I've heard that some children are forbidden to read secular books/novels and that some parents forbid this?

Question

Is this actually true? If you're a child, are you forbidden to read secular books? If you're a parent, do you forbid your child from reading these books? Do you know anyone in this situation?

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Again, let me mention that I'm 34, and not a child.

G-Sus Saves. I believe in being aware of what your children are reading. I don't necessarily believe in controlling it. My parents knew what I was reading when I was young, because they either bought the books or took me to the library or the bookstore. They would certainly make suggestions. Most children are only interested in reading books about other children, and I was no different. I never recall anyone telling me 'You can't read that'.
When I was around 8 years old, my mom bought a college literature textbook for me-I think from a garage sale. It had everything from Sherlock Holmes to Julius Caesar and a funny play called The Inspector General. I don't think that book was written with children in mind, but I enjoyed it. At my grandfather's house I would see his spy and detective novels lying around, and I would read those too. I've had a subscription to Reader's Digest since 1979 ( I was six).

flandargo-For the moment I am childless.
My parents never had cable when I was growing up, broadcast tv was only restricted by bed, homework times, and when we were playing outside. Again, consider that we only had one family tv and it was in the living room. Anything we watched was with mom and dad. I'd have to think about what to do with the internet when I have children-but I think I would have to restrict that. What they are reading? Probably not. I have a huge (and I mean huge) collection of books and I will allow them to read each and every one that show interest about.

Answer 1

very widespread among fundamentalists in various religions. also forbid dancing, dating, watching tv, all sorts of things.

Answer 2

I don't personally know anyone who practices this, but I've known of people who do. As a Christian I think it's important to educate yourself to as many different possibilities as you can find. Find out the arguements they present, weigh the evidence against rock-solid truth, and make a decision what you believe about it. If we don't do this, what are we to say when someone throws that arguement up to us? I may believe all or part of anything that comes down the pike, but I, at the very least, have to consider it as a possibility to know what to believe and what not to believe. Many Christians, however, good and bad, insist on having a closed mind about anything that goes against what they've been taught, and they never weigh even what they think they know, they just go with it assuming it's right and continuously regurgitate one dogma after another, not even really knowing if it's what they truly believe. I guess, bascially, you could say that I have an open mind on a closed circuit. I believe what I believe for definitive reasons, and all things are judged based on that core of knowledge. It is the screen through which everything else is sifted.

Answer 3

Banning of books deemed secular or controversial in the US is getting out of hand. I saw Watership Down on a banned books list! I read that when I was 12! To my way of thinking, it's almost like telling a child to put themselves in a box. To not be conversant with the world around them. To, in effect, be stupid and single minded. I would never not let a child of mine read a book. I don't care if it's The Communist Manifesto, The Bible, or Alice in Wonderland. Too many kids today hate to read anything - by telling them they can't read "secular" books, Harry Potter, or anything else, we're only making the problem worse.

Answer 4

Personally, I think all parents/guardians should vet what their kids read/watch/listen to. How many more massacres in schools/uni's before people wise up to this?
I remember the fuss when Harry Potter became huge: my youngest was 10 when the first movie came out, and many Christians were decrying it as promoting witchcraft. I didn't want my daughter being sucked into that, so I watched the movie and found it (relatively) harmless. I decided to read the book, in case that was more insidious, but instead found a marvellous fantasy adventure for kids, Read the second book too, and was even more impressed. By the time I read "Azkaban", I was hooked! "Goblet" remains the finest novel I have read since 1987 (the two outstanding novels I read then were "Exodus" and "Mila 18", both by Leon Uris, and they remain the two most moving novels I have ever read): the twists, as with books 2 & 3, were completely unexpected, much darker, and blew me away.
Now, "Azkaban" and "Goblet" should in no way be regarded as books for 8-yr-olds, but their target audience is those who grew up with Harry, i.e. aged 13 +. Books 5 & 6 were really somewhat of an anticlimax after No 4, but still are well worth reading, and I anticipate "Deathly Hallows" with pleasure.
In 2003 I attended a discussion at a Christian conference in which the theme was "Harry Potter: Friend or Fiend?" The two speakers, one anti-, one pro-Potter, gave their reasons for their stances, then threw the discussion open to the floor. the discussion, while courteous, threw one glaringly awful statement from a young couple, who said JK Rowling was a satanist and they could prove it: "Voldemort", they said, "is the name satan is called by satanists, and they are forbidden from speaking that name among anyone other than satanists, and JK Rowling uses it in her books and that PROVES she is a satanist!"
Spot the flaw? Now I have no idea if Voldemort is the satanist's name for satan or not (probably not), but if so, and JK Rowling is a satanist, what is she doing mentioning it?
Most of my Christian friends are happy with Harry, though some are vehemently opposed: as far as I'm concerned, so long as the books don't push witchcraft as something to believe -- which they don't, but use it as a handle for "rollicking good yarns", as my mother would have said -- then I would rather my child read those than went down the path of Marilyn Manson and that guff, or even BestialEnders --sorry, I meant EastEnders. For me, half the fun of the Potter books is recognising "my" teachers and fellow pupils from schooldays. I had a Snape, a McGonagall and even a Mad-Eye Moody in my school (he saw me through a wall!); and who didn't know a girlie-swat like Hermione, or a slimy git like Malfoy with two Thick Thugs like Crabbe and Goyle in tow? And I was (no, not Cedric Diggory) Neville Longbottom.
The point is, as far as I'm concerned if your faith says it's fine to read fiction that doesn't purport to be fact (sans pornographic literature or, really, anything that glorifies hatred and violence) then go ahead, only ensure your kids have a listening ear and a wise voice should they bring up any questions, but also if your faith says something shouldn't be read, then don't read it: I simply appeal to both sides not to try and force their standards on the other. Debate by all means, but always allow the other to retain their point of view.
God bless you, and may you know Christ as your God, lord and Saviour.

