Children and 'The Kingdom of God'???

[Thomas123]

Mark 10:16. “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these".

And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" - Matthew 18:2-5

Luke 17 "Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
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I've 'had it out' with, TRANSPONDER, on another thread and we agree that Jesus was probably a real historical person.
I suggested that there are snippets of truth about this man still lingering in the scripts of the Gospels.

I think that Jesus's affinity with children is one such truth. It is hard to make a case that this faccet of his life was an obvious go to recommendation for the Gospel writers unless it was true,ie that Jesus considered children to be special. It is hardly a doctrine prop.

Joe Biden is a great President because he get's on well with children!???(Is this the reason politicians kiss babies?)

I have lots of questions and ideas about this. Let's start with the basic one first. Why is this mentioned so often in the Gospels?

What do you think?

Thanks!

[Miles]

Mark 10:16. “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these".

And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" - Matthew 18:2-5

Luke 17 "Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
................
I've 'had it out' with, TRANSPONDER, on another thread and we agree that Jesus was probably a real historical person.
I suggested that there are snippets of truth about this man still lingering in the scripts of the Gospels.

I think that Jesus's affinity with children is one such truth. It is hard to make a case that this faccet of his life was an obvious go to recommendation for the Gospel writers unless it was true,ie that Jesus considered children to be special. It is hardly a doctrine prop.

Joe Biden is a great President because he get's on well with children!???(Is this the reason politicians kiss babies?)

I have lots of questions and ideas about this. Let's start with the basic one first. Why is this mentioned so often in the Gospels?

What do you think?

It's mentioned to keep people from questioning what's been said. Accept what's been said as truth just as an unquestioning child would and not as a thinking adult would. IOW, it's a ploy to nip any challenges in the bud.


.

[Thomas123]

Yes, Miles, we could swirl around forever in a mix of 'to and fro', about this subject. Yes, the dark arts of indoctrination have been prevalent in organized religions since forever.

I propose that this original ,real, facet of the Jesus guy is not about that. He talks about a shepherd ,coaxing his sheep alot, they know him and he knows them. He talks about happiness and humility. This is not the rhetoric of coercion.

I think that children, if left alone, display emotive intuitiveness, about most things!
I say 'Let's dig!
They disperse immediately with their shovels, they plop down at random locations and they start digging. They feel fatigue, they feel discovery, they feel texture, they experience smells,they.....They are digging!....no agenda ,no plan, no nothing, just digging.

Over reliance on human reason and learning will tend to deflect you from God belief, just as logic should lead you away from love. I am off to the flower shop,....bye!
Thanks!

[TRANSPONDER]

Yes, Miles, we could swirl around forever in a mix of 'to and fro', about this subject. Yes, the dark arts of indoctrination have been prevalent in organized religions since forever.

I propose that this original ,real, facet of the Jesus guy is not about that. He talks about a shepherd ,coaxing his sheep alot, they know him and he knows them. He talks about happiness and humility. This is not the rhetoric of coercion.

I think that children, if left alone, display emotive intuitiveness, about most things!
I say 'Let's dig!
They disperse immediately with their shovels, they plop down at random locations and they start digging. They feel fatigue, they feel discovery, they feel texture, they experience smells,they.....They are digging!....no agenda ,no plan, no nothing, just digging.

Over reliance on human reason and learning will tend to deflect you from God belief, just as logic should lead you away from love. I am off to the flower shop,....bye!
Thanks!

Is it a good or bad thing,I wonder? I reckon logic and reason as well as demonstrated evidence is a good thing and Faith is not as it does not lead to understanding but denial of everything that undermines the Faith.

As has been said (1) Faith is good! - No, it isn't. But to get back to children and the Kingdom of God, and indeed a lot of discussion going on right now, the discussion is assuming that we are reading a more or less accurate record of what Jesus said and did.

I don't think so. The whole thing is Greek Christian propaganda presented as though it was Jesus' views and opinions. No wonder so much looks like prophecy when it was written after Christianity had already grown to be a force in the Roman world. Notably that clumsy 'prophecy' that John gives to Caiaphas, of all people. "It is meet that one man should die for the people" Yes, at one time I was working out how anyone could have known what Caiaphas said at a secret council of Sadducees (Pharisees not invited). But now it's easy. The John writer knows that not only did the Romans takeaway the Temple and their nation, but he knew the result was all nations becoming full of Christians. Easy to write; easy to invent, after the time. Luke again with everyone forcing their way into the Kingdom of God. And already that had changed from a Jewish nation ruled only by their God never mind a world to come ruled by he Messiah, but it was the Christian Church, run on Faith and not yet on Authority as the heresies had yet to be persecuted more viciously that Rome had ever persecuted Christianity.

As Luke said 'The Kingdom of God is within you'. He seems to have stopped expecting the Last Days anytime soon and the focus was on keeping the people of the Church in Faith. And we get back to the little children and I hardly need now explain the metaphor.

It is all of a piece with Jesus representing Faithbased gullibility as wisdom and understanding and knowledge as foolishness. The story, cast as it is as a convincing scenario or screenplay is actually a Christian dogmatic propaganda telling their flock that they should check their brains at the church and and not bother to pick them upon the way out. They won't be needing them again.The Church will do their thinking for for them.

(1) e.g in the mustwatch 'Losing Faith' (Theramin trees) Faith is the perfect system for covering up lies.

[1213]

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I have lots of questions and ideas about this. Let's start with the basic one first. Why is this mentioned so often in the Gospels?

Maybe because it is important and good way to understand what is the quality that is wanted. And I think it means for example, people should be sincere and innocent as children.