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Parents: Do NOT Let Your Children Watch Veggie Tales!
August 30, 2007 |
Posted by michaelp · Filed Under Rants
I have not heard much a critique of Veggie Tales before. In fact, I have always liked all the shows. Madame Blueberry is one of the classics that continues to convict. However, this website does not take to kindly to the Veggie Tales franchise.
The article says:
Parents consumed with the passion to entertain their children and denying their children’s intellectual and spiritual sensitivities are going to be running after the latest Veggie Tales movie about the Prodigal Son. It’s entitled, “Veggie Tales and the Wonderful World of Ha’s.” What a hilarious story, the Prodigal Son.
If its stated purpose is entertainment, so what! Lighten up! Just because entertainment can be abused does not mean that laughter and fun are of the heathen. Last time I looked God did create laughter. Granted, if parents only avenue to teach their kids truth is through Veggie Tales, this show is not going to fit the bill. But if this is the case, it is the fault of the parents.
At the very least, Veggie Tales is thousands of times better than Spong Bob Square pants, High School Musical, and the other cartoons that are available (except Justice League).
The blog goes on:
The producers of these Veggie Tales movies desecrate Holy Scripture by perverting it into upbeat do-good stories completely absent the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Come on. Does this cartoon series really have to present the Gospel every show? If so, why? If it does not present the Gospel, are your kids really going to be confused about their faith? This assumes some odd principle that entertainment shows must present the Gospel or they are dangerous. This is just silly (as Larry the Cucumber would say).
Again:
How many hours of this garbage do you want your children to watch? We have the Holy Bible, preserved through the centuries by the martyrs who gave their blood for their love of God’s Word. So what do we give our children? Trash movies that distort the sacred words of Scripture into little moralistic, works righteousness tales with dancing cartoon characters.
OK, here is the deal parents: Take away all red fire engines, bicycles, play phones, hotwheels, Nintendo Games, and whatever else entertains. Why? Because they don’t present the Gospel.
He goes on:
There is probably no better indication of just how far down the evangelical church has gone than to watch how we teach our children. Sunday schools are Fun Zones now, with Disneyland accoutrements and high octane music. Gone is the seriousness about the things of God, gone is the direct instruction from the Bible, gone is the Scripture memorization. It has been a long, slow slide. Nobody in the Disney churches even senses it. Each day, each week, each year, more flesh, more merchandising of Christ, more man-centered anthropology instead of biblical theology, more foolishness in the house of God, more sensuality and more dullness among those who have been given over to this endemic blindness. Wise Christians are awake and alert, and running as fast as they can from this stuff.
Believe me, I agree that there is a mass dumbing down in education. We have an epidemic on our hands. But the problem is NOT Veggie Tales. This is an irresponsible overstatement. Veggie Tales is entertainment with a little emphasis on education and less on theological development. So what? Parents, don’t rely on Veggie Tales, magic cards, big wheels, blocks, and Lite-Brites to educate your children. That is all you have to say.
I think it is wrong to vilify Veggie Tales as an enemy of the Gospel.
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Actually, Veggietales are sharp, witty and full of Biblical wisdom, presented at the depth and complexity of (surprise!) a five year old!
In our household, Veggietales was not a replacement for biblical instruction (we had that as well), but a replacement for some secular television. I call that a “trade up”!
In fact, I wish my kids still watched them, but at 11 and 8, they don’t seem as interested anymore. I miss them, they really were entertaining, and the songs were terrific. Hey, maybe it is time for me to sneak out “Dave and Giant Pickle” when no one else is around . . .
I always thought they were funny. But, I don’t think I ever saw a VT about Jesus. These are the people who see bad things in Disney movies and played records backwards. They need a hobby.
BTW Josh and the Big Wall is still my favorite.
It is a bit troubling that VT never talk about Jesus, but I love VT. I don’t have children, but I do have several VT videos, and Josh is my favorite episode, too. Those French peas on top of the wall taunting the Jews looks like a hat-tip to Monty Python!
