• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Children's Bible Stories

I am very worried about other peoples children.


Mine will never read such filth.
 
Last edited:
bluess said:
See, Hindu children stories just aren't like the scary Jesus ones.

A little boy is told by his mother that Krishna is his big brother, and not to be scared walking in the woods on his way to school. The little boy gets scared on his way to school and calls for his big brother. Krishna shows up and walks him to school.

Why would you want to love a scary, grim reaper god?
Click to expand...

Oh not true, my friend. Many of the Christ stories are far from him being some type of death reaper. And some of the stories arround shiva also give me the jibblies.
 
joobz said:
Oh not true, my friend. Many of the Christ stories are far from him being some type of death reaper. And some of the stories arround shiva also give me the jibblies.
Click to expand...

Have you got any examples? I went to a CoE school as a child, and I'm drawing a complete blank thinking of Jesus as god stories where he doesn't just swoop in at the end to carry off souls.

I can remember Jesus as a child ones and various Jesus as a man stories, but as a god he just doesn't seem to do nice, bizarrely that gets left to god the father.
 
!!! I remember that story! I read it many times in the doctor's office (along with Highlights for Children - with Goofus and Gallant - the forerunners of Beavis & Butthead?).

My personal take on it was, if you want to be a Christian, you just have to sleep with your hand propped up. I tried it for a while, out of curiosity, but didn't become a Christian.

In answer to the OP, I don't think it's harmful to allow children to read bible (or any other religious) stories, as long as you don't tell them what to think about the stories, and allow them to come to their own conclusions about the veracity of the stories based on their experience with reality.

Then, when people use the argument that they (your children) don't know anything about Christianity (or any other religion), they can honestly answer that they've read the bible or at least excerpts from it, and are speaking from a base of knoweldge.
 
Jekyll said:
Have you got any examples? I went to a CoE school as a child, and I'm drawing a complete blank thinking of Jesus as god stories where he doesn't just swoop in at the end to carry off souls.

I can remember Jesus as a child ones and various Jesus as a man stories, but as a god he just doesn't seem to do nice, bizarrely that gets left to god the father.
Click to expand...
I was thinking mostly of the the Bible stories of Jesus, not these "aftermarket" children stories.

Like the story of Jesus with some dude and a whore.
whore comes in, some dude says, "begone whore!". And Jesus is all like, "No, come back here whore, it's ok... That guy is being a D**hebag"

or the turn the cheek thing, those stories.

The whole freaking kids out with the Jesusmonster seems to be more related to European descentants love of weirding kids out with bizarre stories like the Brother's Grimm stuff.
 
Tiktaalik said:
In answer to the OP, I don't think it's harmful to allow children to read bible (or any other religious) stories, as long as you don't tell them what to think about the stories, and allow them to come to their own conclusions about the veracity of the stories based on their experience with reality.
Click to expand...
what, you aren't going to answer the Bazillion number of questions that will come up after reading the stuff.

No I agree, that you should let them read it. i think the general teachings of christianity are great. But not to get mired in the details. The key apsects I want my children to know

1.) Do unto others...
2.) Be grateful for what you have and help others if you can
3.) You are an individual. Not a "small part of a whole" therefore your opinions matter!
4.) Always learn, Always learn more
5.) Always Create and be the best at it you can
 
joobz said:
The whole freaking kids out with the Jesusmonster seems to be more related to European descentants love of weirding kids out with bizarre stories like the Brother's Grimm stuff.
Click to expand...

I'm not convinced, some of the rejected books of the new testament are meant to have had Jesusmonster as a kid creating havoc, besides it's always going to be a bit of a problem how to make a narrative work when you've got the supreme being on your side. He's pretty much obliged to only show up at the end to tidy up.
 
Jekyll said:
I'm not convinced, some of the rejected books of the new testament are meant to have had Jesusmonster as a kid creating havoc, besides it's always going to be a bit of a problem how to make a narrative work when you've got the supreme being on your side. He's pretty much obliged to only show up at the end to tidy up.
Click to expand...
Interesting. I never looked into the whole "heretic" gospels. Although they seem quite interesting. And I think my philosophies may be more gnostic than otherwise. My only knowledge of them comes from mass media sources:

Da Vinci Code=jesus looooved maaarryyy. (in a little kind voice)
Stigmata=gospel of Thomas says, "we don't need no stinking church."
 
bluess said:
Tiger. There aren't wolves in Inda. :D

The tiger, having fulfilled her dharma, was then assured of a good re-birth.
Click to expand...

