""X-Rated" Stories in Bible and Young Christians

[Madaglan]

I just started teaching at a Catholic high school, and I am surprised by the number of teachers who consider certain stories in the Bible as “inappropriate” to teach high schoolers. Certainly these stories are any of those that include sex, rape, and extreme violence.

When I first started reading the Bible (in 11th grade) I discovered that the Bible is not as tame as CCD and other teachers had presented. I learned many stories that were quite vicious but fascinating at the same time.

So, should certain parts of the Bible be kept from young people?

 

[Leopard]

Presuming that they should, how would you intend to prevent high-schoolers from reading them?

 

[Madaglan]

Originally Posted by Leopard:

Presuming that they should, how would you intend to prevent high-schoolers from reading them?

In my experience, not too many young adults read their Bibles. Most of their exposure to the Bible is through CCD, Religion courses and Mass (or other religious service). So, if the students do not know about the stories (from school or church), there is little chance that they will actually look for them to read.

Oh wow, I just noticed that I’m a Senior Member.

 

[Tim_Kirchoff]

Your question reminds me of last year, when I won a bet with one of my teachers and taught class for a day. I went over the story of Abraham, and how Sarai must have been pretty good-looking, or two kings wouldn’t have tried to marry her on two separate occasions. Keep in mind, this was to a bunch of teenage boys

 

[JFonseka]

I just started teaching at a Catholic high school, and I am surprised by the number of teachers who consider certain stories in the Bible as “inappropriate” to teach high schoolers. Certainly these stories are any of those that include sex, rape, and extreme violence.

When I first started reading the Bible (in 11th grade) I discovered that the Bible is not as tame as CCD and other teachers had presented. I learned many stories that were quite vicious but fascinating at the same time.

So, should certain parts of the Bible be kept from young people?

The Bible’s material is nothing compared to what is in the world today, high-schoolers aren’t going to be emotionally affected. Infact I think it’s the teachers that should be protected for even thinking that

Sex, rape and extreme violence - movies? songs? the news? recent wars? err…America? Australia.

 

[TheOneTrueFred]

Trying to hide something, especially something in the Bible, will just make it’s revelation a bit more shocking. Better to teach these passages - in fact, make a point of teaching them - to make sure they’re placed in proper context and understood correctly.

 

[averheyen]

My high school religion teacher started us right off, first thing, first day at the rape of Dinah.

So I don’t know anything about that.

 

[MH84]

This school must be spending a lot of time reading the Bible if they have enough time to go over those topics. Btw, ‘X-rated’, talk about an attention grabbing title.

 

[Gamera]

It’d be one thing if we were talking about 9 year olds, but high school students? Let them hear everything. There’s nothing in the Bible that’s any more shocking than the latest song lyric, horror movie or video game. We aren’t doing them any favors by pretending bad things don’t happen in the real world. Better to show them the bad things within a moral context, presented as God sees them.