Why is it when I asked most children had not read the bible?

Question

Yet the Harry Potter series was read by most children?
The new English versions of the bible are easier to read and I realize that the older versions were hard to understand.
I thought because it was such a large book, with a lot of reading. But the Harry Potter books are quite large and the reading is very complex.
Could it be that parents are not stressing enough that the reading of the bible is very important?
It tells of man's history and where we are in the stream of time and what the earth will experience in the future.
Looks like that would be of interest to children?
Why do you think it isn't?

I just wondered how many people actually read the bible, never thought I would get so much response and that most of it would be negative.
When we were children we were read the bible and Harry Potter would not have been allowed. How times have changed.

Answer 1

Hmmmmm...that's interesting.
The thing to remember is that there is a good percentage of the population who does not believe in the Bible thus they do not teach it to their children.

Answer 2

Well, the Bible isn't a book that you can pick up and understand right away. Most pastors take weeks and weeks to go through what they are going to say because the Bible is so very complex. I don't think that children need to necessarily need to read the Bible at a young age. I believe middle school age is a good time to start. I think that parents that truly want their children to be Christians then they should start by telling the stories of the Bible and gradually have their children read it on their own. Honestly, there probably is no reason why kids don't read the Bible. The Bible is realistic, it is TRUTHFUL. Harry Potter is another thing that children get into because of society. According to society reading the Bible is wrong. Just like all Christians are hypocrites, which is not true at all. Everyone is a hypocrite, i don't care your religion. This whole thing is a matter of if the parents truly enforce religion.


I have no problems with Harry Potter at all. I think J.K. Rowling is very creative and she wrote some good stuff. I think it is more important to teach your children that Harry Potter is fake, and that the Bible is true.

Answer 3

"Could it be that parents are not stressing enough that the reading of the Bible is very important?" No. Not everybody is Christian. Why would a non-Christian want to read the Bible? Also, the Bible is the vilest, most immoral, most violent book out there. Who wants their kid reading that? At least Harry Potter isn't any of those things.

"It tells of man's history and where we are in the stream of time and what the earth will experience in the future." It does, yes, and it is grossly inaccurate. It's nothing more than fables written down by a group of nomads.

"Looks like that would be of interest to children?" Why? It's boring. The Harry Potter series (while poorly written) has a great storyline and has given many many children a desire to read. The Bible hasn't and never will.

Answer 4

It tells of the ancient allegorical history of Isreal, Egypt and Babylon and not the history the whole world. It doesn't follow any logical path nor is there flow to the story or even a story. There is much repetition, unresolved passages and just plain hypocrisy. It's like reading a recipe book and wondering why the plot was so thin.

If you are going to read fantasy then why not choose Harry Potter over the bible...it's a much better story with clear and true lessons on love, life and loyalty.

Answer 5

I agree with you that probably most children have not read the bibile. Some adults have not read the bible either. I didn't read the entire bible until I was an adult.
Children must be introduced to the bible when they are young. Little by little. Sunday school is a good place to start or even at home.
The bible can be hard to interpret (especially for a child). They need guidance. A good teacher can help this and they can illustrate to a child how interesting the bible can be.

Answer 6

Hey, I'm a big fan of the Bible. But Harry Potter is fiction written specifically to interest young adults. It's just not the same thing. Sure, parents can tell their kids that the Bible is important reading until they're blue in the face, but kids don't have to be told to read Harry Potter--they really want to.

And no wonder--J. K. Rowling did a great job writing them.

Look on the bright side. The Harry Potter books got kids reading more than they have in years. Hopefully the habit will stick, and the Bible will appeal to them later on.

Answer 7

When you think about it, the Bible is quite intimidating, with those many pages and tiny font. It is harder to get into than HP. It takes a lot of contemplation, thought, and reflection. Children are wrapped up in lives full of school (public schools without religion class), sports, clubs, homework, chores, and other responsibilities. It is expecting an enormous amount for them to have read THE BIBLE. Encourage the children's Bible, anyway. Promote prayers at night with the family, and a story form the children's Bible every night.

Answer 8

Harry Potter stimulates children's imagination.

I have read the entire bible, even though I am a Buddhist, not a Christian. I read the NIV, the New World Translation, and "The Book". My conclusion is the bible reads like a soap opera. Much of this is not very interesting to children.

Also it is taboo to force your religion on your children today. They should know about Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and so on, so they can choose, for themselves.

Answer 9

So you're saying Muslism, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist children have to read the bible and can't read Harry Potter?
It's great book, that offer insight to our society reflected on those books.
Children trying to read the bible will probably give up reading thinking that all types of books will be hard. Simple child stories increase a chid's desire to read, so they may be inspired to read tougher books later.

Answer 10

A pre-school teacher once got into trouble because she told a little boy named David that there was a man named David in the Bible who was very brave and loved by God. He wanted to know more about David. The teacher told him he should ask his parents. I never saw that much to-do over anything else that ever happened at the school. All because she tried to make a shy child feel special.

No one tells children of the excitement and adventure found in God's word much less the life lessons and morals. It is a sad state of affairs.

Answer 11

Face it. The Bible is very boring and the language is archaic. I would much rather read a dictionary from cover to cover. As a child, I went to Sunday School where I learned the bible stories from a children's bible if you will filled with lots of pictures and written in childrens' language. We memorized verses, sang religious songs, etc. That church made it fun to learn. King James does not.