Posted on 05/29/2012 7:55:04 AM PDT by Gamecock
Full Title: Did Veggie Tales prove that you can teach kids to behave Christianly without teaching them Christianity?
A very interesting article here. Remember those veggies that sung like helium intoxicated chip munks and told stories from the bible almost similar to bible stories? Now there seems to be a hint of regret. You see…
VeggieTales “convinced kids to behave Christianly without actually teaching them Christianity.” So says founder Phil Vischer in a new interview.
VeggieTales was a rags-to-riches entrepreneurial success story. Vischer and his counterpart, Mike Nawrocki, left college to pursue their dream of making wildly creative children’s videos. At the height of their success in the late 1990s, VeggieTales videos sold 7 million copies in a single year and generated $40 million in revenue. Though primarily aimed at a Christian market, VeggieTales had a broader cultural influence, pushing forward the boundaries of computer animation and children’s programming
But success brought failure. Though Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber are still around, they aren’t the same. Big Idea Productions went bankrupt in 2003 and Vischer lost ownership and creative control of the whole enterprise. VeggieTales is no longer VeggieTales. The characters still exist – and in some cases are even voiced by Nawrocki and Vischer as hired talent – but the decisions are now made by studio execs who don’t share the vision or worldview of the original founders.
In a recent issue of WORLD magazine, Vischer acknowledged to interviewer Megan Basham that the bankruptcy and subsequent trials have given him perspective. His words reveal a man who’s beginning to see the difference between moralism and the gospel. And a man humble enough to acknowledge his role in confusing the two:
I looked back at the previous 10 years and realized I had spent 10 years trying to convince kids to behave Christianly without actually teaching them Christianity. And that was a pretty serious conviction. You can say, ‘Hey kids, be more forgiving because the Bible says so,’ or, ‘Hey kids, be more kind because the Bible says so!’ But that isn’t Christianity, it’s morality.
American Christian[s]… are drinking a cocktail that’s a mix of the Protestant work ethic, the American dream, and the gospel. And we’ve intertwined them so completely that we can’t tell them apart anymore. Our gospel has become a gospel of following your dreams and being good so God will make all your dreams come true. It’s the Oprah god… We’ve completely taken this Disney notion of ‘when you wish upon a star, your dreams come true’ and melded that with faith and come up with something completely different. There’s something wrong in a culture that preaches nothing is more sacred than your dream. I mean, we walk away from marriages to follow our dreams. We abandon children to follow our dreams. We hurt people in the name of our dreams, which as a Christian is just preposterous.
["It's Not About the Dream," WORLD magazine, Sep 24, 2011, 57-58]
I’ve been strongly critical of the Christian subculture over the years because I believe it does more to distort and discredit the gospel than almost any external threat or influence. It’s good to see one of the former saints of that subculture putting his finger on the same weaknesses. It’s even better to see “gospel awakening” in a man with such deep wells of creativity and talent.
And now, it’s that time for Silly Songs with Larry.
Excellent story. (emphasis mine). The problem is NOT "bad parents" or bad churches or bad religion. The problem is sin. The Truth is that God Himself became flesh to die in our place to fix our sin problem for those that are convicted that they are sinners in need of God to make a way to have peace with Him that we all crave. Being right with God is how we have peace with Him. And that only comes through faith in Christ Jesus.
The problem with Veggie Tales and all other such teachings and gimicks to teach "bible" ethics is that they are all legalist and moralistic approaches. No, it is not wrong to teach what the Word says on how we are to act. But to teach it without giving us the gospel with it, is to do nothing but bring despair on those that are being taught. For we all know in our hearts that we can NOT attain to this behavior on our own. If they are not told that this behavior is not for the purpose of pleasing God, but for us to receive His joy, because we can NOT do this by ourselves --only in the power of God acting in us as we decrease and He decreases. The more we desire Him and to be transform BY HIM, the more of His peace we attain as we become more and more like Him!
It doesn't matter how cute or clever legalism/moralism is taught - it is poison for the soul by itself. The gospel of Jesus Christ MUST accompany it. If it doesn't, then what is taught is the same as what is taught in every other "religion".
As cute as it is, and as much as I like the songs, I have never been impressed with Veggie Tales because of the reasons the article states. Christ Jesus is never mentioned. And without Him there is nothing. .
And the Song of the Cebu was the best!
I like the Cebu song too!
Christianity is when one says, “Forgive me Lord and help me to be more kind.”
It's very difficult for us to think in the latter terms even for those of us who are saved. We are sinful creatures who tend to focus on trying to cleanse the external rather than cleaning up the internal.
Dave and the Giant Pickle is still one of my favorite videos.......
I loved Veggie Tales when my kids were little, but noticed the change after awhile, when Silly Songs with Larry wasn’t as funny anymore.
Still, we have them around the house, and remember the jokes.
I think this guy is being too hard on himself. Moral lessons in cartoon form are pretty good in and of themselves. If you want something more comprehensive, go out and try to do it. This guy has made a really satisfying bowl of popcorn. He shouldn’t regret that he didn’t make a four course meal.
The sad thing is how many churches look at OT stories as principles for living. David and Goliath is turned into the 5 stones you need. Jacobs ladder is turned into something you need to climb. Christocentric preaching is not happening in many churches.
My wife runs our VBS.
She spends a lot of time with the teachers making sure they understand that the goal of VBS IS NOT to turn out well behaved children, but children who recognize that they need a Savior.
And yes, the Cebu song rocks.
USTA!!!
