Eleven-Year-Old Boy Ordained as Minister: Too Young... or Too Awesome?

Neither. He can think for himself people, damn. He's 11, not retarded. Would you rather he be partying, drinking and screwing like a "normal" kid?

Those are the only 2 options? Religious entrenchment or partying hardy?

No, not at all. It's just that some people are saying that this isn't a good activity for a child or teen to be involved in. I think it's perfectly fine. Some people are saying that it isn't a normal thing for a child or teen to be doing, and I think that "normal" is not something that teens or children should strive to be, especially not when standards are so horribly low.

Eleven-year-olds can think for themselves, but their opinions are largely based on parents' opinions. They haven't had time to truly become their own person yet. Everyone is a very different person when they're twenty-one than when they're eleven. This boy hasn't truly found himself yet, and if he has, what's the rush? He's still young; he's got all the time in the world to be a minister. Furthermore, he doesn't know enough to preach to people because he hasn't experienced enough life to become wise.

All of that may be true, but he's doing something he loves that's keeping him busy, keeping him out of trouble, and building his confidence through public speaking. What's the harm in that?

It's not harmful to him, per say. It's more just silly. It's giving an eleven-year-old a job he can't reasonably be expected to be able to do properly and then saying, "Well, at least it will keep him out of trouble." They're, in essence, making him a church teacher. You can't make an eleven-year-old a teacher and say, "Well, now they're not getting into partying/drinking/ect."

Think of him as the Rebecca Black of ministers. Yeah, good on him for doing what he wants, but he's too young to do it well and in the end, he won't add anything by being one, only make people frustrated at his confident preaching of things he knows not enough about. And, in three or four years, he may regret the decision.

As a religious child with two minister parents, it is very likely he would not get into trouble, anyways. There are other things that eleven-year-olds can do for their church without becoming a teacher of faith that will keep them out of trouble. He can help with the masses without being ordained. He can go on missionary trips, volunteer at both church-held and non-church-related charities. He doesn't have to be a minister.

“There is no such thing as a Christian child: only a child of Christian parents.”

“Let children learn about different faiths, let them notice their incompatibility, and let them draw their own conclusions about the consequences of that incompatibility. As for whether they are ‘valid,’ let them make up their own minds when they are old enough to do so.”
― Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion

Too brainwashed

wtf

If all religion was lead by children and these children were able to make it how they see it religion wouldn't be as terrible as it is. I am actually excited to see where he is in 10 years because of how much he is going to learn during a time when we all tend to question the world around us and ask the questions that often get us shunned by society. I personally think that children have no place in religion because of the fact that life is already so full of questions that adding that to it isn't really right but this kid can go one of two ways, he can become a tyrant who takes the word of an out dated book literally or he can make a positive change with the church....I'm hoping for the later. ;)

In my opinion, eleven is too young to be part of organized religion. Don't get me wrong, I respect religious people. However, I don't believe in baptizing babies and young children because they aren't getting a choice whether or not to join this religion. Yes, teach your kids your religion, but they should not be baptized until they are old enough to chose it for themselves.

Now, on the though of this eleven-year-old child ordained... no. Just no. He's too young. With age comes wisdom, and with wisdom, they become worth listening to. You can't preach until you've lived life. He's young, still mutable, and hasn't yet fully reached the age of independent thought not influenced by parents' beliefs. At eleven, you've not yet reached the point where you even fully understand your parents' religion.

He's eleven. He hasn't yet found himself. He hasn't hit puberty yet and faced temptations that adults face. He hasn't reached those teenage years in which people learn what type of person they want to be. There would be no harm in waiting until he's an adult, an educated free-thinker, to freely choose to become a minister.

And who would want to be preached at by someone who has not faced the real world yet? He doesn't have anything to say which needs to be heard.

You make a very good point! What you are saying is that when "Jesus" was born he was "GOD" in the flesh and he is the creator who knows all things. A child haven't lived long enough to preach the word of "GOD"? Mortal man have to experience life some what before they can repent for their sins and start serving "GOD"? Trials and Tribulations and suffering in the body? You will turn away from ever sining again?

I never understood the whole baptizing babies thing. I guess its more for the parents than the child considering the fact that they have no clue what's going on.

The baptizing tradition goes back to animal husbandry. Newborn sheep, goats, horses, and cows were given their first bath. Since few of us are animal herders anymore, the tradition has lost it's roots.

Fullness of Time Church

The Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times is a Mormon fundamentalist sect headquartered in northern Mexico that was founded in 1955 by Joel LeBaron and members of his family.

Those are two different Churches. Mormons must come of age before they can teach.

I was eluding to that it's a small break off faction of a larger belief. It's just a move for attention...which they got.

It's silly. Everything involving this is silly.

I'm thinking to be an effective Minister you must have "life" experience to preach from the heart. At 11, don't think he's racked up the wisdom necessary yet. Someday, I'm sure he will be great.

The only thing this kid can preach is what he has been taught....

EXACTLY SO! That is why they do not ordain tape recorders.

I agree!

In my eyes, I think it's too young. He's only 11. He needs to be living a kid's life. Kid's dont realize that being a kid is the most wonderous thing in life and to me it feels like he's wasting it away

its not awesome but not too young ether. most child evangelist don't do it the rest of their lives. just look at sam kennison.

I think "Jesus" was called at the age of 3 and he started to preach at the age of 12! Bless his heart!!

Jesus is God in the flesh! There was no calling required! Age 12 was the age he began to teach in the temple. I admire this kids drive, but he's forgetting one very very big command of God. Do you know which one?

No,I don't know can you please tell me what commandment he's forgetting? I'm waiting to hear.

Baptized with the "Holy spirit"! Is that what he's forgetting?

Bet you dont know why it was age 12 that jesus was even allowed to speak with the other rabis...

It's was the age of confirmation.

1 Timothy 3:1-7?

Yes, thank you!
In 1 Timothy we are provided the recipe to build a church and how to choose the leaders. In these verses we learn what qualifies a person to be the overseer of the church. We learn that the focal point is the candidate's reputation among believers and unbelievers, which is to be computed on the basis of proven moral character and maturity.

It's pretty hard, if not impossible to find these attributes of a leader in a candidate who hasn't reached maturity and defines morals as the lesson we learn from the stories our teacher reads to us!

Compared to what these other eleven year olds are doing this is awesome. A step in the right direction (as long as it was his choice of course)

What are other 11 year olds doing that's so not awesome?

Not all 11 year olds but some are just trying to act so grown (not in a good way), bullying, trying to hangout with a bad crowd of people, just starting down the wrong path that's all.

Stop comparing him to Jesus. This kid has NO similarities other than faith in God. Don't get me wrong; it's a Great thing. But None of his past is similar. His parents are both pastors...seems like a product of his environment and upbringing. Good for him, but let a kid be a kid and go replace your windshield wipers.

He is brainwashed by his parents, to be honest his parents should be arrested for abusing him.

You no likea da gheezus joose, eh?

well this is the kind of thing they do in dictatorships, this is no different from the Hitler Youth.

so your basicly saying that all the parents and teachers of those kids that sang the praises of Obama . should be arrested and charged with abuse also?