Renouncing Satan
Sep 12, 2001
by Carol Zaleski
One Saturday morning when there was a brief lull in our domestic hubbub, I asked our 13-year-old son John what he considered to be the most important things in life. He instantly presented me with an itemized list:
• To make sure that you and everyone else have a good time
• To fulfill your duty and be honorable
• To be peaceful and law-abiding and church-abiding
• To be patriotic
• Not to be a tattletale
These struck me as remarkably soldierly ideals for a boy who has never been a scout, and whose schooling has been devoid of flag-waving or martial codes of honor. So I inquired further: What might interfere with carrying out such high resolves? Immediately he produced another list:
• greed
• power
• lust
• To make sure that you and everyone else have a good time
• To fulfill your duty and be honorable
• To be peaceful and law-abiding and church-abiding
• To be patriotic
• Not to be a tattletale
These struck me as remarkably soldierly ideals for a boy who has never been a scout, and whose schooling has been devoid of flag-waving or martial codes of honor. So I inquired further: What might interfere with carrying out such high resolves? Immediately he produced another list:
• greed
• power
• lust
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