Personally I think the parents are using their kid as an attention getter.  I can't imagine choosing to sit and listen to a child pretending to know what Christianity and the Bible are truly all about. 

It's like "Toddlers and Tiaras", but with extra brainwashing.

Sweet baby Jesus...

That is ridiculous.

As-salaamu alaikum

-Omni

I object on sooo many levels.

Yet, I wonder why we do not get upset about toddlers playing drums, piano, guitar... tearing apart toasters or carburetors... when they mimic an adult or follow in their footsteps.

People watched kid daredevils riding in motorbikes inside a cage ball as "talent".

Does it, for you,  change when it is expert marksmanship or something dangerous?

Is it an objection to what dad does?

For me, if this is dad's preaching in a miniature version or more juvenile form, I am less than impressed. If dad thinks there is a great sermon or good theology being presented, I have a problem.

I object to putting him up as entertainment or performance during a service of worship. I think tthe thinking may be that it is "evangelism" because he talks about God without abandon and hops about and people get interested or entertained ... and they gather souls... if that is the case, I object.

I object to any child being manipulated into thinking they must, need to, should, do anything whether it is playing drums or preaching....

I object to exploitation.

That's the first thing that popped into my head as well.

I can't wait till this Guiness Record-making of the youngest preacher will be reached by a youngin' still in the womb.  Millions will gather aboot the expectant mother as images of religious iconography will appear on the mother's abdomen...

@SG:

Probably because those are objective activities.  Who are you hurting when you find out that your child wants to play the piano?  Just the Music Hater's League.

Who are you hurting when you teach your child to spout hateful rhetoric?  Them and everyone they come in contact to.

As-salaamu alaikum

-Omni

mimicry - normal behaviour for kids; but this seems exploitive to me.

Hi Mahakala,

I think it is messed up.

First and foremost, there is no way this kid, is the youngest preacher.  I've been in delivery rooms and to be frank, every newborn preaches a better sermon.  Most of us preachers are spending years climbing back to that ability.

So there is simply no way this kid is the youngest preacher.  On his birthday sure, since then he's been yesterday's news.

SG sums up many of my thoughts on the matter.

Is the kid preaching or is the kid mimicking?  Do we praise the parrot for its creative ingenuity or for its ability to do impressions?

It is a show.  What we can only guess at from the video is "why is it a show?"

And as all of us formulate guesses as to why that kids most powerful sermon comes to pass.  We learn more about who we are and what we will accept or reject.  The only difference is that he doesn't execute the delivery, we do.

Grace and peace to you.

John

This type of preaching sounds so violent. I find it very messed up. I did, however, find RevJohn's comment hilarious.

Omni,

In faiths the world over, there are young ones sitting and hearing. In many places, in many faiths, they do hear hateful rhetoric, whether it is delivered with veins popping and hopping up and down or a soft, gentle tone. Our children are simply not asked up front to repeat it. Could they? Yes. I think most could. They learn it and learn to mimic, ape and spout it, whether they show us they can or not....

SG

RevJohn - amen to the newborn babes - the amount of transformation when that wee one looks at papa or mum is astounding & sacred.

This video is just the worst of the worst of Tiny Talent Time.  We see small amounts of it nearly any time a child is applauded or laughed at when they participate in Childrens Time or otherwise, but this 'preacher' is going to look back at this and weep from embarrasment.  And if he doesn't, I'm very frightenend.

There is an increasing trend among ultra-right Christianity, especially in the states, toward sensationalism of all kinds. One sees it in the tea party movement, in the promotion of candidates with little substance but huge hollywood appeal, in megachurches with huge entertainment budgets, and in stunts like this one.

It is a very disturbing trend

Some good news.

Evangelicals Question The Existence Of Adam And Eve?

It's like we're watching the evolution of evangelical Christianity in real time.  If evolution existed, of course.

I loved this part:

Put simply, they believe in a historical Adam and Eve - not because of any logical reason, but because without it, their world comes crashing down around them.

What a perfectly valid reason for believing something.

Witch, is it something new? I do not think so.

I remember in Elizabeth Abbott's The History of Celibacy, she talked about caravans rolling into town talking about masturbation.

There have also been snake handlers, those who took strychnine. Those who handle fire.

That makes it easier to point fingers "over there".

There are those who speak in tongues, heal the sick, cast out devils....

We can look at religious art for sensationalism.

I think there is sensationalism in the aesthetics.

Nothing new, as old as time, if I were to answer.

*chuckle*  Yuppers.

And it made me wonder just what do I think is representative of a group?  How much of that is determined by 'the media' or other authorities/other groups I belong to?

Because I have, in my worship surfing, found lots of variation within denominations and within congregations themselves.  So it seems there is a disconnect between what I get from 'the media' and what I've discovered myself.

Too bad I haven't taken scientific notes on this hobby of mine.

This puts me in mind of a message by Charles Spurgeon...

"An evil is in the professed camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence, that the most shortsighted can hardly fail to notice it during the past few years. It has developed at an abnormal rate, even for evil. It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments. The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them." (source and whole message: http://www.crossroad.to/Quotes/Church/Spurgeon.htm )

Still I do not know that the young preacher is just entertainment. If we can accept that God can call whomever God wants to regardless of race, nationality, gender etc., can we restrict people from preaching based on their age? Isn't what truly counts the person's character and spiritual maturity?