Veggie Tales: is it Biblical?

Veggie Tales: Is it Biblical?This is a question that i have had before. It seems like it is okay, right? They teach Bible stories, and good morals, right?Undoubtedly, they tell stories, but is it right the way the present it?i have come to a conclusion myself, but would be interested to here other views on it...My stance is that it is not right. Now, i could be wrong, but from what i have seen, and heard, it does not have the right affects on children.We are to be passing on the MOST HOLY FAITH to our children. Not a religion, or theology (alone), but a living vital faith in the Lord Jesus!Think about it: David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, the prophet of God, the mighty warrior for Jehovah, and in the line of Jesus. A man after God's own heart. So instead of presenting Him in a way that is mature, and holy, and godly, and a man after God's own heart... think about it! They have come up with the utter perversion- King David, as a cucumber!!! Is this the way that we pass on the faith that was once delivered unto the saints? i don't think so.Yes, there are some good things in veggie tales, like the good morals that are taught. But really, what do they (the children) remember? The good moral, or 'silly songs with larry' about water buffalo, and kangaroos? It seems they are mixing the dead-serious things of Almighty God with the foolish things of earth. A perversion is what it ends up as.It also seems that parents use it as a "good" source of distraction for Johnny, as they go about their too-busy lives. i realize that not all parents are like that, so if you're not, please don't think i am pointing fingers at you. But please, consider what you are feeding your children.Some say "They don't understand it without a silly sort of theme"But i would ask, "Did John Wesley, D.L. Moody, Leonard Ravenhill, Duncan Campbell, Paul, and MANY other men of God need that?"It seems that they did better with a good old KJV bible, being read every afternoon and morning, and being taught all the time by their parents. Nowadays, the youth are silly and foolish for the most part (Again, not all of them) and i think it is from the silly foolish things they are being raised on.So, there is my view. i hope it didn't offend, but that is the truth as i can tell in the Word of God, so if it did offend you, search out the scriptures. Because i don't want to just be right- i want God to have a generation who KNOWS HIM!!i am not on the internet very much, so if i don't reply to any questions right away, i'm sorry. Thank you and may God bless you as you seek Him! :-)

Compared to a lot of junk on TV for children, the VeggieTales animated series is one of the few that instils moral values. I think we should encourage more production of similar material.I saw them sold in Costco and Walmarts, which means it also has some appeal in the mainstream. I think it will definitely have more positive impact than Pokemon!As for "Is it Biblical?" might be a little too serious. The VeggieTales is not to be used as the primary medium for teaching the Bible (nor do I think it is intended to)! It seems more to me a fun animation that uses the biblical stories as framework to teach moral values. Parents should take their own responsibility to teach the Bible, etc.I do not find King David (really King George) being played by a "cucumber" irreverent. In contrast, I find King George's coveting another person's rubber duck (a metaphor for Bathsheba) rather amusing, and - definitely more helpful than trying to explain the concept of adultery than young kids.It is a helpful tool if used properly. Of course, there is nothing absolutely necessary apart from the Bible in education. My affirmation is based upon its proper use. I disagree with the use of these videos as a "baby-sitter."

Compared to a lot of junk on TV for children, the VeggieTales animated series is one of the few that instils moral values. I think we should encourage more production of similar material.i fully agree that it is a LOT better than the blasphemous things in the TV! Yet again, the morals are good.As for "Is it Biblical?" might be a little too serious.But shouldn't we do all things "In light of the judgment seat?" Maybe i'm too hard. But it seems to me that if there is a better way, then why take the good? Again, maybe i'm wrong. Also, the only reason for saying what i did about the "baby sitter" is because i've seen it use that way before- again, i don't want to be pointing fingers at those who do not.And, AMEN thatOf course, there is nothing absolutely necessary apart from the Bible in education.The Word of God is to be the sole book/information that we should build our lives on. i'm not saying that we can't read biographies, etc., though...Anyways, thaks for your input!! God bless you as you seek Him!

For those who know, know I have a teenage son. I also taught Sunday school to young children for a couple of years as well.My basic problem with this is that it teaches children that they have to be entertained. If it's not fun, then it's not for me kind of a mentality.I wouldn't recommend it for small children for that reason. I have seen children raised on these substitutes and have spent most of their younger years growing up in the church but they have no idea of what it means to be a Christian and almost no knowledge of the Bible.I used materials from a company called Gospel Light, materials that came from Bill Bright's Sunday school teacher, Henrietta Mears. I believe they're pretty solid.Just my opinion...

Amen. That is a very good reason. The Moravians raised their children with these themes:You are nothing without Christ.You are here for the glory of God.You are here to serve Jesus.You are here on this earth only temporarily...There were more, but i can't remember them. But, this is one of the reasons that the moravian church was so on fire...Thanks for your input!! God bless you as you seek Him!