Ah, but there are.

The Indian Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes; also known as the Indian Gray Wolf or the Peninsular Gray Wolf) is one of the smallest subspecies of the gray wolf. It is a semi-desert-adapted wolf that ranges from the Indian subcontinent to the Arabian Peninsula.
Click to expand...

Wiki, of course. And I thought Kipling had wolves in the Jungle Book?
 
Here's a bit of inspirational prose from the Gospel of Thomas:

IV. 1 And after certain days, as Jesus passed through the midst of the city, a certain child cast a stone at him and smote his shoulder. And Jesus said unto him: Thou shalt not finish thy course. And straightway he also fell down and died. And they that were there were amazed, saying: From whence is this child, that every word which he speaketh becometh a perfect work? 2 But they also departed and accused Joseph, saying: Thou wilt not be able to dwell with us in this city: but if thou wilt, teach thy child to bless and not to curse: for verily he slayeth our children: and every thing that he saith becometh a perfect work.
V. And as Joseph sat upon his seat, the child stood before him; and he took hold upon his ear and pinched it sore. But Jesus looked upon him earnestly and said: It sufficeth thee.

So Jesus killed a kid and got his ear pinched as punishment. No wonder the Gospel of Thomas is a heretical text, not included in the bible. Even so, I learned stories from the Gospel of Thomas when I was a little kid.
 
Well, if we are getting apochryphal, there is always Jesus' Amazing Foreskin, or the fishpond, or slaying his little playmate.

The Grimm's one that gives me willies is 'The Jew in the Thornbush'. I think we'll skip that particular bedtime story. Give me 'Struwwelpeter' (sp?). Eat the soup!
 
The night time prayer was as scary as any bible story.

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the lord my soul to keep,
And if I die before I wake,
I pray the lord my soul to take.

That used to flat freak me out, to have to say that every night. What a way to torture small children, by reminding them EVERY NIGHT that there's a chance that they could die. And if they did, they better hope that the lord guy had their souls, or else it was burning hellfire for eternity for them.

Talk about emotional abuse.
 
Something I've thought about, if I had kids, how should I respond when some well-intentioned believer comes along and starts telling my kids about gawd. On the one hand, I'd be so freakin' angry with this person, on the other hand, they just don't know any better.
 
Bible stories can have a lasting effect on children.
When I was about five, someone (I wonder who??) gave me an illustrated book of stories about "Jesus as a Boy". I don't recall the stories, but there were two girls in them , called Miriam and Rachel. I have liked both names ever since. Miriam appeared in a drawing wearing a blue dress. She was awfully pretty.
Just goes to show.

But my answer to the OP is
1. I have no children , but,
2. If I had, I would let them read what they chose, though I would try to be sure they had material they were capable of grasping at any given age.

It's the kid's mind, not mine. I would ask what he thought of the stories and why, just as I would of any fiction, historical or otherwise. I'd be much more cautious about textbooks, which I expect to be accurate.
 
Gord_in_Toronto said:
Else who would raise the feral children (QV)? :confused:
Click to expand...


Sorry, forgot all about Mowgli. Yes, Viriginia, there are wolves on the Indian subcontinent. And if they had eaten the little boy in the story, they too would have fulfilled their dharma and gone on to better things in their next life.
 
Meh, biblical stories may be full of scary stuff, but they pale in comparison to the original words of the Grimm brothers.

I would never read some of those to my children.
 
However, the stories written by the Grim brothers is pale when compared to the actual test of the Bible.

Nothing like sacrificing your kids or having 40 bears eat children to scare the kiddies.
 
I don't have a problem with some bible stories... I guess it depends on what you call a story, there is some horrific not child-safe stuff in the bible. What I have a problem with is presenting it as true.

If you want to tell a story about noah fine...its a cute story, we all love animals. What's NOT cute is pretending it's true.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom