Seriously, Steve?

[Howl]

On 7/1/2018 at 4:08 PM, Palimpsest said:

Mom's mind needs freeing from deciding when to start the dinner and the dishes won't get done if the kids aren't in bed by 7:00 pm.

Do the "girls" still have to be in bed by 7:00? 

[dripcurl]

That post. Just, wow. Are the Kidults allowed to have tantrums this big?

[Dru]

On 7/11/2018 at 10:32 AM, Howl said:

Do the "girls" still have to be in bed by 7:00? 

Don't be ridiculous! They get to stay up until 9:00. Just like when they were teenagers.

[Palimpsest]

Steve got out of the recliner off the couch long enough to write six whole sentences of encouragement for Dads this week.  He is so faithful to publish his column every week but two paragraphs seem a little meagre to lay at the feet of his Lord one day.

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TICK, TICK

We spend our limited resource of time each day. Will it be for things that are in accordance with the will of our Lord Jesus or for our flesh? What we redeem our time for, we will lay at the feet of our Lord one day.

Our bodies are also a limited resource that are being spent day-by-day, week-by-week, and year-by-year. Will we spend our bodies for the Lord or do we misuse them? God did not design our bodies to grow roots into a couch.

 

Tempus fugit, Stevo.   Fugit inreparabile tempus. 

And we have the obligatory Bible text.

“Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.  For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries” (1 Peter 4:1-3).

I don't know about lasciviousness, lusts and abominable idolatries, but reading Steve's words of wisdom always makes me want to indulge in a glass of wine and a beef burrito.  And I revel in the fact that I do not live in Maxhell and can watch Dr. Who on the BEAST.

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Tick tock goes the clock
And what now shall we play?
Tick tock goes the clock
Now Summer’s gone away?
Tick tock goes the clock
And all the years they fly
Tick tock and all too soon
You and I must die

At least I'm enjoying my life before I shuffle off this mortal coil. 

Smell the flowers while you can, make hay while the sun shines, gather ye rosebuds, carpe diem.  

Edited July 19, 2018 by Palimpsest

[Coconut Flan]

Just retire already, Steve.  It's time.  

[HereticHick]

Hide the hair gel, Jesse. Your dad's on to you.

[Palimpsest]

Steve is positively loquacious this week.

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LOVE YOUR CHILDREN?

I'd be willing to bet not as much as Steve does.

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It is easy to say “I love you” to our children, but, demonstrative actions are required to confirm it. 

Demonstrative actions like hugs?  Giving them the best education possible?  Emotional support and kind words?  Paying for college?  Nope.

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• Do you lead them in daily family Bible time? 
• Do you live out the Lord Jesus?
• Do you have daily personal Bible time? 
• Do you worship with the family each week?

 

Dads, if the answer is no to any of these, you have not being paying attention to Steve.  Loser.

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• Do you wear a seatbelt? 
• Do you refrain from exciting and dangerous activities because you want to be around to provide for and disciple your children? 

Some might wonder what the last two items have to do with loving your children. Love puts the needs of others above their own selfish interests.

 

Well, I have to agree with Steve about the seat belt.  It's a no-brainer. 

However, the exciting and dangerous activities bit is interesting.  Long-term readers of Titus2 may remember that Steve (former AF) unselfishly gave up hobby flying because it was a. pleasurable, and b. dangerous.  Of course, it is also a very expensive hobby when you have 3 children, let alone 5 extra reversals.  Steve doesn't mention that part, but he has never let us forget about his unselfish act in giving up flying.

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I am especially grieved when I hear about a dad who lost his life or was seriously injured by something that could have been avoided.

I was especially grieved by the dads (and moms) who lost their lives on 9/11 just going about their jobs and their lives.  I was especially grieved when my friend's son in law was killed in a car accident by a diabetic man who refused to take insulin.  The man lost consciousness when driving a borrowed car and his license had been suspended.  His car hit the victim head on at 85 MPH.  The victim left a wife and 3 children, including a 6 week old baby.  He was driving home from work (wearing a seat belt) when he was killed instantly.  The other driver survived.  Somehow.

