Ezekiel Stoddart

Poor lad. What stupidity.

What?!

Wasn't Jesus preaching when he was 12?

No Petallus. He was sitting among the teachers talking and asking questions, according to St Luke.

This is a common feature in the stories of many authority figures. Even Josephus claims that he amazed the teachers with his wisdom and brilliant questions – in his case at the age of 14.

But he waited till he was thirty, so the story goes, I think, before he started preaching. Intelligent twelve and fourteen year olds usually do ask pertinent questions.

What else would a child named Ezekiel do?

I used to have a teddy bear called Ezekiel (shortened to Zeke). He used to ride on the back of my bike doing arm dances all the time. He made people smile in Poxford. That's why I he did it.

If I were a child named Ezekiel, absent, I'd probably get myself adopted by some normal people.

Just so long as you don't get adopted by Jamie Oliver or Bob Geldof, gracesmum

The other scary precocious child was William Haig

Don't Buddhists pick the next thingiebob when he is just a young child?

absentgrana@ "Even Josephus claims that he amazed the teachers with his wisdom and brilliant questions – in his case at the age of 14"

Can you quote the passage? I can't see it in any of the three passages in Josephus.

Buddhists believe in reincarnation which is why they find their leader as a child.

Not saying it's right or wrong ....just what they do.

Poor little Ezekiel will have been brought up to be special. His parents are the pastors of the church he's been ordained into. His mother says he's been home schooled and reads the Bible for 3 to 4 hours every day.

That sounds like child abuse to me, Vampire!

ditto annodomini...........I did a lot of training for my pre-school work a few years ago. At a session on child protection we discussed the many elements of abuse. One 'variation' is bringing children into the adult world and expecting them to assume adult resposibilities before they are fully mature. Such a shame.

I agree it's a form of child abuse. He's been isolated from his peers and home schooled (indoctrinated). Apparently some research has been done into what happens to these child preachers as they grow up (according to the Daily Mail so may not be gospel lol). It seems most grow up to be bitter and cynical and regret losing their childhood.

feetlebaum Not sure what you mean. This appears in his autobiography (usually translated as the Life of Flavius Josephus). He was never shy about blowing his own trumpet and pointing out how clever he was.

If he does grow up bitter and twisted I hope he doesn't get his hands on a gun!

Or become a Tory MP. (ref: nanaej)