MIL giving opinions on my son reading the bible

[ThisElatedMauveScroller]

Hi, for context:
im an atheist, as is everyone in our immediate families (some cousins or aunts are Christian’s). I went to Sunday school and church as a kid but never got into it and just enjoyed the socialising element!
my son is 4 - he’s very smart and curious, and doesn’t scare easily. (Eg he watched Fantasia at 3yo and got to the dinosaur bit where the T Rex kills the stegosaurus, then all the dinos starve to death and then the world is destroyed by volcanos. He did not care and indeed cheered on the T rex)
my MIL is rich and posh and the sort who thinks everyone should want the same life as her (my husbands words, not mine - she does his head in) 😅

The issue:
The in laws visited at the weekend and helped put my son to bed. All fine. Then he asks her for a story and gets the Children’s Bible out… it’s my copy from when I was little and it is a simplified version of the real bible, with a lot of the violence and grim stuff smoothed over. I started reading it to him because he is always asking me for a new story off the top of my head - one day I told him Noah’s Ark and then he’s been pestering me for more bible stories ever since (hence borrowing my old kids bible).

MIL says she ‘struggled’ to read it to him. She worries about everything tbh (eg cancelling accommodation with free cancellation - makes a big deal about that kind of thing). She thinks it’s too violent and religious etc.

I think he’s a curious kid who wants to absorb as much knowledge as he can. I’ve told him it’s not real (unless he chooses to believe it is real) and that different people believe different books, and some people believe none of it. I’m not trying to force religion onto him and he doesn’t look remotely traumatised - but does MIL have a point?

(one point in fairness to her - we are in the Old Testament currently, so god is in his miracles / fire and brimstone phase)

I would say let your son choose, not your MIL. You are accepting and satisfying his curiosity which is a good thing to do.

To a 4 year old it's just stories.
My daughter went through a Bible stories phase when she was about 7 or so.
Maybe you could get some other books of other Gods/legends/myths/fables etc.
Usborne do several story books of Greek Gods or Norse tales etc.

I've been reading Bible stories to my son recently as we are having our children baptised. We aren't regular churchgoers.

I had a similar reaction to your MIL; even the toned down version for kids is all a bit death and destruction. You can't really get round that without just completely rewriting the stories in the Bible and then it wouldn't be the Bible anymore.

For what it's worth, my son didn't reem remotely fazed by it.

As a collection of stories, I think it's interesting. At least it's not yet another one of those board books about poo.

I'd imagine most kids would just listen to them as stories - nothing more than that. There is darkness in a lot of traditional fairytales as well - the point is to introduce children to these concepts in a totally safe environment where everything turns out good. It's part of what helps them navigate childhood fears.

The fact that the kid brought out the book he wanted a story from is good enough for me - he wants that, righty ho, he shall have that. Kids derive comfort from hearing the same story over and over again. Imo, MIL's discomfort is transient and irrelevant. "Oh right" is about all the response I'd give.

My grandparents were religious, my mum a Sunday school teacher. My sister and I are not interested.

But I remember absolutely loving the children's illustrated bible I had as a kid. It was old when I got it and I remember being annoyed it had been given away.

I look back and realise that those stories are the same as many fairy stories in that they teach us the behaviours our society seems acceptable. And they have been honed for so very many years to be really exciting, maybe especially to a young child 😊

Let your son enjoy his books, his choice. MIL will just have to adapt.

Generations of children have been raised on Greek and Roman myths, Bible stories and / or folk / fairy stories. Now it’s computer games m corst person shooters etc.

There’s lots of death and violence in all of them and most children are not remotely affected by it.

The Bible is the basis of so many cultural and literary references, it’s really helpful to have a working knowledge of it. It’s only a book.

Thankyou all for your thoughts! Some people agree with my MIL on the poll but I would be interested to hear any opinions on why this is inappropriate.

Glad to hear I am not alone though in just wanting to encourage his love of reading and learning! And I will definitely be cracking out the Greek mythology next 😂

I think it's fine. No problem with MIL having a different opinion though.

I'd probably limit his access to stuff that's excessively gory/violent even if he isn't scared. I'd be wary of lots of input along the lines of dinosaurs starving to death and God smiting people all over the place, particularly if he seems to be enjoying the suffering!

He wouldn't choose bible stories if you hadn't suggested them. Thomas the tank engine or Noddy and Big ears if you want to be a bit radical. Not inappropriate if he doesn't take them as bible, pun intended, but just as fiction.