that she doesn't have to like what I've chosen as an adult, but she has to accept it.

If she wanted to take your son to church, in the open, I'd probably argue that you should let her. But this sneaking around and asking him to keep the Bible reading secret is a no go.

No, a random person can’t just baptize someone.

Troll.

Actually, a random person can baptize someone. They don't even have to be Christian, only intend to "do what the Church does." Not that they should, of course.

This is complete bs. Can’t you even troll competently?

At least in the Catholic Church any lay person can absolutely conduct a baptism. Do some research instead of calling other people trolls.

Op here. Catholic Church. Yes you can bring home a little bottle to bless with. Not a true baptism but good enough for someone who needs to satisfy her urge to get the grandkids in line with her beliefs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Former Catholic here, holy water is available to take and laypeople can baptized people if necessary - the cases I've been told of are "in extremis".

OP I'd be cool with my kid reading the Bible but I don't like the secrecy and forced prayer.

I'd tell my mom this isn't allowed. If she does it again, DC will not be able to visit. Then follow through.

Of course I believe OP, if you never had a true believer of a Grandma who was worried about your unbaptized, religiously neglected soul, you don't know what they can be like. They are sincerely terrified for their grandchild's eternal soul. Not that this is an excuse, it's an explanation of why grandma is doing something so unhinged.

OP here. The problem is that grandma has a warped view of religion and doesn’t respect other people. She adheres to rituals but doesn’t really do much to help people. Very self-centered all of her life. She has an aggrandized view of herself and role as a grandmother. She was obsessed with religion when I was a kid. She’s needed therapy all of her life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone who believes this thread is not the sharpest knife in the drawer…

No, it’s real. There are people in the world who act like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mother has been very upset that we’ve held off in baptizing our kids. Neither DH nor I are religious and have decided to hold off on introducing it. Well, Dc informed us a few weeks ago that on the weekend afternoon s when she visits snd we’ve been letting her spend one on one time with DC hat she’s been whipping out a Bible and holy water and forcing DC to read aloud from it. From what my DC, who is in 5th grade, says, it sounds like my mom is really pushing it hard. I think she’s probably been doing this for months now. So, what’s next? She will
Fight hard for this and I feel like we may need to limit visits.

What's next? Visits end, pure and simple, unless you are there and supervising.

This is a hard boundary for me. And no way would she be allowed to continue it. It's disrespectful of you, your family, your choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. It’s not just reading, it’s making DC resist prayers over and over. I know my mother. This is not a nice open ended discussion about Jesus. This id fir her own satisfaction. She’s gotten sneaky in her old age.

I believe you OP. My own mother did not do this, but I can't tell you the number of times I had to hear about my brother not baptizing his kids, to include her joking that she was going to get some holy water and baptize them when they were alone. She didn't do that, but I get it.

This is a huge breach of trust and crashing through boundaries. I think for me it would be a sit down with my mom, possibly with my husband there as well, and telling her that she doesn't have to like what I've chosen as an adult, but she has to accept it.

If she wanted to take your son to church, in the open, I'd probably argue that you should let her. But this sneaking around and asking him to keep the Bible reading secret is a no go.

No, a random person can’t just baptize someone.

Troll.

Actually, a random person can baptize someone. They don't even have to be Christian, only intend to "do what the Church does." Not that they should, of course.

This is complete bs. Can’t you even troll competently?

At least in the Catholic Church any lay person can absolutely conduct a baptism. Do some research instead of calling other people trolls.

Op here. Catholic Church. Yes you can bring home a little bottle to bless with. Not a true baptism but good enough for someone who needs to satisfy her urge to get the grandkids in line with her beliefs.

Yep this.