My Daughter Gets Persecuted!

PERSECUTED!

“Poor little brain-washed kid!”
null —Comment from a Walmart worker after my 8-year-old daughter D.D. handed him a Gospel tract.

Comments (0)

  1. Kerrigan Skelly

    Reply

    Yeah, poor little girl. Instead, you should let her sit in front of the T.V. all day and let that brainwash her. You should let her read “teen magazines”, watch “chick flicks” and teach her that anything goes…as long as it feels right! She would be a much better person then and such a contributor to the community. How dare us Christians teach our kids morality, respect, love, etc. We are such HORRIBLE PEOPLE!!

  3. frank kostreba

    Reply

    You can bring this to the attention of the dept. head of stores and they will issuse a release that all employees will refrian from making any judgemental remarks to their customers no matter what age. As they are there to serve the public and not judge it. After all they don’t say that to homosexuals or satanist and the like. To single her out is in violation of that 8 year old childs right to move unhinder in a public or private place open to conduct any type of bussines with all manners of society.
    I know you won’t, but I say that cause it seems that the others think their the only ones who have something to crow about.

    frank

  4. Jim

    Reply

    Amazing! This must be the first time in ages that I’ve seen something about a WalMart that I can honestly say is a positive thing. The way they censor literature and music in their stores, and the way they treat their employees like dirt, it’s refreshing to see an employee who hasn’t lost faith in himself.

    Whatever happened to the whole “Do unto others as you would have done unto you?” Don’t try to proselytize me and convince me to switch to your faith, unless you want me to do the same to you.

  5. Phil

    Reply

    Amazing. Some of these comments are DEFENDING the ‘right’ to confront people and subject them to unwanted, uninvited materials and/or viewpoints… and they are OFFENDED that people would DARE to speak out, and declare that they regard such behavior as unacceptable.

    Yo… frank kostreba… you haven’t got a bloody CLUE what you’re talking about. As soon as you INVADE somebody’s SPACE, and attempt to invade their MIND… you are INVITING judgement… and you bloody-well DESERVE to be judged… harshly.

    Parents who would encourage an innocent 8-year old child to ENGAGE is such obnoxious behavior deserve to be CONDEMNED.

    You say that employees “… are there to SERVE the public and not JUDGE it.” Fine… neither are they there to be ABUSED by the public… and THAT is what the 8 year-old child was (innocently) doing.

    You say that “To single her out is in violation of that 8 year old childs right to move unhinder in a public or private place open to conduct any type of bussines with all manners of society.” What?… are you too dense to realize that NOBODY ‘singled out’ this child? The CHILD singled out the EMPLOYEE.

    The ‘others’ that you speak of ARE NOT looking for something to ‘crow about’… the simply want to NOT be badgered and bothered by mindless drones, promoting an agenda that requires one to surrender reason and embrace… in its place… gullibility, irrationality, willful ignorance, self-deception, self-delusion, intellectual dishonesty, lies, hypocrisy and drooling stupidity.

    The fact is, the WalMart employee was NOT singling out and ‘judging’ the child… the employee was showing SYMPATHY for the child, in light of the unconscionable CHILD ABUSE (religious indoctrination and brainwashing) that had been inflicted upon the child.

    “I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do.”  ~ D. Dale Gulledge

  6. MFZ

    Reply

    Don’t place your child in a position to be imposing on the religious rights of others and others won’t respond in offense. Shame on you for making your child a tool for YOUR religious agenda.

  7. Paul

    Reply

    Dear Jim,

    I’m standing on a rock above a river shoreline. I see you swimming in the river straight out from where I stand. It’s obvious, from my vantage point, that you are not aware you are headed toward a strong current that leads to an undertow that no one has ever survived.

    COMPASSION FOR YOU, a stranger, causes me to frantically call out as loud as I can to warn you of the danger that lies ahead. In essence, you have been given something important, a truth to consider and you’re now better equipped to make an informed choice with that knowledge. ‘FOOD FOR THOUGHT’ so to speak.

