Would you read a book that tells stories of incest, infanticide, genocide, and slavery?

Question

especially if these things are spoken of as if they were A-OK?

Would you recommend such a book to your children?

Answer 1

I have read it many times, it's called the Bible, and hell no. I would never allow my children to read such bigotry and filth; but you forget what the Christians do to their children, they only read the things in the Bible that they want their children to know. That is why so many Christians are at a loss when you recite all the bad things, most don't even know they are in there.

Answer 2

Yes, and yes. Several reasons. Number 1, the book you're talking about is God's word. Number 2, the book doesn't go into graphic details about the incest or other things, so I don't have a problem with my children reading it because there is an important lesson to be learned from those stories. Number 3, like I said in number 1, it's GOD's very nature that we're reading about, and through reading it we grow closer to Him. Whether we always like what we're reading or not. How much credibility would the Bible have if it didn't tell the bad along with the good? Of course some people don't think it's credible anyway, but it would be much harder to believe if it painted life in rose-color all the time.

Answer 3

the bible has all those stories in them.I've never read it myself, but a lot of people have. I've browsed through it when I was younger, out of curiosty. I read some things like, Love thine enemies and turn the other cheek. But then there were parts that told a story about some of the chosen who came to a country and God told them to kill everyone in that country, because they were their enimies
Getting someones head on a platter as a birthday present, didn't appeal to me either.
And if Adam and Eve were the first two people, how did their children have kids? they were all related.(brothers and sisters)
It also says that we inherit the sins of our fathers. That's BIG!
Everyone knows we're all innocent until proven guilty.
The bible has so many horror stories in it, I'm sure King and all our modern story tellers have gotten a few ideas from it.
.

Answer 4

Good point. It’s hard to believe such a book has any credibility when described in that way, yet some people continue to live by it without question. It is history however, but I wouldn’t recommend it to my child.

Answer 5

Are you talking about the History of America? Or China? Or Africa? Or the Incas? Or any number of nations, cultures, and/or civilizations? Or maybe World History?
Because all of these things are a part of human history. And there are still folks who think they are a-OK....
What is so cool about the Bible is that it reports the truth about the men and women in it's pages...but that doesn't mean that these acts have God's "Holy Seal of Approval". As a matter of fact, God specifically gives laws against most of these things, and has been known to lose His temper and wipe out entire cities for the crime of infanticide.
Yes, I recommend the Bible to my kids, but, just like with history books, I tend to start them off with versions that are sort of edited until they get old enough to understand such things.
Don't you?

Answer 6

I would read it if it was part of a historical book such as the Bible. I don't mean to say that it is "historical" as in "accurate." But it is a piece of historical literature, which is very important to the study of an ancient people and the way they thought. It is important in understanding the evolution of that particular religion and people.

I would let my children read it if they were old enough and were interested in it as a scholarly source.

Answer 7

Well, I read "Flowers in the Attic", "The Diary of Anne Frank", and "Gone with the Wind". All those books cover one or two of those topics.

But something tells me you're talking about a different work of fiction...

(Sorry, didn't mean to imply that Anne Franks diary was fiction. Just trying to come up with one that covered genocide.)

Answer 8

Does it have a story about Brangelina's pending non-wedding plans? Or a picture of an anorexic millionaire teenager on the cover???

Oh, right, that's okay because it represents false idols, money, cheating, infidelity, drugs, hookers, murderers playing golf - and it has big shiney pictures to boot.

My bad.

Answer 9

1) Not more than once.
2) Not until they're at least fourteen. And I'd prefer to make them wait until they've reached the legal drinking age -- 'cause I really needed a drink after reading the bible and I'm sure they would, too!

Answer 10

They are not spoken of as if they are O.K. the entire Old Testament leads to grace and mercy found under the new covenant. Much of it is presented to show you how much God loved you. So much so that He brought a way of love and peace and happiness and all you had to do was believe on Him and you could forever be free from the law of sin and death. The sad part is that if you don't believe you are still under the law of the old Testament. I would not want to witness the sufferings that you will face if you go to the grave and have to face the law.