As for Ingrid at SoL, she hates everyone. Seriously, spend some time there, and you’ll see what I mean. If she and James White ever had a child together, I guarantee it would be a reincarnation of Jack Chick.
I’ve heard of not liking vegetables, but most people grow out of that and this carries it a bit too far…
-steve
Ingrid Schleuter and company at Slice of Laodicea are completely over the top (or around the bend or …) with their claims. I had to take a good long look at her site to make sure it wasn’t a parody site, but unfortunately it isn’t. She is very quick to proclaim just about everyone to be heretical. It’s just one more site that adds fuel to the “all Christians are whackos” fire.
correct me if im wrong but what we want our children to take away from religion and god is to love him and when they think of him they think happy thoughts.This is what i beileve veggie tales does. What church can keep a five years old attention for a whole half an hour?!!! veggie tales can!!! and yes they sing songs and make jokes but correct me if im wrong but i dont think that god sees these actions as evil. In fact he wants us to sing and rejoice. God never wanted us to be scared or feared into beileving in him thats not the point. These cartoons teach children good morals and good behavior and the plus is they throw in god too
when i heard that veggie tales were going to be on tv, i was glad, but the restriction was that they couldn’t do the Bible verses, i believe. on the other hand, they were still good moral stories to encourage children to act with kindness and help them understand the joy that Christians should have. I am glad that children who have no Christian influence in their home now have a chance to see something not only entertaining, but also full of joy and peace. peace comes from knowing that you’re doing the right thing, which is taught in just about every episode of veggie tales. parents who don’t teach their kids about God for whatever reason are at fault, not the children. they shouldn’t be punished…kids have energy, they were made that way…by God. singing and playing is something they should have every right to do. singing songs that aren’t about sex, drugs or anything else most secular music is about. even if the song doesn’t directly say jesus’ name. they teach biblcal morals and standards set in place by God. We should seriously pray for the children who have no one willeng to teach them, not take away what little chance they might have by complaining that there’s not ENOUGH Jesus. God will take care of them. but we will be held accountable for every child we harm. we need also to pray for the people who wrote that. judgement is not ours.
As a teen in today’s secular world, I find that Veggie Tales offers a fun and entertaining way to learn about God. Many teens at my church still love VT and still get something out of it.
When I was a young child attending a Baptist parochial school, I wanted to play a song (on the piano) and sing it for Show and Tell. It was from the new (ha! that dates me!) Broadway show, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”, and my classmates all wanted me to sing it. My teacher, on the other hand, forbade it, suggesting that I might want instead to sing something like (and this was the last verse; she sang the whole thing to me), “And say, when the death-dew lies cold on my brow, ‘If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.’” Needless to say, I did NOT sing anything rather than sing something dreary and mournful. “Gospel” means “Good News”, not “Sad Stories”. By all means, reject the verse “Laughter doeth good like a medicine,” and then plead and whine to God about how sick you are, and won’t he please heal you.
This is an example of what I like to call extremists you know those people who burn Harry Potter books and claim Christian Rock will cause you to go to Hell.
They make it all the more difficult to share The Gospel with others as Christianity is then made something horrible and strangling. I believe ectremists see that people should FEAR God more then know and LOVE him.
I just recently started reading the VeggieTales books to my daughter, as well as allowing her to watch the cartoon on Saturday mornings, and I just love them. I think some people are being a little too critical here. I mean, every story I have seen teaches a very good message. EVEN IF they are not being 100% true to the Bible’s teachings, they are still teaching good morals and lessons. No one said they were trying to be pastors, and if a parent wants their child to begin learning the true word of God, they need to teach it to them themselves, not by letting a cartoon do the work. I think the man who wrote the derogatory article was doing just that- trying to let someone else teach religion to their child, and was only dissatisfied when they realized it wasn’t completely accurate. Calm down people, this isn’t garbage- it’s a cartoon!!!