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It is easy to buckle a seatbelt. Yet without doing that, it is also easy to be thrown from the car in an accident and be crushed by it.

Steve, honey, you don't have to be thrown out of the car to be killed.  If you are not wearing a seat belt you can simply hit the roof or windshield hard and break your neck or crush your skull.  You can also have your chest perforated by the steering column.  Fortunately we now have airbags as well as seat belts, but they don't prevent all injuries.  Or deaths.

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What about the thrill of blazing a trail down the ski slopes and impacting a tree at a high rate of speed? What about the exhilaration of a fast motorcycle ride on a beautiful day in the country only to end in disaster? Sadly, these are real examples.

Indulge in no thrills.  Have no exhilaration.  Take no risks.  Steve says so.  I expect he shamed those dead dads publicly too.  No skiing, no motor bikes, no flying, no team sports ... and no mountain climbing?

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If we truly love those entrusted to our care, it must change the decisions that we make.

I agree with Steve to some extent, but not to the extent that I feel parents must give up all risky activities if they enjoy them.  After all, Steve takes some risks every time he climbs a 14er.  He could slip and break a leg, the weather could change, he could get stranded up there without the proper clothing or a whistle ...  I've always thought the Maxwells look under-prepared on those mountains, and it is not just making the women wear skirts.

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“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s”  (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Steve

Yeah, yeah.

Palimpsest

Edited July 26, 2018 by Palimpsest

[Palimpsest]

Dear Rufus, Steve is rather desperate, one thinks.

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THINKING BACK

This was posted on August 1, 2018 by Steve Maxwell.

 

He's on time this week.

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Remember your last graduation? For some it was high school and others college.

That would be my Masters degree.  Of course Steve's children just have their diplomas from Trickling Stream Homeschool, such as it was.  Steve does have a college degree.  He denied that to all his children.

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How did you feel? Was there satisfaction of accomplishment or relief to be finished with school? 

Both!  But I enjoyed school, in a weird way.

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I admit. I was tired of the schoolwork.

I did mot tire of schoolwork, per se.  Although many do.

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I looked forward to applying what I learned and being free of study.

Twit. No-one is ever free of learning.

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I was in for a surprise, though.

Told you so!

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In my field, the good ones never quit learning.

In 99.99999 % of fields.  That is why we have CEUs in most professions.  And plumbers, car mechanics, electricians and all the trades have to keep learning.  

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That is true in life, as well. The good ones, at whatever they do, never quit learning. 

But I think Steve stopped learning somewhere around 1995.  That is when God taught him EVERYTHING.  And his computer skills have not moved on much since then.  His Biblical skills came to a dead halt around then too.  Apparently.

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There is a huge secondary benefit to being a lifelong learner. Your children are much more likely to have the same attitude toward learning.

I do believe that we should all be lifelong learners.  I have yet to see any proof that Steve models this behavior.

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What should we learn? First, we learn of our Lord Jesus and His Word. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30). 

Oh, FFS, Steve.  We learn how to Google.  "Annie" told us so.

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Then we seek to learn what we can in order to excel in everything we put our hands to. “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Colossians 3:23).

I excel at some things. I'm pretty good at others.  I do them all heartily.

But I'd love to find a good handyman for the things I stink at.  

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Are you learning?

Yep.  I make a point of it.  I really do learn something new almost every day.  Free Jinger is great for that.

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Are you reading God’s Word everyday?

Nope.

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Are you improving in your ministry?

I'm hanging in there with my volunteering.  It is not a "ministry."  I just try to bring happiness and some actual help to those in need of TD Therapy, food for food pantries, and donations to charities I think do really good work.  Some of them are overseas.  I don't push Jesus on any of them.

Serious question here, Steve.  Are you "improving your ministry"?