    “It’s OK, sir! I’ve got faith in myself! I’ll be alright on my own!”, you shout back. I am the last person to see you alive. An eye witness to the account credits me, at least, for trying to warn you.

    Same scenario, different swimmer. It’s someone you dearly love. The person is sucked under the current and drowns. The eye witness account tells that the swimmer swam right by me while I was standing on the shore and all I did was smile and wave. I neglected giving your loved one any warning whatsoever even though, from my vantage point, I knew death was imminent.

    Questions: What would you think of me? Would you have been grateful or hateful toward me? Did I do for your loved one what you would assume I would have liked done for me had I been the one in the water?

    Walmart Guy was NOT being “proselytized” to. There was no attempt (especially by this 8 year old little girl) to “recruit or convert” anyone to anything. ‘FOOD FOR THOUGHT’ is all she was offering in the giving of this gospel tract. And in a free country, so lacking in the way of good morals, decency, love and compassion toward fellow men, I ask you: “Just exactly what is so bad about that?”

    Finally, I truly wonder what your thoughts would be about this: How would YOU feel toward a stranger diving in the water to save you from sure death, succeeds in doing so, yet the current snares him in the process and he dies instead?

    That gospel tract tells of one who loved us that deeply. Still does.

  8. Paul

    Reply

    Phil says:…” promoting an agenda that requires one to surrender reason and embrace… in its place… gullibility, irrationality, willful ignorance, self-deception, self-delusion, intellectual dishonesty, lies, hypocrisy and drooling stupidity.”

    How odd. It wasn’t until I ’embraced’ truth in God, your Creator and mine, that I was able to completely surrender my lifelong gullibility, irrationality, willful ignorance, SELF-deception, SELF-delusion, intellectual dishonesty, lies, hypocrisy and stupidity. (I had already stopped drooling at that point.)

    And I know you would probably hate the gospel message no matter the age of the messenger, sir. I know because I speak from experience. I was of the same mindset as you for most my life. That is until someone took the care and time to explain to me what the gospel truly is all about.

    Thus, when I saw myself for who I truly was in the sight and love of God, my heart was broken. And, without force, I willingly (gladly) gave up all those things about myself mentioned above. How could I not be anything but grateful for the messenger? But that’s me.

    So, tell me yes or no: Is it not a GOOD thing in our society that we are FREE to share and inform others around us of what could be of life benefitting knowledge whether we agree or disagree with it in the onset?

    You quoted D Gulledge saying: “I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do.”

    “Oppressed”? Who’s feeling oppressed? “Force”? Who’s trying to FORCE anything? Biblical Christians know that God would never accept a ‘forced’ heart. A broken one, yes, but not forced.

    It’s people like Gulledge who demand and cry “Freedom of Speech!…Just so long as it’s NOT about Christianity!” They cry “Tolerance!…except towards Christians!”

    THAT is hypocrisy to the max!

  9. Jim

    Reply

    It’s interesting, Paul, that you would use the metaphor of someone swimming amidst harsh currents. A few years back, while I was vacationing, I noticed a boy swimming in the ocean, clearly unaware of how far out he had snorkeled. I actually swam out there to point out to him, that he was going out too far. I did not force him to come back, but he followed me anyway. After we reached the shore, I never saw him again. He returned to his family and I mine. This is the right way of things.

    Now, if someone died trying to save me, I would undoubtedly feel some form of survivor’s guilt, but any firefighter, police officer, or EMT can tell you that it is wrong to endanger your own life to save someone else. If someone can’t be — forgive the use of this word — saved, then they shouldn’t be. This is at least partially why, in the pre-flight speeches that all airplane passengers hear, they advise parents to put their own oxygen masks on before helping their children.

    If I were in the situation you described, and you had pointed out to me that I was in potential danger, I would have thanked you (assuming, of course, that I could hear you in the first place, since you sit in your comfortable position on top of the rock and do nothing more than tell me of my danger, without actually acting to save me, but that’s another discussion altogether). But I would not put myself in that situation since I would (1) not go swimming in an area where there is great danger, and (2) especially in river currents, I would wear a life jacket.

