Preach or Teach?

[JeremyKilth]

In the context of today's children's TV shows that often prioritize action and conflict, and sometimes even violence, I am working on a book series of modern, non-violent children's stories that focus on moral values such as honesty, friendship, sharing, and perseverance—much like the wholesome narratives from shows like Postman Pat, but updated to appeal to a contemporary audience. These stories would aim to teach good character and morals without embedding religious content, intending to make them accessible to a broader audience.

However, as someone deeply committed to spiritual and moral development, I find myself pondering: Is it sufficient to craft stories that teach moral virtues without incorporating elements of faith, especially considering the diverse viewership of today's media landscape? What are your thoughts on this approach of strictly teaching rather than preaching through children's literature?

I am eager to hear the community's views on whether this approach could effectively contribute to character formation in a pluralistic society.

 

[JeremyKilth]

To clarify my question a little bit; I find it almost a bit wrong not include faith when I am connecting with my readers, but at the same time I wish to reach a broader audience. It is not the children's fault if they are not being taught the word at home by their parents. Teaching good moral values is a step in the right direction. Agree or disagree?

 

[Tenchi]

In the context of today's children's TV shows that often prioritize action and conflict, and sometimes even violence, I am working on a book series of modern, non-violent children's stories that focus on moral values such as honesty, friendship, sharing, and perseverance—much like the wholesome narratives from shows like Postman Pat, but updated to appeal to a contemporary audience. These stories would aim to teach good character and morals without embedding religious content, intending to make them accessible to a broader audience.

Can you discuss morals and values apart from God? On what would these things be resting, if not on Him? Without God, objective morals, values and duties are mere preference, derived ultimately from ourselves. This is a profoundly dangerous ground upon which to place morality, which is what you can't avoid doing when you exclude God from the matter of morality.

God doesn't want mere "wholesomeness" from His children but Truth. Really, there is nothing that is truly wholesome that has been divorced from God. The same goes for what constitutes a "good character." The radical Muslim would say that destroying oneself with a suicide bomb in order to kill infidels signifies a "good character." A wife of good character would immolate herself if her husband died, in the thinking of Hindus of only a century ago. The homosexual wants to include himself in the group of those of "good character." God says he thinks homosexuality is an abomination. Do you see the problems with removing God from your writing in order to make it more widely-appealing?

What are God's priorities for you as a writer? Shouldn't His priorities be your own? Does God want you to obscure Him so that those who hate Him and are moving headlong toward hell, will be willing to buy your books?

 

[JeremyKilth]

Hi Tenchi. Thank you for your insight! Thank you also for taking it seriously, and give a serious and well thought out answer. I really appreciate it.

You raise several valid points here that tells me that in my eager to do good, I did not stop to think of the implications. I thought I did, but with my mind set on the end goal I obviously didn't think long enough or hard enough.

Our laws here tells us it is illegal to murder someone, which coincides with the sixth commandment, so this is a preference shared between believers and non-believers here. But not necessarily for others, as you mentioned, where slaying infidels signifies a good deed. All the good moral values I had in mind when planning this book series, I kind of thought that society had aligned with Christianity, but that society just don't put in enough effort to teach it properly.

But as you say, without God these are just preferences. Preferences that possibly have come from Christian influence these last centuries, and gradually entered our norms and laws as well.

Obscure Him was never my intention - but I can see how it might be just what I'm doing. My intentions were more of shepherding lost children. Lost, as in their parents not putting in the time - living their busy lives. Also, I don't believe that just because they're not Christians, they hate Him. Rather, they believe He doesn't exist. How can you hate something you don't believe in?

You have given me lots to think about here. Especially the part about Obscuring. I have to rethink this. Thank you for your input and opinions!

 

[Christian Saboteur]

Why go to the trouble of creating a production to espouse your "Intended Values" but not include examples of the Trinity within it.Present the supernatural of God through your production,there are experiences and events that just cant be explained,except through one reason(GOD).Here are some examples,......James Cameron(The Man Who Was Almost Lynched),The Paul Longreer Story,the Book of Daniel(The Power of Prayer),the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ,and etc.You have to create a mind parasite,plant seeds in people's brains,challenge them to question their worldly logic and reasoning.
Here's a story for you,I know this man personally.He runs a Tool and Die shop,him and his son,was hauling in a new piece of equipment by trailer,the straps came loose,the machine partially slid off of the trailer causing them to stop ,and try to remedy the situation.In no way were they going to move the machine back into position,they thought they were in a bind.Thats when a group of men 'Showed Up' to help them by moving the machine back into position on the trailer by hand.After him and his son secured the machine,they turned to thank the men that helped,they were gone.This man and his son were so perplexed by what just ocurred,they went about that community asking anyone about who those men were.Literally, nobody, had any idea who their 'Helpers' were.This man was so perplexed by this incident,that he started going to church,and seeking the truth and light.When I asked him about this story,it was all he could do to keep from openly busting into tears.He said he has literally no explanation for who those men were,or where they came from.
If I just wanted morals and values,I'd just watch the A-Team.








