Would Atheists and Agnostic parents allow their children to watch Veggie Tales?

Question

Last weekend Veggie Tales was on. I thought oh ok this is the 700club thing that has religious overtones. The charachters were trying to find the comb of sampson. I thought thats cute.

Then at the end one of the charachters said sampson got his strength from his faith in God. I changed the channel. Hopefully spongebobsquarepants was on at that time.

This morning my son asked to watch "garden tales". To which I said no son, we aren't going to watch that show.

My question is to other Atheist and Agnostic parents, would you let your children watch Veggie Tales, in which the charachters allude to getting strength from God?

Jim Darwin Jr. will not be watching.

Answer 1

Jim Darwin Jr.
how cute!




Hi!

Answer 2

Things like religion and Santa are completely different. Religion by defenition is something you base your entire life on, if you want your child to grow up to be a good person, you teach them what you believe will turn them into that good person. I am going to teach my child how to choose his/her own, I am not going to be one of those who brainwash their child with fantasy tales of some god/godess who may or may not actually exist. Santa is a white lie who affects only about 1 month out of the year during about 8 years of a child's life, even less for the tooth fairy. Religion affects the whole thing. Children are very impressionable and telling them to get over certain things can often be the best choice. I would think that showing death out to be a scary and final thing is a better choice than the whole heaven and hell deal. Saying you end up in a better place is like asking them to jump off of a bridge. Teaching a child logic helps them to make their own choices and prepares them for the world as an adult. Protecting them from some things is good, however telling them what happens after death like you know what happens is a little much.

Answer 3

Hi Jim,
I'm not atheist or agnostic, I'm pagan, so maybe that affects the answer. My kids have seen veggie tales and they are cute.. the kids didn't care about the allusions to belief in God.. they just thought Larry the Cucumber was funny.
I can understand why JD jr won't be watching.. maybe he's too young for you to explain things like why people believe in God to him..maybe though, you could offer that up as to how people use God for morality and that it's not necessary? Just a thought.

Answer 4

Well, PERSONALLY I don't care if she watches it or not. She also (our 2 yr old) watches Johnny and the Sprites on Playhouse Disney, The Fifth Element, and Queen of the Damned.....actually asks to watch them! She's seen Veggie Tales before, but didn't seem to care for them.

Now my husband, on the other hand, would rather she NEVER see them. He doesn't care if she listens to their music, but he doesn't want her to watch them - even though HIS mother has bought several of them for her in the past.

But when I was growing up Roman Catholic, we did a "church camp" in our town, and the (male AND female) counselors (I was one) were staying overnight in the Catholic school. The next morning, the secretary for the Priest was complaining at my mother because I brought the movie "Dracula"....though she didn't complain at ALL that the guys brought "Last Friday" (or whatever it is)....she was 'concerned for my soul' and actually thought to worry my mom on it. What she didn't count on was that my mom would turn around and say, "You DO know that Vampires aren't real, and that she KNOWS this, don't you?"

So that's what I have to say about Veggie Tales (and Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy), they're not real, at least not any more real than Vampires, the Sprites, and Leeloo. *grin* I let her have her fun and make believe as a child, and leave the organizing of reality for when she gets a bit older.

Answer 5

I think it depends how old he is. At some point he is going to encounter religion/God through society and peers. If he is especially young and you aren't ready to discuss these things, that is understandable. You shouldn't prevent him from access to religious materials, when he is old enough to understand the implications. On the other hand, if he is very young, it is unlikely that he will understand the "message" coming across. It's your choice, as he is your child, but don't force him into something.

When he is old enough to understand, you might attempt to explain what religion is so that when he encounters it he will better grasp the message that believers are spreading. Just don't deny him childhood entertainment because it doesn't always agree with your views on religion. It's unfair when the opposite happens and religious parents force their children into religion.

Answer 6

It doesn't sound like the sort of thing I'd let my kids watch. It's very important for them to understand religious perspectives and every child should know the Bible (you can't understand 80% or Western art or literature without it), but anything like that presented as the unadulterated truth has no access to my kids' vision.

I'm guessing that xtian posters expecting children to make an intelligent decision when they reach the age of accountability are happy to let their children watch and read atheistic texts? As it happens I do expect my children to reach their own views, but there isn't any Christian propaganda that offers their perspective as unbiased or anything other than The Truth. Don't you start waving that open-mindedness card around here, it don't belong to you.

Answer 7

I pretty much don't censor anything my kids want to watch because I'd rather them watch it with me and ask questions than get their information elsewhere. This goes for just about anything. So yes, I let my kids watch Veggie Tales. But they didn't watch it for long. I think maybe 2-3 times was all they wanted of that show. They mainly liked the songs, but they stopped watching pretty quick. No mention of it since then and that was probably 3 years ago or so.

Answer 8

You've just made Christianity the "forbidden fruit" of his TV Land. I'm guessing his rebellious sinful nature will turn him into a Bible Thumping Southern Baptist. Good parenting skills there Jim.

Answer 9

You censor things.

Atheists are AS AFRAID of the world as THEISTS ARE!

A commonality.

I used to dig into extremist Christians about that with, if GOD is so powerful in your kids, why do you worry.

Obviously neither the GOD nor the NON GOD is that powerful!

I guess we all put our pants on one leg at a time.

I guess the daughters of atheists get as pregant outside of marriage as some christian daughters do.

AND neither can explain why their kids become druggies or homosexuals other than to say it was random (not my doing) or predestined (by God).

Did it ever occur to you it's as simple as saying, SURE, but understand I don't believe in that God Stuff and I don't think veggies get any power from any kind of a God.

Or don't you think Junior will BELIEVE in YOUR Fairy Tales!

Answer 10

So they are sending subliminal messages to children, to catch them in a snare, while they are still gullible. Didn't Bugs Bunny promote and glorify war? Everything is not what it seems on the surface. Preying on children is pretty underhanded, I think. Get them while they are young so you can mould them. I thought that was the parents job.