"laestadian, apostolic, gay, lgbtq, ex-oalc, ex-llc, llc, oalc, bunner" LEARNING TO LIVE FREE: Illegal Nicotine

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Illegal Nicotine

LLL's pipe and gun
A reader wonders why underage smoking is tolerated in the OALC. I don't know the answer to that question. In Washington State, the legal age for possession or purchase of tobacco is 18. Go here for information on kids and smoking.

I've often wondered if the Nordic tendency to depression is exacerbated by the OALC, which emphasizes conformity, humility and spiritual insecurity. If you tend to depression and are regularly told that your relationship to God can be severed in an instant, your salvation lost forever, wouldn't you find yourself reaching for the calming effects of nicotine -- or food, or coffee, or prescription painkillers?

3 comments:

  1. This is kind of off-topic, but since we are talking about the issue of parenting, I have a question that I would welcome suggestions on.
    My kids attend a school in which non-OALC students are a minority. We pray every day before they go to school, and I desperately want them to share God's love with children that may be in the same boat as I was-- lost and alone. But how much do you allow them to be a light to the world and how much do you feel like you are throwing them to the wolves. My daughter came home today in tears because a little girl who said she would always be her friend said she didn't like her. This is an ongoing struggle, and it seems like daily they hear something about their parents or their faith that hurts their little hearts.
    My tendency is to want to protect them, but they are pretty grounded as far as Bible knowledge and relationship with God.
    I just don't want them to be hurt all the time.
    Any suggestions?

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  2. 1. I would consider moving.
    2. Teach your children as best you can to be strong and don't allow others to hurt them like that; encourage them to find other friends.

    There isn't much more you can do.

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  3. My heart goes out to you. Emotional bullying is a serious problem with longterm emotional and cognitive consequences for your children. Fear literally shuts down the reasoning part of the brain.

    Talk to their teachers and principal. Educate them about the OALC. Find out what their anti-bullying policies are. Hold them accountable for educating students about tolerance, delivering consequences for bullying, and holding everyone to a high standard (the Anti-Defamation League provides resources to educators).

    But if I were you, dear, I would move. Childhood is too precious.

    ReplyDelete