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I believe VT has a good moral lesson to the
children. The Simpsons and Bevis and Butthead
are terrible cartoons are very bad and needs to be banded from TV. Simpsons teaches children to be disrespectable to parents.
When my grandson watches cartoons he lets me know that is a cartoon he cannot watch because
he knows they are bad and his parents have watched them with him to make sure they are ok
to watch. He is only allowed to watch TV 1 hour a day. Lets bring God into our children
lives daily by what means we can. Adults need
to be cautious what they watch too, because
children see what parents and grandparents do to. We need to be examples.
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this show is supposed to teach little kids about god and the history about god
it is funny and entertaining for everyone
I don’t get why you think it’s “inappropriate” for viewers or “bad”
If you don’t like it let it go but just let other people enjoy it, please?
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The show is great. it is fun, entertaining, and it teaches kids valuable lessons. I would rather have my kids watch a faith based show than what is on these days. The show is wonderful for all ages
i Love the show!!!!!!!!!!!=)
ME 2 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it is sooooo cooool
VEGGIETALES ROCKS! ppl who write these things need a life. thats my opinion
veggie tales is a good holy learning experience for children&adults ho need to find christ.its also very fun to watch
veggies rule!!!
I think the bigger issue here is whether children, particularly young ones, should watch TV at all. The American Academy of Pediatrics, which tends to be very liberal esp on issues of contraception, abortion,etc, has come out with, surprisingly a very conservative statement that NO CHILDREN under age 2 years should watch TV,and those older only one to two hours of ’screen time’ per day which includes internet.
We have a 15 month old who seems very happy, typically developing, and normal in every way that I can tell. We all know that violent TV can be very bad for kids. But has anyone proven that ‘good, nonviolent’ TV, including Veggie Tales, has really had any measureable benefit on child development??
How was it that our ancestors raised kids with no television, radio, computer, and at one point no air conditioning, electricity, etc? How did they manage with only the Bible, family discussion, and reading by candlelight? I am not suggesting that the ‘old days’ were all that good in every way. But why has television in some people’s mind become a ‘necessity’ just because the neighbors have it?
I have no right to throw a stone at Veggie Tales, and my in-laws seem to love them. But as a family we are leaning towards no TV for our child and trying to return to a culture of books, talking, and family time, at least while we have her under our roof.
I do like veggie tales, but I was more into one I got into college. I am not sure I would show it to my children - not because I do not believe they have good moral lessons, but at a young age, it is hard to sort ‘alalogies’ from the real story.
When I then want to tell them the -true- story of David and Goliath, why will they think it is more real than David and Goliath? Or the Veggie Tale less valid? So I will probably wait on the veggie tales, at least it will be a more rare family time event so we have some good discussion time.
And the trend of churches to entertain (which someone mentioned I believe earlier) is incredibly disturbing. Our church recently claimed fromt he purpose that the main goal of it’s childrens program was to ‘entertain the kids, so they would invite a friend and come back next week’ - nothing about giving them a solid foundation to grow up on.
And while God loves his children to be happy, be careful. There is more wisdom in the house of mourning than there is in the house of mirth. Happiness is fleeting, joy reminds us that God is with is always - but sorrows teach us.
And while we do not have to be masochistic monks, it is good to train our children now, while they were young, not to expect candy and sunshine 24/7 - or they will be completely unprepared for the trials of life. Do not -make- trials where there are none, of course -
That teacher who suggested a ’sombre’ song might have been better to suggest a more cheerful song like Jesus loves me or Victory in Jesus or Silent Night for the sensibilities of a child, but I think he/she was trying to make a deeper point: ‘You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown’ may be fun for the moment, but what does that teach you about God? What does that show others about your feelings for God?
‘Train a child up in the way that is right, and he shall not depart from it’ - there really -is- no substitute for the word of God, no matter how colorful or attractive or ‘happy’ - even if we can partake of the other joys of life God has given us that make us happy, in the end, all children should be shown that true joy - -lasting- happiness - it is only in the gospel of Jesus Christ.