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09/05/2006 Entry: "Armour of the Gods"

Armor of the Gods?

Toph sent me the link.

At first glance, I'd have to say that is one crazy looking little boy. But then again, why not? I must admit, at the age of 13, I was still building fortresses out of sofa cushions to my mother's perpetual dismay. How rad would it be to have pjs that resemble a suit of armor, complete with a shield pillow and a helmet styled after ca. 15th century knights? It's to help me sleep, dammit. But there is a problem here...

The creator tells how a grandmother made such pajamas to put on while she read the verses of Ephesians 6, the "Armor of God" passage, to help the kids find comfort and peace while they slumbered.

Here is the excerpt:

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Now this scripture is all well and good, but the imagery of armor does nothing to reasure the fearful; this is simply a bland series of metaphors to encourage the reader to dig in the heels and stick to the doctrines given to them.

As much fun as swords and shields and dungeons are for little kids, I would never, ever, want to instill this kind of sentiment in my children. Dogma is for grownups only.