A Post From My Soapbox

Parents Beware of Children’s Books That Tell Lies

/ kellyfbarr / 3 Comments

As a Christian Homeschool Mom I was always very careful about what books I read to my sons, and what books I allowed them to read. My husband and I were also always careful what television shows and movies we allowed them to watch, and what music we allowed them to listen to. We wanted them to learn the truth of God’s word and wanted them to have Godly, positive influences in their lives.

Now they are all grown and making their own decisions, and my husband and I continue to pray that they choose wisely. My husband and I have always done our best to set the example that we taught them before them, though we are not perfect, and we made mistakes.

Now, along with all of the negative and inappropriate things we see in our government, in the media, online, and all around us in today’s world, it saddens me that children have become the targets for much of the evil in the world. They’re being told that if they’re a girl but would rather be a boy, and vice versa, that that’s okay. They’re bombarded with so many wrong suggestions and ideas, and the only people who can truly protect them and teach them truth are their parents.

Therefore, I am writing this post to inform parents that the above pictured children’s book, geared for children 2-7 years old, includes lies — lies about Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God, who came to set an example for us and to die to save us from our sins.

The interesting thing is that I was told about this book just 4 days ago, on February 8th, and when I looked this book up on Amazon, the lie that it includes was part of the book description on Amazon. However, when I looked just before writing this post, the lie was no longer part of the description. So, what is the lie? This book, The Baptism of Jesus by Katherine Sully, a British writer who lives in Bath, England, teaches children that Jesus was baptized because he sinned, and that was specifically mentioned in the Amazon book description on February 8th, but has now been changed to simply state that John the Baptist was sharing his message and persuading people to allow him to wash their sins away. Then it states that Jesus came and asked John to baptize him, and afterward Jesus went into the desert where the devil tested him, but three times Jesus refused to be tempted. Then it says that after rebutting the devil, Jesus went to spread John the Baptist’s important message.

Even this description is a lie!

The Bible clearly explains both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ in John 1:19-34:

Now this was John’s testimoney when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Christ.”

They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”

Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert. Make straight the way for the Lord.”

Now some Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I am baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

Then John gave his testimony: I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”

Scripture is from the NIV Bible.

February 15, 2024 UPDATE: I thought this book was a new release. However, according to Amazon, this book was released October 15, 2013, and Amazon is asking very high prices for it, considering it is a small children’s book. Prices range from $29.65 used, to $83.64 paperback, to $100 hardcover.

A Monday Movie Review

/ kellyfbarr / Leave a comment

I don’t usually post about movies here, and this is my review of a movie that’s been out for some time.  You see, we saw this movie yesterday at some friends’ house, and I was disturbed by the movie and feel the need to share.

I have heard many people rave about this movie.  It’s supposed to be a kids’ movie, but it’s rated PG.  It’s the first Pixar film I didn’t really care for.  It’s “Big Hero Six”.

If you haven’t seen the movie yet and are thinking about seeing it, you might not want to read any farther, as there will be spoilers in the rest of this post.

What did I find so disturbing?  Hero is the main character.  He and his brother live with their aunt because their parents died some time ago.  Then Hero’s brother dies in an explosion and Hero is right there to witness it.  I found this very disturbing as an adult, let alone for a child.

Hero finds that his brother’s robot was in their home and he makes a new program for the robot because he wants it to help him find and catch the guy who is responsible for the explosion that killed his brother.  Four of his brother’s friends also get involved.

Long story short, Hero enters into a time warp type thing to rescue the daughter, of the bad guy, who is got stuck in there and the robot sensed that she was in there.  The robot goes in with him and then the robot has to be left behind in order for Hero and the girl to get out in time.  So, yet another loss for Hero.  Yet, the bad guy gets his daughter back, even though he’s going to jail.

In the end, Hero finds that in the robot’s hand, (the only thing that he has left of the robot), is the original program his brother designed for the robot, so he is able to recreate another robot.  That’s supposed to be the happy ending.

Why do I find this movie so disturbing?  Because I have three adopted children who suffered neglect, rejection and abandonment in their pasts.  A child like that watching a movie like “Big Hero Six” may suffer those feelings anew watching the loss that Hero went through.  If I had known what the movie was like, I wouldn’t have allowed our youngest to watch it.  He’s a very sensitive child as so as it is.  However, because we did watch it, I did speak with him about it, and he seems to be fine.

On the other hand, there was also another child present who has suffered a lot of loss in his/her life and is going through struggles with grieving some of those losses right now, and I can’t help but wonder if it was wise for that child to see it, although the parents said that the child had seen it before.

So, I know that most people would think nothing of watching this movie with their children, but being the mom of children with hurtful pasts makes me much more aware and sensitive to things that could be a problem for them.  We’ve experienced upsets with two of our three children, in the past, over movies we sat down to watch with them that we thought would be okay, so we can’t always even be sure of what may or may not upset them, but it certainly makes me more careful.

My older two sons had no problem with the movie and thought that I was over reacting because Hero still was able to have the robot and he had his brother’s friends, to which I said, “Yeah, but they weren’t family.”  I don’t think I’m over reacting because  I don’t believe we can be too careful with the tender, sensitive hearts and spirits of our children.

One of my favorite movies to watch with my children is “Lilo and Stitch”.  It has a wonderful message for children with hurtful backgrounds and/or behavioral issues.

Have you ever seen a movie you found disturbing that everyone thought was a great movie for kids?   Do you know of any movies that have a good message for children who have had hurtful pasts?

Movie Madness Monday

/ kellyfbarr / Leave a comment

No, this will not be a regular weekly post, and, no, it will most likely not be what you expect.

I just wanted to take some time to express my frustration with the movie industry.  You see I still have a child under the teen years at home, not to mention that I think the teen years need to be carefully guided because they are so important and teens are so impressionable.

Anyway, I am disgusted with the fact that the movie industry seems to think that it is important for animated movies to “appeal” to adults as well as children in today’s society.  I just have to ask, did the old animated movies not “appeal” to the adults who took their children to seem them, or even the old Disney movies that weren’t animated?

I remember my parents taking my sister and I to see animated movies like the Peanuts and Winnie-the-Pooh when I was a kid and they seemed to enjoy them.  I never heard them complain about them.

But, suddenly if an animated film doesn’t include innuendo, potty humor or swearing (or something close to it) or something scary, the film isn’t adult friendly.  Seriously, do all adults feel this way?  I can answer that with a resounding “no”.

I, and many of my friends, want “family friendly” films by which I mean films that are appropriate for children; films that parents can take their children to without worrying that their children will be exposed to something they don’t want their children exposed to at a young age, or that their children might ask about that they don’t want to explain to their children at a young age.

It’s downright aggravating to have such limited, almost nonexistent, films that I find appropriate for our youngest son to see.  Therefore, we purchase and watch DVDs at home of things we find appropriate; things like The Peanuts, Winnie-the-Pooh, old family friendly t.v. shows like The Waltons and Little House on the Prairie.

The last really family friendly movies we have seen were the Monsters, Inc. and Monsters University movies and Inside Out.  I am thankful that Pixar still does a fairly good job of making family friendly films.

How about you?  Do you think today’s new adult friendly animated movies are fit for children of all ages?