Bible for Children

[wel_mel_2]

Bismillah: Assalamo ALikum.


<b>Steve.</b>

I think it was Jacob who slept with his daughter-in-law, who was posing as a prostitute, because he was not giving her his due respect, after the death of his son and her husband.

It was Judah who commits incest with his daughter in law and conceived twins who became the great-grand fathers of Jesus Christ.


Jacob was the victim of his own son who commits incest with his father's concubine.

My kids get most of their bible reading from church. One year for Christmas, I gave them all a copy of a "bible story of the day" book. Only one of them read it.

Yes, but you don’t give them the story of Judah and his daughter in law to read, do you?

Kids don't need to read scripture to learn about the dark side of human nature, it is all around them.

I am not talking about the dark side of human nature; I am stressing the point of what they might get by reading those stories. Aren’t you worry that they might (<i>God forbid</i>) imitate what happened in the story of Amnon? Haven’t you heard the recent rape story that took place in USA when a child of 11 years old rapes a 6 year old girl while watching a movie from their bed side?

To learn the light of scripture is a totally different matter. I encourage them to read, but it more important for them to think. The Holy Spirit is written on our hearts. They will know it more as they grow, at a pace of their and God's choosing.

So clearly, you have no problem at all if they read these materials? For example, you have no objection if they were found reading things like:


“She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said. “I have fellowship offerings at home, today I fulfilled my vows. So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you. I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt. I have perfumed by bed with myrrh aloes and cinnamon. Come let’s drink deep of love till morning, let’s enjoy ourselves with love. My husband is not home; he has gone on a long journey.



So you are encouraging them to read the above (<i>just as an example</i>), and come up with the proper meaning or wisdom by themselves (<i>to think</i>)? You just are trying to tell me, that they will never think of an adulteress inviting a stranger in her home, telling him how she perfumed her bed for him to enjoy ‘<i>love</i>’ till the morning, because her husband is not around. Are you trying to say, that Children can never think of what is originally written?

Of course, it is good for them to know the past, but the goal is to understand the past, and the present with it.

You see I don’t turn on my TV on porn and call my children to watch and at the same time inform them that what they are watching is really bad, and that these people are going to burn in hell.


<b>FHC</b>

This story is featured in one of the "Historical" books of the Holy Bible. Historical books contain candid accounts of real life events that took place in salvation history. The story of Amnon highlights the fact that there was crisis in the tribe of Judah and many members went astray from God & led sinful lives. Amnon was subject to Absalom's desire for vengeance & eventually killed. Just goes to show that being unfaithful to Yahweh will led to sin, & sin breeds more sin. In a children's Bible the 2 books of Samuel are usually summarised in about a page, just to get the primary message across.
This account is actually allegorical. The two sisters aren't real life persons. They represent two kingdoms, Samaria & Jerusalem. It's a symbolic story depicting the dangerous alliances with pagan nations. The unrefined language used in the passage helps to show that the behaviour of the two kingdoms cannot in any way be justified. The metaphors can be altered to make it more children-friendly, however, the moral of the story cannot be changed.

If you notice, in my previous post, I clearly said that I don’t judge the intention behind what was written. I even don’t object your interpretation of those verses at all. What I am absolutely sure about is that if my kids were reading these materials, they will only understand what they are reading. They will never imagine that the two whores of Ezekiel 23 are in fact Samaria and Jerusalem; they will not get that private parts, lust etc refers to something else. The danger is there Kathie; a mental picture has been drawn in the minds of our little ones.


Salam


Wael.