Okay, I know I'm supposed to be studying, but I just have to respond to this message from a reader in response to this comment thread. The reader says:- Though your children may never sit through lessons or sermons that teach them to think that they were born with something wrong with them and that they need Jesus I trust that you are not going to deprive them of true "appreciaton of English literature". After all, "the English Bible needs to be part of our education because it is a major source book for literary culture." "The atheistic world-view provides no justification for cutting the Bible, and other sacred books, out of our education." (Quotes from 'The God Delusion' chapter 9)
The tone seems to imply that if I don't teach my children the Bible, that would make me a neglectful mother. Let me ask something: Did your mother teach you Shakespeare and Chaucer? If she did, wonderful! If she didn't though, I could hardly classify that as neglect or having "deprived" you of a proper education of English literature. My kids are 5 and 1, so I think they're a little young to be introduced to a book like the Bible. We're still on Stuart Little and Go, Dog! Go! But we do own a Bible. It's in the fantasy section of our bookshelf where it belongs, right next to The Iliad, The Odyssey, Alice in Wonderland and The Lord of the Rings, and if when they're older they ever want to read the Bible or take a class about it, they certainly will not be forbidden.
Will I "deprive" my kids of the Bible?!??!?!
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