I haven't seen it.  But then your "ministry" is only to fully converted so-called "Christians"  isn't it?   You only want to talk to "Christians" to make them into Steve's BESTEST Christians.

And it seems to me that you are really mailing it in these days.  You have not had a new thought for years!

Knock our socks off Stevehovah!  Come up with a brand new idea that you did not have in the 1990s.  And have been berating us with ever since.

And go out on a limb, do some actual good works for a change.  All you ever do is critique others.  You never talk about genuine charitable works.  SHOW US!

Steve, you really are a total wuss!

[dripcurl]

A slap in the face to the Maxhell kids yet again. If Steve cared about anyone learning, he wouldn’t enforce a fraction of the shit he does on his children. Honestly, I wonder if Steve even lets his kids (and wife) read the Bible freely. They seem so stunted, it seems like they have missed many a good commentary on humanity that the Good Book offers. It seems that they missed explicit truths as well. The guys would understand what leave and cleave means if they read the entirety of Genesis. Sarah would be an exponentially better writer if she knew one damn Psalm. Annie would understand that one cannot equivocally compare a Holocaust to legalized abortion if she could comprehend a chapter of Proverbs. Teri would understand that prayer cannot be a telepathic language to your husband if she understood anything Paul said. Steve would be a decent father if took anything Jesus said seriously.

[Hane]

The only reading allowed in Maxhell seems to be the Bible, instructional manuals, and “carefully screened pro-life websites.”  There’s a reason why STEM majors also have to take courses in the humanities: it helps them learn HOW to think, not what to think.

Steve obviously thinks that reading fiction (and literature in general) would open his kidults to Wrong Thinking by exposing them to different opinions and different ways of living that might be far more appealing than the spiritual lockdown he’s established for them.

[Lisafer]

19 minutes ago, Hane said:

The only reading allowed in Maxhell seems to be the Bible, instructional manuals, and “carefully screened pro-life websites.”  There’s a reason why STEM majors also have to take courses in the humanities: it helps them learn HOW to think, not what to think.

Steve obviously thinks that reading fiction (and literature in general) would open his kidults to Wrong Thinking by exposing them to different opinions and different ways of living that might be far more appealing than the spiritual lockdown he’s established for them.

My fundie mother homeschooled us, but we were exposed to a lot of literature and also studied logic and creative writing skills. Still, I'm afraid she was rather shocked when we learned HOW to think and rejected the narrow view of the world we grew up with. 

If I'd been homeschooled as badly as the Maxwells, it would probably have been even harder to get out. 

[Palimpsest]

Steve failed my challenge to come up with a new idea.  His latest Seriously post is just an ad for the usual products:  Preparing Sons, Buying a House Debt-Free, and Making Great Conversationalists.

But I will agree that his children are rather odd.

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ODD CHILDREN

This was posted on August 8, 2018 by Steve Maxwell.

I was walking with a group of dads to the next session at a homeschool conference when the dad beside me asked a question. He struggled with his wording. “I have noticed some homeschooling young men, and well, there seems to be something unique about them. Well, ah, well, they just seem a bit odd. I don’t mean to be critical by that, but I don’t want my son to turn out that way. What are your thoughts?” 

 

We learn from this that Steve has perfect recall for casual conversations at homeschool  conferences.  I wonder how long ago he attended one, as even poor Mary has been graduated from the Trickling Stream of Anti-Intellectual Waters for a couple of years now.  Remember, she was held back so Teri could claim thirty-five years of homeschooling, not a mere 33.5.

A pet peeve of mine is the misuse of the word "unique."  Yes, I know I am persnickety.

Unique means being the only one of its kind.  Something that is unlike anything else.  It does not mean unusual, or even something very unusual.  All children are, therefore, unique because they are the only one of their kind.  Homeschooled children are not unique among all children because many people (not just Fundamentalist Christians) homeschool  these days.  They might be a bit unusual as most children go to real schools.  Whether or not they qualify as "odd" would depend on how well they are homeschooled, and on how sheltered and isolated their parents keep them.  

