GRPL Ping.
Thoughts?
GRPL Ping.
Thoughts?
Is this a bad thing?
IMHO, a lot of parents have a very nasty taste in their mouth about Christianity because, their parents forced them to go to church - and they resent that. For them (and largely for me until about 20 year ago), going to Church was a punishment for a crime I never committed. It was a chore that was resented - in short - my parents failed, miserably. To get a child or young adult to understand church, they must enjoy the experience - if not, all you are instilling is a deep seated resentment, and a pretty solid garrantee that they will reject the teachings, and do their best to avoid this again in the future.
My parents failed - miserably with this very simple, and very common task. I have one brother who is now a professed athiest, a sister with a long history of drug abuse (with both of her kids currently in jail) and no interest in church at all, another brother who has (like me) completely renounced the denomination he was raised in, and opted for a different Christian church. 4 out of 4 children renouncing your denomination is pretty much a 100% FAIL in my book.
So, if this program teaches Christian ideals, without espousing Christianity - I do not consider that a bad thing at all. The principles of Christianity are not unique, in that compassion, forgiveness, acceptance and understanding are found in most enlightened cultures around the world. What ever lays the seeds of Christianity, is a seed that may one day bear “good fruit”.
“And now, it’s that time for Silly Songs with Larry.”
But I want Love Songs with Mr. Lunt!
Kind of like public schools teach kids to think like Marxists without teaching Marxism.
You can compare Veggie tales to the Gospels or the Cartoon Network. Compared to the latter, it’s a no-brainer.
And when our kids were under 10, there was almost nothing else. We also used The Donut Man and EWTN’s kid’s programming.
Is “Christianly” a word? I think not.
Bfl
We treated Veggie Tales and the spinoffs not as teaching Christianity, or even about teaching moral principles or good manners, but simply as clever, inoffensive entertainment.
Even today, I tell my hipster 18-year-old, “Get up, Captain Zidgel, or you won’t have time to do your hair before you leave for work!” And I sing, “The baby, the baby, ooooh, I love the baby! I don’t love the dog, or the fish, just the baby ...”
He says that like its a bad thing.
It isn't. You don't expect any one thing to do everything. It is a piece of a puzzle. He presented an entertainment product that reinforced what parents were trying to do, and did not undercut what parents are trying to do like 90% of what passes for entertainment.
It doesn't have to stand alone, it exists within a context in which parents are teaching their kids the faith, kids are in church, and things like "Veggie Tales" are one of multple things that help to teach kids the basics of morality.
If he didn't teach some kind of full-blown Christian message, thats not a defect because that wasn't the goal he set for himself. Everything doesn't have to do everything. Set a limited goal and meet it, then set another goal with perhaps another product, another series, that attacks a different piece of the whole. By themselves, none of them do it all. Together in a context, you may find its all there. Or if not, they are nonetheless a support to what parents and others are doing.
As for his comment about Christianity stripped of Christ, he is right. People have a sense of who God is without being rooted in morality, and without actually having a working ongoing relationship with God. The result is people with no morals and no sense of sin, who can't figure out why their lives are in chaos. I see this even in the church.
So, again, a cartoon that teaches kids basic morality is not a bad thing. Some other cartoon or series can build on that, or take it to another level. Being successful at one level doesn't make you a failure because you didn't do more. When you find you've taken something as far as you can, its time to step up to the next level. That doesn't make the previous one a failure. Just, you're ready to grow and hopefully your audience is too.
“I’m a cucumber, I’m not a pickle.”
It is a good thing that Phil Vischer has seen the light on this. Teaching morality without the reality of Jesus on the cross is a limited thing. WHY should I be kind to my neighbor? WHY should I refrain from stealing, killing, promiscuity etc...
We love because God loved us and gave us his son. That answers the WHY questions. We love because the reality of sin, in that we were dead in our sins, but he saved us. This reality is the solid ground under our feet. There is no other.
You can get morality teaching from all kinds of sources including islam, scientology, Hollywood, and Oprah. But there is only one source of truth worth listening to - one story that unfolds and reveals the mystery of the universe. And that is when God sent his son into a cursed world to redeem it and offer himself as a sacrifice.
“See me dance! Like butter on a bald monkey.”
I agree that Veggie Tales are basically lessons in good morality, and I think that’s okay. It’s cute entertainment that they enjoy and I don’t mind in reasonable amounts. Since I want my sons to know the Bible and hear sound Christian doctrine, I teach them from the Bible myself and make sure their Sunday school lessons are scripturally sound as well. Most Christian parents that I know do the same.
I love Veggie Tales. Is it all encompassingly Christian? No. But it is a GOOD start to talk to your kids, or in my case, my grandson, Calvin. Him seeing something on screen and then inserting the gospel as we talk has been a very good method of presenting Christ.
Is it Christianity? No.
Is it Christianity lite? Maybe.
Is it better than 99% of the other garbage on the screen dedicated to turning your little ones skulls into mush? Yes.
I watched it a couple of times and then told my kids I would get them some better videos. It didn’t meet my standards.
OOPS,
I watched it a couple of times and then told my grand-kids I would get them some better videos. It didn’t meet my standards.
Sounds like the original creators got to see that first hand.