THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 17, 1996 TAG: 9608160046
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Issues of Faith
SOURCE: Betsy Wright
LENGTH: 79 lines
Last Week's Issue of Faith: Teaching children values, morals and principles.
This Week's Reader Responses:
From Phyllis Dowdy of Virginia Beach: ``I, too, am one of the fortunate ones, raised by parents who lived their values, morals and principles. They had such a loving concern for family, friends and those needing a helping hand.
``If every parent would endeavor to live `The Golden Rule,' thereby setting an example for their children, the world would indeed be a better place. Acts of love and kindness need to be passed on and on.''
From Cindy Anderson of Chesapeake: ``Children need to live with values, morals and principles. Recently God has put a mirror up to my face, as he often does, and let me see some faults in myself through a bad experience with someone. It is my view that God does not punish us when we screw up, but allows us to experience the mess we make when we don't follow him. And invariably for me, when I do something wrong to another, he somewhere down the road teaches me a lesson - not a punishment - by allowing that same thing to be done to me.''
From Willard Savin of Elizabeth City, N.C.: ``(Your article last week) caused me to think of a recent testimony my 13-year-old grandson, Matthew Chambers, gave at a church retreat in Anderson College, South Carolina. I've enclosed a copy of his testimony. His opening sentence ties in with the beautiful testimony you have given:
`` `I grew up in a Christian home, always went to church and listened to the pastor. I found out about Jesus when the pastor came to my house. I knew somebody wanted to be my friend if I would just let him in.
`On December 17, 1991, I gave my life to Christ. After that, my life hasn't changed on the outside, but on the inside I'm totally changed. I know he has something special for me, if I just take up my cross and follow him daily.' ''
From Mary Martin, no city given: ``I was interested in one of the comments in your column where you said your parents didn't teach you to memorize Bible verses or to quote Scripture but that they taught you the intent behind the words. It sounds like you've made that into a dichotomy, and I'm a little curious as to why you did that. Why can't, or shouldn't, parents do both. I'm trying to do both with my child, and I believe a lot of parents do.
``Occasionally it comes across to me that some people think that if you teach your children to memorize Scripture and quote Bible verses that you are regarded as somewhat ignorant or bigoted, and certainly that would not be the case. Maybe you could set that straight in your column.''
Columnist's Note: Sorry for what seemed to be a dichotomy. That was certainly not my intent.
The paragraph you described was this: ``Though my parents took us to church and Sunday school and vacation Bible school, and though they helped us say our prayers at night, my folks didn't teach us to memorize Bible verses or to quote Scripture. What they taught us was the intent behind the words. I've come to see that's a much more difficult lesson to teach a child.''
My parents raised their kids in an era when many mainline denominational churches did not push the in-home Bible memorization thing the way they do today. Heaven and Earth stores weren't on every corner. Christian television was just getting started. Frankly, it was a pre-Evangelical era, when many Christians - my parents included - were hesitant about appearing too religious.
Like many parents of that era, my folks were content to let the church teach me my Bible verses, just as they were content to let the school teach me my ABCs.
Much has changed since then. Today, Christians - and people of other faiths - are very vocal about their beliefs. I feel this has much to do with the Evangelical movement of the 1980s. For the most part, I think this openness is a great thing, and I believe mainliners owe thanks to the Evangelicals for pushing faith to the forefront.
Nowhere have I ever said - nor do I believe - that parents should not teach their children Scripture. If anything, I have always been very vocal to say most people are too lazy (myself included) about Scripture literacy. All studies and polls conclude the same thing: Christians talk a lot about the importance of Scripture, but few of us do anything about it.
This, I believe, is wrong, and as Mary Martin pointed out, responsible parents should both teach Scripture and teach the intent of the words. I still, however, believe the second thing is harder to do than the first. Anyone can quote Scripture. Few really live it. by CNB