I have been so blessed to be a part of a new ministry at our PCA church which is a bible study/discipleship for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In reviewing some of the curriculum out there for this, I found most of it was just a way to teach them bible stories and the application was on how to live. Sigh.. I did find one that is reformed based, but it still does not go deep enough, although the notes to the leader are decent. This is what we use, but we point out week after week that it is all about Jesus. I actually made a pointer that I use and after a month or so of using it, as soon as I get it out, they know that we are going to talk about how that story points to Jesus. It was very sad when I was looking over some of the other curriculum on Old Testament material that comes from a large bible teachng Christian publishing company that is nothing more than how the bible says to behave. Ugh..
Good for your wife! Much of the VSB stuff out there is about behaving. Is your wife interested in doing a bible study for adults with disabilities? They are wonderful and so eager to learn about Jesus!
Yes.
Thanks for playing! ;-)
Has she looked at Great Commission Publications?
But of course!
I started writing Christian children’s stories about the time Veggietales exploded onto the scene. I was happy for their success, but always considered them Family Entertainment and not necessarily Christian. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that considering the aternatives out there for kids.
Its hard for me to call things Christian without Christ, or the Word, as the focus of the story and songs. But they were definitely being marketed that way.
We can always use some more quality family and/or value-oriented entertainment in the world.
Amen. I have always looked at the OT as stories of the interaction of God with men rather then principles. All of it is given for our instruction and reproof. Even with Leviticus there is a lot God wants to say to us today if you understand that every commandment ever uttered by God was for our good and benefit.
Discussion of the proper use of the OT came up many times in the adult Sunday School I used to teach. There is quite a lot of hogwash being taught out there. I even briefly had in class a Marcionite that rejected the canonicity of the OT. He was always good for a lively discussion.
What I taught is that all of the OT is literally true but not all of it is literally binding on Christians. It is to be spiritually understood and inwardly applied. For example, the bloody cleansing of Canaan by Joshua (always a hangup for younger believers) can be understood as a commandment to mercilessly exterminate all strongholds of sin within the believers own life, no matter how innocent or even profitable these sins may seem. Likewise, the Levitical laws established the Hebrews as a "peculiar people" unlike any other; so, too should the believer stive to separate themselves from the world, not by avoiding certain foods or wearing certain things, but by avoiding the snares of sin and putting on Godly habits.
Vischer is right that their is a difference between Christian behavior and being a Christian. Moral directives apart from the new birth is a recipe for either frustration or hypocrisy. His point is valid.
However, VT did point a generation to a moral compass that was biblical in orientation when the rest of the culture had abandoned the Bible for post modern subjectivity or pragmatism.
VT was always a good tool for Christian parents to use to point to moral behavior while explaining that the power to Change comes from regeneration and daily trust.
A good friend of mine worked at VT for many years and became their senior design person. His wife answered fan mail for the VT characters. I am sure they both would agree that the VT moral lessons apart from the new birth was not Christianity. However, I think they would also say that the morals of VT was a light to a darkening of our moral culture and also a useful tool in the hands of believing parents and Christian workers.
When you look at the spiritual truths in Leviticus, it is really rather awesome - even more so when you look at the sacrifices and how they really point to Christ.
In Judah's case (Judges 1), God commanded Judah to go and take possession of the land. Judah asked Simeon to go up and help him. They meant with some success but was unable to dislodge the people because of their "chariots of iron". In Benjamin's case, they didn't bother to do anything. Instead they allowed the Jebusites to remain and live with them, as did the tribe of Joseph. As for the Canaanites, the Israelites determine that it would be much more profitable for making slaves out of them than following God's command (Judges 1:28-34). Dan was so weak in their faith that they never took control and lived in fear of the Amorites by hiding in the hills (Judges 1:35). Only blessed Caleb was anxious to go in there and try to get the job done (at 85!!!).
In each of these cases, the Israelites offered excuses and presented probably what sounded like very good reasons for not doing what God had commanded them to do-drive out the inhabitants and make no agreements with them. Perhaps they were trying to be kind. Perhaps they rationalized to themselves that these people would convert to their faith. More likely they saw it as an opportunity of enslaving a people for their own gain. Whatever the reason, in Judges 2:1-4 we find God was pretty displeased over the whole mess and told the Israelites that their compromises would end up being a snare around their necks. (Doesn't this sound like what the church is going through today?)
I'm not suggesting we start hacking up heathens with swords (although a few heretics might be OK). :O) But I would suggest that we take a very close look at what happened. God gave the commandment to Joshua to cleanse Canaan because it was in their best spiritual and national interest. The compromising of the Israelites really undermined what was BEST for themselves.
Yes, we can spiritualize this but I also think there is a literal application here. Like God did for Joshua and the Israelites, God has given us commandments that are the very BEST for us. Every time we compromise a command, either doing something we shouldn't or not doing something that we should, just like the Israelites we are compromising what God has determined to be the very best for our lives. And, unfortunately, for each of us this happens very frequently.
And, btw, is it any wonder that God is wrathful? He keeps wanting and giving us the very best but we don't want it. We keep rejecting or fail to do it. Indeed God is long suffering.
I'm convinced that God wanted this recorded for our instruction-not to hack up the Canaanites but to be obedient to His instructions so it will go well for us. We can see the results through Israel of what happens when we are disobedient. This sad episode in Israel's life underscores what happens to us as believers every time we transgress God's commands. It isn't just sin against God, but its that we make our lives more difficult than it should be. And just like the Israelites, we cry when things get tough because of our disobediance.
As far as Leviticus, from the wringing of the necks of turtledoves, forbidding the climbing of stairs without undergarments, to the mold in homes; they all represents various aspects of God's providential care. But that's another (BORING!!!) post. :O)
Instead they allowed the Jebusites to remain and live with them,
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