To Censor, Or Not To Censor?

My daughter is only 21 months old. And, I would be lying to say that I don't already have expectations and hopes for her life. All parents have expectations and hopes for their children. Yet, I have one hope that transcends all others for my daughter. That is, that she would have a life long, active, and genuine relationship with Jesus. All other things are truly secondary. This strong desire for her to have a relationship with Jesus, can have some dangerous implications for my parenting. Ie. I am tempted to try and control her journey; and, would be lying, to say otherwise. Essentially, I want to guarantee her relationship with Jesus. But, let's be honest, I can't guarantee that. I can (and do) pray for her, expose her to age appropriate ideas and media about God, and I can demonstrate God's love for her in my relationship with her. But, I can't control her journey. Yet, that temptation still exists.

So the question arises, "How much control do we have over our children's spiritual journey?" Or, in other words, "What types of information and ideas should I allow my child to be exposed to?" I believe that we as parents have a God given mandate to protect and lead our children. I will not let my daughter be exposed to harmful or graphic (violent or sexual) materials. But, as she gets older, what will I do with non-christian sources? Whether they be digital (music, movies, blogs), philosophy, or classic literature. What will I censor? Or, will I censor at all?

These are tough questions for parents to wrestle with. We don't want to lead our children away from truth. Yet, we don't want our children to be overwhelmed with opposing ideas, and become disillusioned with truth.

If you wrestle with the practice or method of censoring ideas and materials (again, non-extreme materials) as I do, give this article a read. It helps us to think through the balancing act of parenting teens into a vital and healthy relationship with Jesus. It also challenges us to think through what are essential truths and non-essential truths. Ex. Political beliefs vs. Religious beliefs.

Beyond the article though, I am convicted to not forget my own journey. There are seasons and points in my life that I surely had misunderstandings of core biblical ideas. Yet, I had adults and mentors in my life that patiently walked me through those misunderstandings. Essentially, they didn't expect me to "get it perfectly" right away. I would be remiss to expect my children to "get it perfectly" right away too.

Let's wrestle with the question of healthy censorship; and, not forget our own journey. 

You can also get to the article via: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2014/04/28/should-christian-parents-ban-books/