Answer 5

There is evil in the world and when the enemy has a willing
vessel as the Bible rightly says. The evil one has come to kill,
to steal and to destroy. This is not a joke. He will steal your
dream, he will destroy your family, he will kill if given the
chance. As a man thinketh so is he. Do you know the jargons
in computing "gabage in -gabage out"?

The Bible says train up a child the way he should go and
when he is grown, he will not depart from it. So parents are
line of responsibility in the way their children behave.

I sacrificed my carrier to stay home and take care of my
girls. It is my choice. We may not see it. But children are in
the forefront of the enemy's attack strategy.

When King Herod heard that a child has been born who will
become a king as prophesied he feared and kill all the
children under 2.

When Pharoah in Egypt thought the Jews were growing
stronger and bear more children than the Egyptians, he ordered all male babies to be killed. So the battle for the
souls of our kids will continue to rage.

Wake up to this reality. There are forces out there more
powerful than any laws we can put in place. Things happen
in the spirit realm, before they ever appear in the physical.
So to win this battle, we have just one choice. Return to the
Lord. Stop fighting the Biblical upbringing of our children.

Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Here are the fruits we harvest today:, want to know why?
adultery
fornication
uncleanness
lewdness
idolatry
sorcery
hatred
contentions
jealousies
outbursts of wrath
selfish ambitions
dissensions
heresies
envy
murders
drunkenness
revelries
and the like.
These are the fruits, in other words the harvest of
what you sow. Unwanted pregnancies, leading to
even worst crime abortion. Please let us face the
truth. There is a battle going on for the souls of our
kids.

But the fruit of the Spirit is:
Love
Joy
peace
longsuffering
kindness
goodness
faithfulness
gentleness
self-control

The truth is whatever you do, it is your decision. You have
a choice and in your conscience you know if it is good or
bad.

You can find the details of these harvests in the Bible
Galatians 5: 16-26

The battle continues between evil and good. If you are led
by the Spirit, you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the
flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh;
and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not
do the things that you wish.

Wake up, there is a spiritual battle going on. The thief has
come to steal, and to kill and to destroy. The Bible stands
above all human opinions.

Or can you give me a reason for this senseless act in VT
besides a war of good and evil?

I will not allow my 12 year old to read Harry Potter, however
when she is old enough 18 above, it will be her decision, and
I will not interfer in her life, but will pray for her that the seeds
I have sown in her yield some good fruits.

Answer 6

I'm sure there are parents who do this. Look at all the parents who won't let their kids read Harry Potter books or see the movies. I'm christian, and I have no problem with my kids reading, as long as its not too adult for them, or has bad language. I'm against home schooling and trying to seclude kids from the real world, they're gonna have to live in that world, and they need to learn what its about. Of course, I've never consider books as secular, as I read, and my kids read, books that interest us. I can't even imagine only reading christian books. Like I said, I'm christian, but I certainly don't want to be stuck reading only christian books, it would be boring.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

It would be crazy not to watch out what your children read when they are little. My children didn't watch just anything on the telly so why should I not watch what they read. Also I was always aware of the age groups on videos and DVDs. We have our children on lone in a way and we need to help them get to adult hood without damage. After that it's up to them what they watch or read. Just always be open to discussion with them.

You know I also think that we are blessed to have children and if we have them then we are responsible for them. It's very serious business. They need stability and consistency and most of all love. Love means you do your best for them.

Also when I read that using your brain is the product of a closed mind it makes me cringe. Saying that people who watch what their children are putting into their heads is the product of a closed mind is in fact the product of a closed mind or a careless mind. (one of the other contributors said this)

Answer 9

First of all, good on you malek! You are very sensible. If you believe in something like God then reading other things want change that.

I also think that probably there are those that wont let their children read none religious books, just like there are those that don't let their children read religious books.

In defence of those that are religious, it's what they believe. I personally would never let my kids read religious stuff. It can be read when older if they wish and then make a choice, just like hopefully the religious people's kids will.

Answer 10

Yes, I have forbidden my girls to read certain secular books (including Harry Potter), after reading through them myself or checking the reviews given by Focus on the Family. The same with TV. Now, that doesn't exclude Christian books either. Some of them are pretty risky and I don't think they should be on the shelves of a Christian book store.
We read a lot of books, many of them secular, I just chose to avoid those that are too much against our believes.

Answer 11

My wife has seen it - she teaches at a Chabad school, which is the super orthodox Jews. The hard core among those are not allowed to read or do anything secular until the age of coming, which is 13.