Pondering Biblical Censorship
David with The Head of Goliath, 1606
Have you ever noticed that many of the Bible stories that are told to children have been sensored? Only certain stories are shared with children and several others are sensored. I have heard it said that it is to protect their innocence. That is a subject all on its own. A perfect example is the story of David and Goliath. The story always seems to end with the stone hitting Goliath in the head and he falls down dead. The whole fact that David took Goliath’s sword and cut off his head and killed him is left out of the story.
1 Samuel 17:49-51
And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead,and he fell on his face to the ground. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.
Many say that the graphic details do not need to be told to understand the truth of the Biblical account. I believe though that the entire story should be told. It was given to us for a reason. Even if only to hold the attention of little boys. (*grin*)
What are your thoughts on this? Do you think there should be sensorship when it comes to sharing the Biblical accounts with children? Do you sensor these accounts? Why or why not? Had you even pondered this topic before?
Posted in children, Christianity, Pondering, Train Up a Child
September 29th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Are there things that I shelter from my children? Yes.
I’ve found that sometimes (my oldest being 5.5 years) that it’s hard for them to process some things.
We’re reading in the Chronicles of Narnia and in some of the battles there’s stuff in there (like debating about cutting of Rabadash’s head) that I half wonder if it’s going to end up in their play.
There are other, adult topics, that I’ve attempted to explain, only to find them retelling it wrong.
I think that there’s a time and a place for some things, and you have to be aware of what they can process and totally understand.
I wouldn’t change the story, per se, but I also wouldn’t talk about David going and cutting off 100 foreskins of the Philistines to win the hand of Michael– would you?
(As well as the fact that even thinking of that is painful!)
September 29th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Oh, I do sensor some things, but it depends on the age. Cutting off the head, I would probably not sensor after age 3 or 4, if at all, but, um, the whole circumcising thing? I wouldn’t bring that one up for a long time, lol.
Mostly, no, I don’t sensor it.
September 30th, 2008 at 5:24 am
The only things I have censored with my children are “relational” issues. Otherwise, all my kids know that David chopped off Goliath’s head cause we generally don’t read kid versions of the Bible, but the REAL THING.
Love,
Becca
September 30th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I agree that a lot of curriculum for Bible class are beginning to have only the “feel good” stories. While I know there are age appropriate stories I still believe children need to be taught the full spectrum of God.
My personal experience is that a lot of churches are writing their own curriculum to add in the stories from the Bible that might have a “negative” ending or be too gory.
We build on the stories in our home. When we read the Bible through when B was younger and when we read it through now are different. For me it is important that I know the whole story!
Be blessed!
September 30th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
That’s a good question. And I do think the censorship can go too far. Like the Cubbies lesson which dances around the issue of demon possession, ending up with a less than biblically accurate telling of the story. It’s much worse to change it than it would be just to omit that story!
The closer you stay to your children, the more you will be able to know how to sensitively explain these things.
BTW, I’d love to have your input on a modesty question I’m asking.
October 3rd, 2008 at 2:12 am
Kristine,
I think that some can go to far in censoring and you are left with a candy-coated gospel….
However, if you are asking do I tell stories in an age appropriate manner? I do. I wouldn’t hesitate to tell the whole David/Goliath story to my children (with maybe the exception of our youngest because we don’t do TV and she’s not exposed to violence much)…..
For instance – reading the words in the Bible – not a big deal. Graphic photos or details explaining it – I’d avoid.
In Family worship we’ve been known to skip say Tamar and Judah when our young ones were around…..
Even the crucifixtion – we READ as a family. With the older ones we’ve gone in to quite a bit more details about a roman crucifixion that I would not go into with our younger ones 9,6,3…..
I guess I don’t see it as censoring as much as being sure they are ready to process the information that they are given so that they don’t get a improper view……
Not sure I’m writing well what we do. At first, when I read your question I thought “How terrible, of course I don’t censor the Bible” – probably just because I sensed that this was a question about church practices….but as I thought about it I realized I DO do what some would call censoring all the time as I read aloud to my children…school books, and yes, even a few Bible Stories….and David and Bathsheba, the foreskins are ones that I gloss over…not skipping but not giving lots of detail either until they are older. LOL
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:05 pm
I agree! As a matter of fact someone gave my kids a book and my daughter noticed that they left out parts of the story that were important. I can’t remember which story it was, but it was a part that was to BOLD or HEAVY to put in… BUT the truth is the truth and children must know it. http://www.strongquiver.blogspot.com
emma
October 4th, 2008 at 5:24 am
So many Sunday Schools are going to “Bible Lite”… tastes great, less filling… but that’s not meant to be funny!
Yes, there are stories I would skip over when my kids were younger, because they wouldn’t understand. But I would rather just leave a story until the boys are older than to try to change it to make it palatable.
And, not to be too picky, but… it’s “censorship” with a “c”.
Keep writing :0)
Julie