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I encouraged him there are two main considerations. To raise a son who is a dynamic follower of the Lord Jesus will be considered odd/peculiar by the world because he isn’t like them.

Of course we don't give a shit about daughters.  And I certainly find the Maxwell males peculiar in many ways.

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However, there is another sort of odd that I believe he was referring to. These are young men who can’t look you in the eye, are barely communicative, lazy, and unkempt. He agreed. I shared that I felt that was more the norm these days and not dependent on a particular schooling method.

I will disagree vehemently with Steve on this one.   That is not the norm in my experience. I have met many young men who communicate easily, are very energetic, well groomed (to a fault), and perfectly charming.  Granted they don't dress like Christopher and Jesse in boring polo shirts and khakis every day, but even when their clothes are deliberately scruffy they are usually clean.  

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One “odd” is desirable. The other is not.

Oh, fuck you, Steve.  Talk about being judgmental!  It's all about appearances to you.

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The good news is that we can guide and inspire our sons so that they are great conversationalists, diligent, resourceful, physically fit, and able to make a good living.

Well, John seems the chatty type but when did he last sell a house and what was his most recent irrigation project?  Joseph seems to be putting all his eggs in the Magento basket, and Christopher and Jesse work for him.  I hope Magento doesn't get outdated soon because Chris couldn't make a living from his terrible wedding photography.  Jesse seems a complete nonentity with no initiative, so that leaves Nathan.  Nathan does seem successful, but he and "Annie" need to fix the glaring typo on the latest iteration of the CCI website.  As Annie's writing is even worse than Sarah's perhaps it was her fault.

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Are you doing that? When the book of your life is closed, will your son’s praise God for the influence you had in their lives or complain? If a change of course is required, Brother, change course.

That should read "will your sons."  No apostrophe required.

I wonder whether Steve's sons will heave a sigh of relief and forge their own paths in life after Steve kicks the bucket.  I'm sure they think he is the best thing since sliced bread, but it must be wearing to have him nagging them all the time, let alone breathing down their necks about Family Bible Time.

Will they start going to regular churches, stop homeschooling, quit daily Family Bible time, and encourage their wives to wear jeans?  I'd say there is a 50-50 chance of them letting Steve's exacting standards slip a bit, although they will stay Fundie as hell.  I truly hope they don't all shelter suffocate and isolate their children as much as Steve.

Most importantly, will they help their sisters to lead happy and fulfilled independent lives even if none of them ever get married.  Or will the brothers get stuck with being their sisters' umbrellas of protection all their lives?

And he closes with his sales pitch and the requisite Bible texts.  1 Peter 2:9 about being a chosen generation and peculiar people.  Yes, the Maxwells are peculiar.

Also “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you” (1 Peter 4:4).

Can you imagine Steve running with excess of riot?  I can't.

He's very good at speaking evil about others, however.  I'm still seething at his statement that it is the norm for young men not to look you in the eye, be barely communicative, lazy, and unkempt.

You are a nasty man, Steve Maxwell.

 

ETA:  Come to think of it, perhaps Steve is right about part of his experiences with young men, although not about the lazy and unkempt bit.  Were I a young man meeting Steve I wouldn't be able to meet his piercing aggressive stare, I'd be afraid of being asked whether I'd bought a house yet, and terrified of being harangued about the Beast.  I would certainly be uncommunicative because I'd be haring off as fast as I could in the other direction.  Thusly:

  

Edited August 8, 2018 by Palimpsest
additional thought

[Palimpsest]

Wow.  Steve is depressing this week. 

http://articles.titus2.com/speed-bump-detour-dead-end-or-catapult/
Trigger Warning.  I'm going to put my response under a spoiler because this is about death from an atheist's point of view.  Don't read it if it will offend you, unless you are Steve Maxwell.

