Moxie Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Forgive the code. I don't want my mother googling and finding my secret identity here. I told my mother to get DS some HH books for Christmas. She just emailed me that she found a review that they are anti-Christian. We've only read one and it was fine. I'll admit that my mother is more sensitive to this issue then I am. Am I missing something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 My kids love the videos on YouTube and we have a boxed set of the books, which I have read. I have not found anything in there that upset me from a religious POV. Then again, I generally feel that our faith comes from a pretty strong place, so challenging ideas, humor, honestly portrayed events in history, and so on, really are no threat to our faith. Keep this in mind: you can find people who think (and review online) everything from Little House on the Prairie to Harry Potter as anti-Christian... You may want to remind your Mom that unless she knows that pastor personally, his opinion may not be worth the paper it isn't even written on. Jen PS you really have to watch the YouTube video on HH, Henry VIII wives. Good stuff :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 There may be some stuff that's critical of or makes light of some events regarding the church but heck, that's not anti-Christian. Being critical and having a bit of fun with your faith are probably key to being Christian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 My kids love them and I don't think I've seen anything with them that I would label 'anti-Christian'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Wise Bauer Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 People say completely baseless things in online reviews. Ask me how I know. :glare: SWB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 We've only seen clips on the show on youtube (which we love.) They do a sketch that shows Martin Luther (father of the protestant moment) as being obsessed with his own bowel movements. :001_unsure: They also don't shy away from the Catholic/Protestant fighting and killing. They do try to make a lot of things funny, which can come off as disrespectful/insulting. They say that, at least with the show, they try for 100% accuracy. We are Christians and we've never seen on the clips anything that made us say "That's awful/untrue/ we're not watching anymore." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth in MN Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 The books are not anti-Christian according to my dd who has read all but one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misty.warden Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Personally, jokes about the character of historical figures doesn't usually influence my views on their religion. Human failings don't make God any less God, KWIM? If I were Protestant, whether or not Luther was obsessed with his bowels would not shake my faith in God because the two have nothing to do with each other. As long as it's not poking fun at one particular religion to the exclusion of others, for example keep harping on Luther but never about the Pope or Buddha, I would figure it's all in good fun since we've all got things to make fun of. I guess it depends on one's tolerance for satire of religious figures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Well, he did decide to nail those theses up after a particularly long bowel movement. At least, that's what I remember. I'm hardly a religious studies scholar. That's really classic Horrible Histories - taking the most scatological or weird fact about an historical figure and playing it into the ground. And it really, really works for most kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 People say completely baseless things in online reviews. Ask me how I know. :glare: SWB :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 LMAO I think I need to read some more of these books. Apparently it also works for you then. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 We've only seen clips on the show on youtube (which we love.) They do a sketch that shows Martin Luther (father of the protestant moment) as being obsessed with his own bowel movements. :001_unsure: They also don't shy away from the Catholic/Protestant fighting and killing. They do try to make a lot of things funny, which can come off as disrespectful/insulting. They say that, at least with the show, they try for 100% accuracy. We are Christians and we've never seen on the clips anything that made us say "That's awful/untrue/ we're not watching anymore." :lol: I do believe there are people out there that would find the actual truth being taught to be offensive and insulting. We do not pander to people who hold that view. We teach the truth. Sometimes, there are things in history we wish were different (Library of Alexandra! *cries*) but we cannot change those things. We can only learn from them. If people do not wish to know the truth then I just don't know what to say. I do wish we didn't behave so poorly in the name of religion, but we can't change the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 They talk about horrible things done in the name of Christianity and by people claiming to be Christians. Some people may consider that offensive and as anti-Christian because there is no attempt to balance it by presenting the good things done by Christians throughout history. I do not find it offensive but consider it more of a cautionary tale. I think the series is equally harsh on all the other religions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 They talk about horrible things done in the name of Christianity and by people claiming to be Christians. Some people may consider that offensive and as anti-Christian because there is no attempt to balance it by presenting the good things done by Christians throughout history. I do not find it offensive but consider it more of a cautionary tale. I think the series is equally harsh on all the other religions. And they freely admit they are about HORRible things. It would be weird if everything else was horrible but one religion spared. I think kids are more resilient than many grandmas! If I had a mum who'd say such a thing, I think I'd drop the topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivka Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 I think it's a sad commentary that, under the new forum setup, apparently we can report SWB's posts but we can't like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 I think it's a sad commentary that, under the new forum setup, apparently we can report SWB's posts but we can't like them. I know! I was a little bewildered by that. Maybe they don't want us kissing up? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 LMAO I think I need to read some more of these books. Yes, yes, you do. :) They're not for people without a sense of humour, for whom there is only one "side" (anyone who disagrees is an apologist or *gasp* revisionist), or who are content to make strong judgements based on snippets. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 They talk about horrible things done in the name of Christianity and by people claiming to be Christians. Some people may consider that offensive and as anti-Christian because there is no attempt to balance it by presenting the good things done by Christians throughout history. I do not find it offensive but consider it more of a cautionary tale. I think the series is equally harsh on all the other religions. Yes but it isn't balanced, it is Horrible Histories, not balanced history. My daughter does not really think that Helen of Troy said, "Orrr, yer well fit," to Paris. :lol: But yeah, everything gets the same horrible treatment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 We love the Wife Swap clips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Yes but it isn't balanced, it is Horrible Histories, not balanced history. My daughter does not really think that Helen of Troy said, "Orrr, yer well fit," to Paris. :lol: But yeah, everything gets the same horrible treatment. But it is balanced in that sense. :D The books are irreverent across the board, with the exception of WWII, which is more delicately handled, presumably because it's within living memory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cottonmama Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 From my experience (which a mix of the books and the show, and not much of either) I would say they're irreverent but not anti-Christian. The only thing I've encountered that bothered me was a clip about the Christians who were fed to the lions -- to be honest, it was funny, but in a way that made me uncomfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 But it is balanced in that sense. :D The books are irreverent across the board, with the exception of WWII, which is more delicately handled, presumably because it's within living memory. And the books are British. WWII burned a little deeper on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 I do not think they are anti-Christian at all. They tell stories. Sure, the Christians/whoever seem flawed in these, but aren't we all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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