Veggie Tales: What is the Big Idea?
Changing Bible Stories: Confusing Children
Are Veggie Tales just harmless Bible stories for
Children? I wish they
were. I agree they can be funny, but this does not warrant watching them,
especially with little children. In most, if not all of the Veggie Tales
products, they mix up the Bible story, which is very unfortunate, because small
children are very easily influenced.
Big Idea Productions has capitalized on the fact that
many Christian
parents and grandparents will buy any video that their children or
grandchildren enjoy. Veggie Tails combines comical animations, sound effects,
an interesting story, and a few good jokes: a great way to get children (and
adults) to watch a video.
But why doesn't Veggie Tales have videos about Jesus?He is hardly ever
mentioned, if at all. Why don't they speak about Him more? If they were at all
concerned about the Gospel, they would. Watching the videos certainly leaves
one with no assurance that the creators are themselves Christians, at least not
very sincere ones! What a great opportunity to present the Gospel, and they
have not taken it! Could it be that the name Jesus and the way of salvation are
never mentioned because this would make the videos too "controversial"? Much of
the population would not buy videos involving Jesus.
I was recently in New York City, and you may be
surprised to know that
along with the many video titles (which I neither paid attention to nor wish I
had!) that street merchants had placed out on the sidewalk, you could buy
Veggie Tales! Apparently Veggie Tales are not just targeted at "Christian" bookstores!
Veggie Tales could imprint the true Bible stories into children's minds, but instead they ruin their minds with false information. Soon the Christian young people will have a very distorted and confused idea of Bible stories: all
because Veggie Tales changes them.
For instance, in Jonah: a Veggie Tales Movie the producers have taken extreme liberties with the story. An Old Testament
book regarding sin, repentance, and God's grace has been turned into a
Hollywood comedy. True, the story's Biblical theme is recognizable, but is a
resemblance the best they can do? Obviously not. The producers have decided
that it is much more important that their products are captivating than that
they are true.
Big Idea productions has also taken the freedom and
liberty to create a
little character with Jonah in the whale! This character is not only in the
Bible story when it shouldn't be, its name, Khalil, is a name meaning
"friendly" in Arabic and has its ancestry in Islam, a Christ-denying religion,
and did not appear for well over a thousand years after Jonah. This turban
wearing half caterpillar-half worm becomes, in the Veggie Tales version, both a friend to Jonah and his conscience! This is severely changing the Bible stories.
Jesus referred to the account of Jonah, showing thatJonah was a type of
Christ, namely his death and resurrection:For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the
Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:40)
Jesus also referred to Jonah as "a sign" and as "Jonas
the prophet" (see Luke 11:29-32, Matthew 16:4, Matthew 12:39-41)
Don't be fooled, children get confused! Some time ago, my little brother
was firmly convinced that slushies were thrown at the Israelites while they
compassed about the city of Jericho. It is hard to convince a 3 year old that
it didn't happen when they saw it with their own eyes in a video.
Here are just a few of the many problems in Veggie Tales:
In Veggie Tales "Dave and the Big Pickle":
It is viewed as a big problem that sheep fall over; also "David" rides the
sheep.
Goliath uses boxing gloves in his attempt against "David".
In Veggie Tales "Josh and the Big Wall":
The Israelites make a big rocket gizmo to take down the wall, although they
don't use it.
Slushies were thrown at the Israelites while they compassed about the city of
Jericho. Also used were slushy hoses and slushy (cement) trucks.
There are so many, many more errors that could be
mentioned, but you can
find these for yourself if you look for them.
It is much better that children learn the correct
Bible stories as opposed
to the false ones taught in Veggie Tales.
The Bible says:Every word of God is pure...Add thou not unto his words... (Proverbs 30:5-6)
We need to keep from false teaching, and we always
need to be on guard,
lest the devil creep in, even into something that might seem as harmless as
talking vegetables....There shall be false teachers among you, who privily [privately] shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the
Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1)
For more articles dealing with Veggie Tales please visit:
Rethinking VeggieTales: Agape Press
VeggieTales; Moralism Wrapped in Ultra Silliness: Way of Life Literature
Recommended Links
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