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SPEED BUMP, DETOUR, DEAD END, OR CATAPULT?

This was posted on August 15, 2018 by Steve Maxwell.

Life can turn upside down in an instant. An accident, a cancer diagnosis, or _______. 

 

Yep.  I'm not in the mood for Steve today as my husband's cousin just died very suddenly, aged only 66.  Having known her, she spread more love and happiness around, cared more for her children and grandchildren, performed more good works, and generally made the world a far better place for everyone around her than either Steve or Teri could believe.  She was a happy energetic and loving person, a lapsed Catholic and divorced so she must have been damned in their  Steve and Teri's eyes.  I doubt she is damned.  If there is a God, She will look at J's works and rejoice.

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We face obstacles in life. Some are easy, some difficult, and some “impossible.” Our response to these will greatly affect our children’s view of God, because it represents how real our faith in God actually is. Paul said follow me even as I also follow Christ. 

This does make me wonder whether Steve, now 67, is contemplating his mortality.  Yes, some people take on the task of dying, and it is a very hard task, more successfully than others.  Not every one is granted a fast death. 

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I’m thinking of one Brother whose life is ebbing, drip-by-drip, as a bucket with a leak. He requires constant care and suffers greatly.

Another Sister has been through unimaginable health trauma. Her testimony declares the glory of a righteous and merciful God.

 

Screw the "glory of a righteous God" who makes people suffer like that.  And screw the people like the not-saintly Mother Teresa who deprived those she cared for of adequate pain control for her own sick reasons.  Actual quote:  “Pain and suffering have come into your life, but remember pain, sorrow, suffering are but the kiss of Jesus - a sign that you have come so close to Him that He can kiss you.” 

Bull fucking shit!

The people I have seen fight hardest against terminal diagnoses are young mothers.  They fight like tigers but some have lost the battle after suffering greatly.  There is a time and place for Hospice, and learning how to approach the task of Death.  I am a big believer in Hospice and proper palliative care for everyone.

That said, fast deaths are very hard on the survivors in the short term, but I would like one of those myself please.  I've seen relatives suffer from always fatal and painful illnesses for a very long time.  Or struggle with dementia and loose their entire personality and identity to the illness.  I don't want my survivors to have to work hard to care for me. 

I give my dogs the gift of euthanasia if they have a terminal and painful diagnosis and I'd like it too, in similar circumstances.  Thanks.  It is already in my Advanced Directive (Living Will) that I would want a DNR in certain circumstances, but I will to travel to get to a place that allows Assisted Suicide.

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May we embrace difficulties that come our way. May we see them as opportunities for God to grow our faith in Him.  May we consider that the mighty work God most desires is not the joy from flattening the obstacle, but unshakable faith in Him.

We all have to face and overcome obstacles in life.  And we can all model behaviors for our children and those around us on how to deal with them courageously and with grace.

However, this concept of a cruel and vindictive God who puts obstacles in one's way to test and strengthen faith was one of the first things to make me question Christianity.  It is sick, in a very bad way.

FTR, as an atheist I think when I die I will just stop existing.  My remains will be disposed of as tidily as possible and as quickly as possible.  No frills cremation.  Done and dusted.

 

 

Edited August 18, 2018 by Palimpsest

[Hane]

@Palimpsest, fellow lapsed Catholic here: Not that I care anymore, but simply being divorced isn’t a sin or excommunicable offense in the Catholic Church. That would only happen if a Catholic who was married in the church divorced and remarried without getting a church annulment first. (I went through the annulment process after my first divorce and so did my second husband so we could be married in the church—it was important to me at the time. Now I couldn’t care less.  If some hapless guy and I were insane enough to get together, I would never consider getting married again, or even cohabitating.)

[Palimpsest]

@Hane, I agree.  I meant Steve and Teri would consider a lapsed Catholic and divorcee damned, not the Catholic church.  I edited the post to make that clear.