    Now, back to the question of the incident in the WalMart. Nobody was in any physical danger. (Of course, since that this was a WalMart, I can’t be certain that there wasn’t something stacked dangerously on top of any shelves; that much information was left out of the original story…) I have long been a huge proponent of the freedom of speech. Hearing what people have to say, makes it easier to figure out who deserves to be ignored, and who deserves our attention.

    I was probably about ten or twelve years old when I realized that people who try to convince you that their religion’s interpretations of the natural world, complete with a supernatural “god” who apparently controls everything going on without a shred of evidence to support its existence, are the most worthy of being ignored. Unlike schoolyard bullies, who do tend to go away when ignored, though, religious fundamentalists tend to speak more loudly and get their children to parrot their short-sighted worldviews. That forces people like me — who stand for decency, love, and compassion without a blind faith in the supernatural — to go on the defensive.

    Free speech works both ways. If you don’t want someone to call your 8-year-old child “brainwashed,” then don’t force them to do your bullying.

  10. Jon Speed

    Reply

    Imagine, a child who honors her father and mother by having a sincere Christian faith. Horrors! A child exercising their freedom of speech. Yikes!

    I’d much rather have a child who shares his or her faith than have a kid like so many that I see in Walmarts who cuss out their parents (with no reprimand from any employee) or steal from the store. I’m sure all of that is “normal” behavior in some circles, but that normal behavior is no honor to the parents and is an offense to a holy God, several times over.

    Blessings,

    Jon

  12. Paul

    Reply

    Hi Jim,

    Good on you for doing what you did to save that boy’s life. I cannot tell you how grateful I would be had that been my son. I also commend you for just doing the right thing and without fanfare. Your compassion for that boy is more than words can say.

    I apologize for not making one point clear in my analogy and I did so by overpersonalizing in one area of truth about myself. I’m a self confessed human anchor! I can’t swim. Wouldn’t be much point in me diving in, now would there? But I can wave my arms in the air and yell real good!

    I’m way up here in Canada and at this time of year I can literally walk on the water. (Hold the joke there, pal!) I still wouldn’t go near it.

    But IF I was able to swim, I would be the first one in the water after you. What I wanted to emphasize in the analogy was the fact that “from my vantage point” I see a clear danger that you MIGHT not know about and I’m doing everything I can to do to make you aware in order to save you from impending death.

    It’s the same reason why I share the gospel with people. Just in case they MIGHT not know of an impending danger, I let them know and lead them to assured safety just as you did with the snorkeling boy.

    There’s no forcing them, no cohercing them, no manipulating. Just to help them see that there may be truth to be had “from my vantage point”…the Bible. What is so offensive about giving others, as I said, “food for thought” on something that just might help them in their own lives?

    You said: “I have long been a huge proponent of the freedom of speech. Hearing what people have to say, makes it easier to figure out who deserves to be ignored, and who deserves our attention.”

    So who is the judge? You? Who are you speaking for? You make it sound like you don’t mind hearing what people have to say while exercising their ‘freedom of speech’ so long as YOU agree with the issue at hand. And if you don’t agree, you deem it undeserving of anyone else’s attention so “shut ’em down!”

    You call that ‘free speech”? If you do, I don’t see the “free” part of this indispensable right.

    Good to chat with you.

  13. Paul

    Reply

    Hey Jim,

    I forgot to ask one more thing. Regarding “…then don’t force them to do your bullying.”

    How do you define “bullying”. I don’t get it.

    Thanks!

  14. frank kostreba

    Reply

    I’m a little confused has to whom I should address this. As you see this poor guy is not sure who he is either.
    Phil Says:

    January 19th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
    Amazing. Some of these comments are DEFENDING the ‘right’ to confront people and subject them to unwanted, uninvited materials and/or viewpoints… and they are OFFENDED that people would DARE to speak out, and declare that they regard such behavior as unacceptable.