It something that's not supposed to happen, but it does,..............Supernatural.

 

[for_his_glory]

Reaching out to children teaching them good morals and love is what God is about in all His teachings as the greatest commandment is to love others as this is God's mercy and grace given to everyone.

How to incorporate faith and the love of Christ in your book would have to be in a subtle way that a child good understand. We can give you advice, but I feel you need to go to the Lord and have Him show you what to write.

God's blessings on your book

 

[miamited]

Hey JeremyKilth

I know when my son was young we went through the Veggietales and 321 Penguins. My sons name is Kevin and so we always got a kick out of the Penguin named Kevin. And he always said it with kind of soft drawl so we'd mimic him in calling my son's name.

But one of the reasons I chose them is because they were more up to date stories that taught christian values also. I'm fine with not having every page talk about the things of God, but I believe He should be a part of your series. And of course, if you can finagle Jesus in there somewhere it would be even better. However, I will admit that I don't recall either of those shows that we watched speaking to the issue of Jesus. VeggieTales almost always mentioned God. The little pea guy was always talking about God and of course Bob the tomato mentions Him often.

While I applaud your effort to reach a broader audience, what would be the point if you're not going to include these important aspects of our life as faith in God and His Son. But if your purpose is just to put out a children's book of moral teachings, then it would be like a redo of Aesop's fables.

God bless,
Ted

 

[Josef]

Hey All,
JeremyKilth, your endeavor is a noble project, to be sure.
But almost all television shows, for children and adults, set up a conflict that has to be resolved. That is the hook that keeps them watching the show.
Don't discard the conflict.
Use it for your teaching.
Conflicts can be resolved peacefully.
Friendship is more important than stuff.
So when your protagonists have issue over a object, you can show them putting their friendship over the conflict.

There was an old cartoon show that I believe was with the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show called Fractured Fairytales. (Maybe it was associated with Tennessee Tuxedo.)
See if you can find them; maybe on YouTube.
The show used Aesop's Fables and taught moral issues through them.
Check them out.
They might help you with what you want to do.

Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

 

[Vinny37]

...

I’d prefer [theistic content] to [religious content], for even atheism has been deemed religious (eg Anthony Flew’s, There is a God). Most nations have had a theist base, and so subscribed to an objective theory of ethics (eg the taö). More narrowly, a Christian societal base seldom subsists evenly within western society, a pre-evangelism base, so to speak. I’m reading Mark Pike’s Mere Education (2013), which you might find both insightful and useful. He, as did C S Lewis, argued that morality is objective (dëontological), even if ethical decisions are subjective: like chess is objective, but our moves are subjective within the rules, and can be trained.

Atheistic postmodernism has taught that all teaching is futile, and that murder is not evil (there would be no objective good or evil). It could not conclude otherwise, since if God is not (and it undermines objective knowledge), then morality is merely part of random evolutionism (I don’t knock intelligent evolutionism), and if so is random (as would be reason). Thus there would be no absolute, and thus even arguing to preserve humanity would be essentially subjective, not an absolute beyond humanity. C S Lewis called such subjectivism, poison, and it has infected our moral base, as well as our logic and loyalty bases. They stand in need of repair, character building, building the Chest, irrigation of deserts.

J R R Tolkien’s fantasy had more a teach without a preach: note how Aragorn & Éomer discuss morality as to be discerned, not created. C S L’s Narnian books’ focus, was much more on soft-preach (ie meet Aslan). There is much scope to simply rebuild shy of evangelism, ie teach (and entertain) without preach; plant without reap. When an atheist, CSL was moved (pre-evangelism) by the sheer goodness of Christian fantasy writer, George McDonald’s, Phantasies. NB: I’d skip GM’s Lilith.

I think that for you it should boil down to What’s your baby? That is, don’t feel any pressure (unless from deity) to preach (hard or soft), but if you wish simply to shove good children’s fantasy onto the market, underwritten by your worldview (elements of theism pointing beyond/above/around), go for it. God knows there is a need.

 

[D-D-W]

To clarify my question a little bit; I find it almost a bit wrong not include faith when I am connecting with my readers, but at the same time I wish to reach a broader audience. It is not the children's fault if they are not being taught the word at home by their parents. Teaching good moral values is a step in the right direction. Agree or disagree?

I would suggest watching the movie "Time Changer" starring Hal Linden and Gavin MacLeod. It is a low budget Christian film that explores the idea of teaching morals without the faith context for those morals. It does not end well.