Churches And Dragons

Many people, especially concerned parents, are worried about the effect things can have on children. This can go double for conservative parents who worry about their child’s faith. The T.V. show where people fight with monsters, the book series where kids use magic and fight demons, parents become alarmed that anything connected to violence or fiction will corrupt their little one. Yet, is their concern justified?

Just because something does not profess the word of God blatantly or mirror our own lives, does not make it damning or evil. Not everything has to be sanitized and covered in plastic. Parents often express concern that such media as listed above makes their son or daughter more violent. That children act out things that they “wouldn’t” have acted out, before being exposed to violence in the media. Most of the time it is merely harmless fun for the child to play or watch these things. They understand that it is not real and that it is just a story. If you are truly concerned they may think otherwise - say for reasons of age - then speak with them. Explain to them the things you are concerned they will not conclude on their own. In the end it will still simply be a game to them. Billy may pretend to be a superhero, but chances are he is not going to beat someone up because he watched a Spiderman cartoon. Children are going to fight each other. They are going to play rough. This is not because of T.V., it is human nature. Children do not need to be taught to fight and play war. They will do that all on their own. Parents who profess to never give their child a toy weapon, do not take into account that a broom handle can become a rifle. You are not a failure as a parent if Billy saves Lois Lane by beating the bad guys. It is completely naive to assume you can prevent a child from ever displaying violence in play or practice. Sometimes play is really just play, and your little darling will grow up perfectly normal. Watching or reading about violence is not going to alter them permanently. The truth is that violence and danger is everywhere in our own world. They will see it everywhere they go, not just on T.V. And the honest truth is they are going to imitate it. But this does not mean they are lost to you. Your kids are smarter than you give them credit for. They will adapt. They will cope. They will overcome.

Another concern often voiced is that things associated with magic or monsters or demons, will pull their child away from God. Speaking as a very committed Christian, I can tell you this is not so. I grew up with Pokémon and Digimon. I pretended to use magic and fight demons. And did this lead me any further away from God? Am I sacrificing the nearest virgin to the Dark Lord Xenu? No, I am not. I am not drifting away from God. I am not turning to the Devil. Because I understand that it is fiction. That it is just a story for fun and games. That it does not mean anything in regards to real-life. Trying to cut a child off from this world is seldom going to be affective. If you ban the program they will watch it without your knowledge. If you push too hard they will merely wait until they are old enough to do what they want. What you want to do is let them experience this world and God’s. Give them a chance to know that they are not given a choice between believing in God and anything else. That it is not overbearing and off-putting to be a believer. If you are really concerned with their spirituality, then speak with them. Teach them about the Bible. Read with them, explain to them, and spend time with them devoted solely to this. Do not just ban them from experiencing the world they live in. Like it or not monsters and demons are everywhere. Teach them how to experience it, while still possessing a full knowledge of God’s Word.

-BlackFox

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