    Yo… frank kostreba… you haven’t got a bloody CLUE what you’re talking about. As soon as you INVADE somebody’s SPACE, and attempt to invade their MIND… you are INVITING judgement… and you bloody-well DESERVE to be judged… harshly.

    Parents who would encourage an innocent 8-year old child to ENGAGE is such obnoxious behavior deserve to be CONDEMNED.

    You say that employees “… are there to SERVE the public and not JUDGE it.” Fine… neither are they there to be ABUSED by the public… and THAT is what the 8 year-old child was (innocently) doing.

    You say that “To single her out is in violation of that 8 year old childs right to move unhinder in a public or private place open to conduct any type of bussines with all manners of society.” What?… are you too dense to realize that NOBODY ’singled out’ this child? The CHILD singled out the EMPLOYEE.

    The ‘others’ that you speak of ARE NOT looking for something to ‘crow about’… the simply want to NOT be badgered and bothered by mindless drones, promoting an agenda that requires one to surrender reason and embrace… in its place… gullibility, irrationality, willful ignorance, self-deception, self-delusion, intellectual dishonesty, lies, hypocrisy and drooling stupidity.

    The fact is, the WalMart employee was NOT singling out and ‘judging’ the child… the employee was showing SYMPATHY for the child, in light of the unconscionable CHILD ABUSE (religious indoctrination and brainwashing) that had been inflicted upon the child.

    “I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do.” ~ D. Dale Gulledge

    Top is Phil says and the bottom is D Dale Gulledge. Either way read what you wrote as to what I’m doing, you think and look at your finger pointing, for thee are three point back at you. I’ll ask you why is it so offense of me and when you just did the same thing to me and it is O.K.
    That’s all right, I understand the confusion you must face each day trying to maintaion the faith you have. Cause it takes greater faith to say there is no GOD and try to convience ones self of if when your living in GOD’s world. Besides my friend I’m the least of your worries and that is plan to see. GOd is bigger than bot of us.
    Just cause who are does not give you the rght to judge either, remember those three fingers my friend and bless you for your interest and concern. I’m glad to see I touched your heart and pray that the Holy Ghost continues to make you uncomfortable.
    Peace and Grace be onto you.
    frank kostreba

  15. Logan Paschke

    Reply

    Steve is simply following Jesus Christ. Training up a child in the way they should go. Do you feel sympathy for the children who weren’t “indoctrinated” in Christianity and went on to become mass murderers? Columbine, Virginia Tech, countless lives have been lost because no one ever applied a “brain washing” to them. Putting mass-murderers aside, the children of this generation are the opposite of the children of the last generation and more specifically polar opposite of the generation before that. While this country is going through an economic recession right now, it is also going through a moral crisis.

    Hopefully the Walmart worker thought afterwards, “He didn’t have to make his daughter give out this gospel tract, he really believes it this strongly? Maybe I’ll take a look.” God is not just for adults. We must become humble like children, being a humble servant to the lost like Christ’s example. Or Paul. Or Noah. Or John (the Baptist or the beloved disciple) The list goes on.

    As Paul Washer says, “The person who tells you the most truth is your best friend.” That Wal-mart worker had a child as a best friend when he (or she) was handed a tract. Christians need to be best friends with people and tell them the truth in love.

  16. Gray

    Reply

    Brain washing is Biblical…Romans 12:2…Be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the RENEWING OF YOUR MINDS…

    Where in the original blog did it even inply that Steve is upset that his daughter was ‘persecuted.’ If he is up on Jesus’s admonitions, he would have been rejoiceing as he left the WalMart and blessing and praying for the employee who made the comment. The only complaining on here was by those commenting that they don’t like us ‘pushy’ Christians.

  17. Rachel Fuller

    Reply

    Why bring Walmart into the situation, that employee may not have been representing the voice of the company- their own personal beliefs. You find rude employees in every business in the world, It is by the way against Walmart policy to solicit Gospel tracts or anything while shopping in the store.

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