“Classics are the standard.”
Well, some classics are good- but some are horrible. I grew up as a Unitarian. Many of the classical writers were transcendentalists and it definitely comes through in their writings. I never had my kids read many of the classics. I would go through their literature books and check the stories I didn’t want them to read. I knew in my spirit they were not good for my kids to read. As time went by, I felt more strongly about it, but when I recently read Kevin Swanson’s book Apostate, he articulated for me what I felt so passionately in my spirit and provided additional facts of which I was unaware. When you teach your kids truth, they will more easily discern error. My goal over the years has been to fill my kids minds with truth.
Did you ever wonder who decided that certain books would be know as the “classics”? Did you ever read one of them and wonder if it was something your kids should be reading or that you should be reading? Here are some facts about some of “classic writers”
· Did you know?- “Nathaniel Hawthorne was the 19th century American literary giant who did more to shift American culture away from its national Christian heritage than anyone else.”
· Did you know?- Ernest Hemingway grew up in a Christian home, but turned against Christianity. His life was filled with fornication, adultery and divorce. His mother wrote to him, saying, “Unless you my son Ernest come to yourself, cease your lazy loafing and pleasure seeking-borrowing with no thought of returning, stop trading your handsome face to fool little gullible girls, and neglecting your duties to God and our savior Jesus Christ-unless, in other words, you come into your manhood, there is nothing before you but bankruptcy; you have over drawn.” She referred to his writings as filth. He ended his life by suicide.
· Did you know?- John Steinbeck felt it was his task to lead the culture to accept adultery, divorce and abortion.
· Did you know?- Edgar Allan Poe (author of the Telltale Heart) would get drunk before he felt inspired to write?
These are not the men I want influencing my kids and their worldview!!!! I didn’t know the above facts when my oldest kids were in high school, but God “warned” my spirit that some of the titles were not fit for my kids to read. God says in His Word, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! “Isaiah 5:20
Ephesians 5:11-17
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”
In Apostate I read the following and said, “Amen!”
“There appears to be a reticence among Christians to do battle in liberal arts classrooms because of the assumption that all “great” literature has to be “good” literature. The time for giving up ground is over. Now we must fight. We must engage the biblical worldview vigorously in the world of great literature. The greatest wars ever fought in history of the world are not those fought by sword or by artillery. The greatest battles are engaged in the realm of ideas. The day has arrived for Christians to engage in battle or there will be no more Christians left.” (Page. 191)
This is so true. So, rethink the “classics”. Don’t just assume they are good and something your kids should read. Some are very good- but use great discernment!
~Marilyn
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