Monday, March 31, 2014

Elsie: A Critical Review (Guest Post)

Guest post below by my wonderful sister Gretchen, enjoy :) (Hopefully this will not be the last post on this subject)
Flame of Jah

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Elsie: A Critical Review


First off before I start on this post I will lay down the rules of engagement.

   No edged weapons are allowed; blunt weapons are permissible, but it is preferred that you are only armed with pillows.

  Now for the post.  I don't like the Elsie books.  I think they have a lot of serious faults and I don't think any young girl should be reading them. But, that's just my opinion.

  In this post I will cover one flaw in the books. Later I will cover some more.  So here it comes!

  Elsie is Wiser Than her Father.

  That may seem a ridiculous accusation for books that are held up as a model of filial devotion, but hear me out.

  When she was fifteen or so her uncle Arthur  (Who was only a few years older than herself, for those who are unfamiliar with the books) met her when she was riding home.  He wanted money from her to pay for his secret gambling debts.  She wouldn't give it.  He gets angry, swears at her and eventually strikes her horse, frightening it.  Elsie decides it is permissible to not tell her father because he would be very angry with Arthur and it wasn't like she had done anything wrong.

  A second time Arthur meets her wanting money.  This time in his passion at her refusal he goes so far as to strike her.  Mr. Travilla comes to her rescue and canes him and she still won't tell her father!

  A third time Arthur meets her.  She is alone in her room at a friend's house and he comes through the window and confronts her.  When she again refuses to give him money he grasps her roughly by the arm.  He may have done more, but hears someone coming and leaves.  Of course, she doesn't tell her father.

  Now, I want to ask, Is that really an example of filial devotion? Or is it a fifteen-year-old girl thinking she knows better than her father?  At this point her father has been a Christian for some years, but even if he were not a Christian it still doesn't justify this course of action.  God can use unsaved parents to protect you.  Elsie obviously thinks that her father would have an inappropriate response, but should she be the judge of that?  Is that really honoring her father?  Throughout the books you get the impression that Elsie believes her father is much wiser than her, and yet in this situation she obviously does not.  I don't think it is a good idea for books to promote children hiding anything from their parents.

  I think this situation in the Elsie books stems from the belief that it is wrong to tell on someone.  You can tell on yourself, but never on someone else.  I don't think that is a good idea; you completely lose accountability in a family if no one can tell on someone if they are doing something bad.

  When I was growing up there was telling on someone and then there was tattling.  If a sibling was doing something wrong we were supposed to tell on them.  But if we were telling on them to get them in trouble we were punished, too.  That was considered tattling.  Our parents always knew the difference. 

  What are your thoughts?  Do you think Elsie acted properly in this scenario? 

  

 

Saturday, March 29, 2014

More on Starbucks...

These articles really don't need explaining, it is your choice, but I will never spend my money at Starbucks (not that I drink coffee anyway :P ):

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kirsten-palladino/starbucks-appreciation-day_b_1731600.html

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/06/business/la-fi-mo-chickfila-starbucks-gay-20120806

http://www.ibtimes.com/starbucks-ceo-says-if-you-dont-support-gay-marriage-feel-free-sell-sbux-stock-1169181

http://www.ask.com/question/does-starbucks-support-abortion

http://christiannews.net/2013/03/24/starbucks-ceo-to-shareholder-if-you-support-biblical-marriage-sell-your-shares/

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

A Special Message

Following is a special message for my FJer acquaintances who still read my blog.

Many months ago I promised to post again on the discussion thread I started, quite frankly I have had a very hard time making the time to come back, it is really not the highpoint of my life to debate, and I don't see that debating the issues any further is productive.  In light of that I have decided to write my reply here on my blog, I hope that you all will take the time to read it, it is a little message from my heart.

I really care about you folks, I pray for you, grieve for you, but I cannot care more than you.  I do not want you to die in your sins, to suffer eternal fire reserved for those who reject Jesus Christ, but I cannot believe for you, nor can I change the choices that you have made.  Your choice is your own, and I can now see from the debate we had that you have decided what path you will follow and nothing I can say will change that, all I can do now is pray, and leave you with this last plea.

Jesus Christ is offering to all men this day the free gift of salvation, all you have to do is accept it, and believe on him.  Please don't wait, you could die tomorrow, and then it is too late.  He is giving you this gift, please don't reject it, please don't trample on it and take your own path to hell.  Once you die it is over, you cannot go back, you are finished...  Please don't wait folks, your time is running out....  The gift is waiting, it is not too late, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." John 3:16-21

God is real, he is just, and hell is real, whether you believe that or not, matters little, for believing or not believing does not change the truth.  This day you stand at the crossroad of life and death, please choose life, please believe on the Lord Jesus Christ....

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Hello, yes, I know, it has been a while...

Just checking in to say hello :)  Hopefully after my long absence I still have some readers lol.  Anyway, I'll be trying to post something at least weekly on here, and I now commit that I will answer all comments on my blog, not just come up with answers that I never get around to posting :P  If you are reading this please comment below, and come back to my blog next week for more posts :)

God Bless you,

Flame of Jah