My basic problem with this is that it teaches children that they have to be entertained. If it's not fun, then it's not for me kind of a mentality.I'm not sure if I understood correctly: Is the implication here that whatever "Christian" is not fun?Are you saying that VeggieTales is implicitly or explicitly teaching children "they have to be entertained or that's not for me"? I certainly did not get that message.Or is it simply because it is entertaining, therefore it must be bad, or "teaching children they have to be entertained or that's not for me"?Another question is, do you really think VeggiTales are meant to be "substitutes" for proper Bible instruction?Is there no place for using it at all?Just trying to understand what you think...

I'm not holding myself as any expert whatsoever and my views are changing as my walk with Jesus deepens. About two years ago, I stopped watching television at the Holy Spirit's direction. I'm not saying that everyone should turn off their TV but that's what I was told to do.As to your other questions, these are only my personal observations, hence they don't hold a lot of weight. ;-)Is the implication here that whatever "Christian" is not fun? If you knew me, you would know this not to be the case but it's a bit difficult in this type of forum to understand one's heart. I'm a very silly person but I take my walk with Jesus very seriously. I'm a little uncomfortable with the word "fun." There's joy in following Jesus but probably not fun. Fun is "what provides amusement or enjoyment." The joy is a byproduct. I don't believe that anyone follows Jesus for "fun."Are you saying that VeggieTales is implicitly or explicitly teaching children "they have to be entertained or that's not for me"? Not VeggieTables per se but it's rather an implicit teaching within the culture. In the U.S., entertainment is probably the second biggest expense behind housing. I don't know the culture well enough in Canada to know whether this is true there but it's quite a problem in the U.S. Entertainment is akin to a drug and many churches have to have all sorts of programs and frankly a lot of them are focused on entertaining, rather than teaching. The average American spends some 4-5 hours per day seeking entertainment in front of the television.Another question is, do you really think VeggiTales are meant to be "substitutes" for proper Bible instruction? I don't believe so and I would certainly hope not.Is there no place for using it at all? I wouldn't use it.Again I'm no expert but I wouldn't use VeggieTales but that's simply my personal opinion for the reasons detailed above...

This is a very deep question because I think the answer is dependent on where the family and children are in their walk with God. Let me just look at some contrasts:Suppose there were an entire family in Hebrides style revival. I suppose they would have no use whatsoever for Veggie Tales. After all, everyone is full of the Holy Ghost and are eating, sleeping, and breathing God. Veggie Tales would not even be pablum in this family. They threw out the TV when the fire fell and their kids boldly proclaim Christ in the public school system and shun all appearance of every secular fiction from Spiderman to Harry Potter and PokEmon. There are very very few of these families in this nation. Few I say, thet every person is on fire for God.Suppose the situation was a little different and there was a wayward child in this family that never came into personal revival and just don't "get it" like the other kids. They seem to be carried off by every new thing they come into contact with. They are fascinated by Spiderman, Batman, and every other secular thing they come into contact with. Veggie Tales for this child would be an improvement. As a father of 6 with 5 teen aged children I am finding that revival don't always spread in a family like I wish it would. I may be on fire, but is everyone else? Maybe they are not there yet. And this is my point; it is difficult at times to run things as though we were in full on revival, as it comes off as too much dead religion when there is no fire. Making up rules does not breathe life into a dead carcas either. I certainly have standards and have made it a policy to watch very little TV for 2 years. Without revival I have done nothing more than create a huge vacuum that the enemy is dying to fill in the lives of my kids when I say- Veggie Tales is pablum. They just wait till they are somewhere where they can fill themselves with those things that are ruled out at home- and certainly it will not be Veggie Tales.I think we are trying to be too spiritual when we take a hard line attitude in an environment that is not spiritually conducive to the policy. We are trying to work too hard towards revival- when God has to send it. Some of the stories we hear are very sansational and we should work towards that; but the circumstances are not the same as today by any means. Evil seducers have waxed worse and worse. We need to have the wisdom of God and allow Him to lead us through the minefield of our times. A well intended rule or policy can backfire catostrophically if God did not order it. We need much prayerful consideration of these things.God Bless,-Robert

Here in England we can get hold of Vegitales but only from Christian bookshops. However, I have most of them for my two kids. The original ones were interesting just with silly stories getting across a biblical point, the next generation told biblical stories like King 'George' and Esther but re-write them for children to understand. This is not ideal I agree, but I remember reading Jonah and Noah stories when I was little, both were modernised and 'childrenised' but they have remained with me and I learned a lot from them, even now I think Jonah is my favourite story (the KJV bible version). I believe we need more OT stories which were given for our instruction (2Tim 3:16) so we can understand the nature of God and though not perfect I believe Vegitales helps.

one point, I have met many church goers who can recite many memorized things, and their heart is not with our Real Creator (in reference to reply 2). No offense, just want to remind that outer works aren't a definite indicator.And with Veggie Tales, maybe for the cleanness, but I have seen a lot of worldliness creeping in, especially when they really started getting big time, trendy and all, after the Jonah movie (for my 4 year old), we stopped watching the new ones, they look like they are too hyper even. There are some great little cartoons out there for kiddies (if you like that), also bible books and etc. www.visionvideo.com has some great ones, also great missionary documentaries for the grownups to continue to grow and learn from others too (and of course our internet fellowships :) anyway, thanks for bringing up some good points

