What Shall We Read?
Are you unhappy with the poetry that your text books require your kids to memorize and/or read? Why not have them memorize Christian poetry? How about the hymns? Also, take a look at our poetry in the "Family Spiritual, Emotional, and Social Helps." You are not obligated to let your kids minds be filled with garbage. You can give them something to read and learn besides the worldly "classics."
Speaking of "classics," why make your kids read the ungodly books that the world calls "classics?" If you check those books out you will find they are filled with all kinds of evil. 1 Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Besides that Luke 16:15 says, And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. According to this verse God has no use for the "classics." Look at them and/or the authors and you will know why. The Scarlet Letter is about adultery. Silas Marner is based on fornication as well as other questionable things. Emma is about a self-conceited, busy body. Charles Dickens left his wife and went and lived in adultery with another woman. Shakespeare's writings is full of garbage and fantasy.
Chaucer renounced his writings The Canterbury Tales, Troilus and Creseyde, and The Book of the Duchess as "worldly vanities." He expressed the desire " that I may be one of those at the day of doom that shall be saved." (Found in Final Authority by William P. Grady, p.126.) The author was convicted of their content before he died and possibly was saved. Why then should these books be passed off as good or educational reading? Would you want your kids reading something that a saved man wrote before his conversion and denounced afterwards? This may be the case with Chaucer.
Louisa May Alcott's works are rotten also. In Little Women she has "Jo" going off on her own, living by herself and making her own living. This also occurs with "Polly" in An Old Fashioned Girl. (Titus 2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.) There is also profanity and the using of God's name in vain in the two books Little Women and Little Men.
Even the "innocent" Anne of Green Gables books are not so innocent. They promote humanism, and in the last book of the series, Rilla of Ingleside, there is a teacher that has two dreams that she interprets regarding the war. In two of the other series by the same author, L.M. Montgomery, you can find Irish superstition (Pat of Silver Bush books), and extra-sensory-perception (the Emily books). Obviously this lady had a serious problem. Leviticus 20:27 A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.
Of course, there are many other examples. This is just a small number of the books that are ungodly.
"What would Jesus approve?" is a good question to ask regarding the subject of reading material.
How about investing in some missionary biographies and books by Christians? Bible Baptist Bookstore in Pensacola, Florida has a good selection of books along these lines. While we do not approve of everything that they endorse, they are a source for some of these books that you might not find in many other places. The address and phone number are: Bible Baptist Bookstore, P.O. Box 7135, Pensacola, FL 32534; phone: (904)477-8812. You may also obtain some good books from The Christian Book Gallery, 8385 U.S. 41, St. John, IN 46373; phone: (219)356-5750. Or reach them at 9066 Knickerbocker, St. John IN 46373. They carry books about Peter Cartwright, Sam Jones, Charles Spurgeon, J. Frank Norris, and more.
Look for these kinds of books at the same places that you look for text books (see article on "Where To Look for Used Text Books" in the Curriculum section). You may be able to find some good books this way. And ask the Lord to help you replace the worldly "classics" with books of His choice. He will not let you down if you really want to get right with Him. Isaiah 30:21-22 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence. Get rid of the old idols of worldly wisdom. 2 Corinthians 7:11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
by Mary VN
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