Edited August 18, 2018 by Palimpsest

[Ozlsn]

2 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

Wow.  Steve is depressing this week. 

http://articles.titus2.com/speed-bump-detour-dead-end-or-catapult/
Trigger Warning.  I'm going to put my response under a spoiler because this is about death from an atheist's point of view.  Don't read it if it will offend you, unless you are Steve Maxwell.

 

Now I am sort of wondering if Steve has had medical news for himself or a loved one or if he's just had a week with a lot of news of deaths which has made him even more morbid than usual. 

I just finished reading "The family gene" by Joselin Linder - very good description of what it is like to live with the knowledge that you carry a mutation that could kill you, and to know (from having seen family members go through it) just how awful that death could be. And yet the family members with the mutation focus on living, and take comfort in knowing that the next generation do not carry the mutation thanks to advances in medical technology, and that the technology is advancing so that maybe the manifestations of the mutation might be able to be prevented in their own cases. Steve seems to have spent a large part of his life fixated on death, which is kind of sad.

[Palimpsest]

Here we go again.  Steve'a analogy demonstrates that he is truly middle class, comparatively well off, and has contempt for those who are financially stressed.  And still no new ideas.

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LITTLE STEPS?

This was posted on August 22, 2018 by Steve Maxwell.

Everyone seems to want the quick fix these days, or maybe they don’t even try if it appears too difficult. The Lord could have created the world in less than one second, but he took six days. That is 518,400 times longer than He could have.

 

I have not checked Steve's math.  Nor am I a creationist.

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Most people if given the choice between $500,000 now, or a penny, doubling the value for 31 days will grab the $500,000. People don’t want to wait. In choosing the $500K, they would have left around $10 million on the table. 

Perhaps they need the $500,000 urgently, Steve.  And don't break your calculator.  Some people win the lottery and take the lump sum and pay the higher taxes,  instead of smaller a payments over 10 years.  Perhaps it works out better for them financially, I wouldn't know.

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The soul and future of your child is worth far more than the $10 million.

Don't know about the soul, but I've always thought investing in your children's education and helping them to grow up into secure, confident, and independent adulthood is a really good idea.

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Do you realize the importance of being 100% consistent in feeding the souls of your children the Word of God? Small daily disciplines, built and sustained, day-by day will yield a lifetime of enormous value. Are you encouraging and overseeing the disciplines that are critical for your children’s future – personal Bible time, prayer, exercise, continuous learning?

“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).

Steve

As we have previously discussed, I see no sign of Steve modeling continuous learning.  Regular exercise is good, but how about encouraging them to read widely, explore the good things the world has to offer, and spread their wings.  

His daughters are particularly limited in this area.  Sarah, for example, could easily sacrifice 5 minutes of personal Bible time every day to subscribe to Word of the Day:  https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day.  Her vocabulary is very limited and has a negative impact on her writing.  Let Anna go to a culinary institute of some sort to learn to learn more about nutrition and cooking, and Mary badly needs to improve her basic writing skills.  They all need to get out more.

Steve, quit sheltering your adult children, especially your daughters, and encouraging them to hide at home.  You have given them stones instead of bread.

Instead consider telling them this:

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Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Matthew 5:14-15 

 

Edited August 24, 2018 by Palimpsest

[Black Aliss]

On 8/24/2018 at 7:09 AM, Palimpsest said:

 

Perhaps they need the $500,000 urgently, Steve.  And don't break your calculator.  Some people win the lottery and take the lump sum and pay the higher taxes,  instead of smaller a payments over 10 years.  Perhaps it works out better for them financially, I wouldn't know.

 

It depends on the lottery, and in some cases the state where the lottery is held. My understanding is that most lottery winnings, if not taken as a much smaller lump sum, are not inheritable. So unless you can guarantee you're not going to die in the next 10 (more often 20) years, you're better off taking the lump sum, investing it, and just living off the proceeds.