*Note: Longwinded post, for the nutshell, skip to the last paragraph.*Sometimes I really do wonder about this whole "entertainment" thing. Is it too overwhelming, is it necessary? I think so. I was one who was entertained by books and in class, so my parents really didn't find it to be much of a problem. I find that most people don't quite see entertainment in instruction, merely an obstacle, until they arrive at a state beyond where I am now.I do know that it is biblical to entertain our children in other ways. Like (for boys) baseball, running, being physically active outdoors. Wrestling, football, hoops, hide and seek are all forms of entertainment and are beneficial if not necessary for proper health. By the time we hit mid-teens, this type of entertainment takes on the forms of practice and excellence in a specialized way for many.Off on a slight tangent, I recently watched an older boy do some of the most boring things I have ever seen when I told him that it might be preferrable that he "play outside" rather than on my computer. Possibly a learned distaste for such things? I know I had them, but have since come to enjoy them.Aside from that, joy and "fun" aren't necessarily separate. Music would be my best example of that. So with that out there... I second that veggie tales isn't meant to be biblical as much as it is to maintain a moral message with a biblical theme. They are usually presented in a fashion that is pointed at least and are formatted in a way that is quite entertaining to multiple age brackets (parents and teenagers notwithstanding).I'd say that letting a child watch a movie (which has become an overzealous reward in the American - dare I say western - culture) isn't horribly out of the question if there is an appropriate structure underneath. I've been known to do such things as play video games with a younger "brother," watch movies, etc. The underlying goal for me isn't so much entertaining the person with movies as it is entertaining with presence. They usually have a clue why I'm there, and that is to spend time most specifically with them.So I think my point would be in agreement with the theme I see emerging on the thread, which would be what is the motivation? If its instruction, the answer is pretty obvious. If its entertainment, then the answer definitely becomes a little more complex.

My kids are young (oldest is 4) and they enjoy veggie tales. I appreciate any cartoon that includes God and his lovingkindness towards man in their stories. I find it simply reaffirms what we teach them. ALL secular cartoons I've ever seen avoid the topic of God completely and/or they introduce occult practices. So Veggie tales for me is a welcomed alternative.Blessings,Martin

habakkuk3 and RobertW:habakkuk3: Thanks for your answers. I agree with your analysis about our culture of entertainment. Canadian culture has by and large been absorbed by the Americans (Hollywood, etc.). The only difference might be our attitude towards the war on Iraq and the Bush administration are almost unanimously negative.InterVarsity Press published a book called Still Bored in a Culture of Entertainment, precisely on this topic.RobertW:I like your sensible answer borne out of your own experiences with your own children. It is well-known that pastor's kids are not always easy to deal with. A father on fire for God does not always produce godly children. Many rules are well-intended, but they might end up becoming legalism that binds.My idea is this: true revival is measured by what happens in the family. Yet a godly family can only be borne out of the wisdom from God. And we will do well to learn from godly man whose children and grandchildren continue to love the Lord.... (Billy Graham comes to mind, I wonder what other leaders qualify?)All:Anyways, I think the consensus here is that VeggieTales is not intrinsically evil. Indeed, our present culture is so polluted that many saw VeggieTales as a welcome alternative.

I would like to add that as a family that has not yet acceptd our Lord Jesus as our Savior, Veggie Tales has been there to remind us of what we don't have yet.I agree that for the family that walks with God daily, there is no need for the cartoon. However for our family it has given us somewhere to start with our little ones and ourselves.Sorry if this over kill on the subject.Dani

I have two wonderful children, I also Pastor a Baptist Church. So, with that let me say, I think many of you are taking yourselves way too seriously. You need to lighten up. God does have a sense of humour.If you think you are going to raise healthy children by taking away anything that hints of "fun" or just plain entertainment, you are crazy as a loon. You will raise hateful, godless children who may be able to quote scripture, but will resent you and your Jesus. Life is fun, that's right, good old senseless, waste of time, fun! Every now and then you need to just laugh. The Bible even states that laughter does good like a medicine.So, learn to enjoy life, play ball, play chess, watch veggietales, something. Teach your children you know how to laugh. There is nothing wrong with watching Veggietales with your children as long as you are following up with what is true from the Bible. The fact is Veggietales' purpose is to teach principles of behavior, trusting God, forgiveness, sacrifice, and faith. They do it with a lot of silliness, and a little seriousness. My children have almost every one of their videos, because if they are going to watch something, I wanted them to watch something that had a purpose and made them think. I dare say, most of you who are overly worried about this don't have children, and have completely forgotten what it was like to be a child. Let learning be fun, and your children will love to learn!