[SPHASH]

Coward Steve thinks toys should be taken away if the kids enjoy them.  And he's seriously serious.

[Dru]

35 minutes ago, SPHASH said:

Coward Steve thinks toys should be taken away if the kids enjoy them.  And he's seriously serious.

Yeah, he's a real piece of shit.

[dripcurl]

“It’s easier to just avoid it”. Wow, seriously Steve? (pun maybe intended) You sure are lazy for a control freak! There are many ways to make sure kids don’t loose interest in other things and become absorbed in tablets or what have you. Limit it to 45 mins a day, or a few movies a week - whatever. Unfortunately Steve, I see your deficit in activelt parenting that way - that would involve communication, and we all know you suck at that.

[Palimpsest]

Yes, and for once it is a new beef,  Itoys are akin to the BEAST!

Let's bring it over so he doesn't get hits.

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PREVENTABLE ITOYS ADDICTION

This was posted on August 29, 2018 by Steve Maxwell.

From a dear (courageous) Brother:

 

Apparently it is "courageous" to take toys away from children.  I always wonder about Steve's dear brothers.  Does he just make them up or are these real emails from his kool aid swillers? 

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“When our children were toddlers, we discovered that an iPad (supplied with various kid’s games) could be used to occupy the kids during times when we were busy, almost like a short-term babysitter.

How sinful.

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This became a favorite activity for our children, and even resulted in a routine we called “iPad Time” where each child received a scheduled amount of time to play games on the iPad.

Of course it was scheduled.  

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“However, we noticed that this activity had a negative effect on our children; they lost interest and enjoyment in almost everything else.

Perhaps it was the most stimulating and interesting thing they were allowed to do?  That doesn't say much for these people's parenting. 

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My daughter would even throw a tantrum if we told her she couldn’t play with the iPad. Eventually, my wife and I realized that we weren’t developing healthy appetites in our children and we chose to cut out “iPad Time” altogether.

Such bravery.  What do they now use as a short-term babysitter?

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“For more than two years, our children haven’t used the iPad or our iPhones as an entertainment activity, and they’ve grown much more happy and receptive to our input and instruction since.”

Humble brag.  I expect they have become more obedient in case their parents take away other things they like to do.

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Bad fruit often springs from seeds of good intentions. It is much easier to avoid it, Brothers. If you are already struggling with bad fruit, might it be time for some courage, like this Brother?

Oh, fuck you, Steve.  The way this asshole sees normal child behavior as bad fruit really pisses me off.

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“A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished” (Proverbs 22:3).

“He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich” (Proverbs 21:17).

Yeah, yeah.  Steve the sanctimonious fun killer.

Luke 17:2 "It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones."

Colossians 3:21 "Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged."

1 Timothy 4:12  "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

Edited August 29, 2018 by Palimpsest
fixed quotes

[Tatar-tot]

Can someone let Steve know that climbing on rocks at his advanced age is extremely dangerous?  He could slip and crack his head open bleeding to death.  

Actually don’t tell him.  

[PennySycamore]

I wanna know what kind of kids' games come with an iPad.  You can get kids' video games from the App Store, but I don't know of any games where it works the other way around.

My grandkids all love their iPads.  My grandson, who is on the autism spectrum, was entertained a couple of years ago on the long car trip from Memphis to Myrtle Beach by watching Thomas the Tank Engine videos.  My deaf granddaughter was kept content while her mom (my daughter) was in the hospital with a brain tumor earlier this year by Peppa Pig videos.  She also plays some games and that does engage her mind. 

I like the philosophy of the rabbis that we'll be called to account for every legitimate pleasure that we've denied ourselves.  (I think I've got that right. Actual Jews may want to chime in. )

[CyborgKin]

Y'know Steve, God could have created everything in 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 seconds  which is 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001.11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 (repeating) times shorter than 6 days.

 

"It's easier to just avoid it" sums up Steve's ethos about everything pretty well