Should I Allow My Young Children to Read the Old Testament?

This piece was originally featured in the Southern Nebraska Register’s “Ask the Register” column on July 26, 2024, which can be found here.

Q. Should I allow my children to read the Old Testament? There are frequent adult themes such as violence and immorality, and often God is depicted as angry and judgmental. I don’t want them to be afraid of God, or have the wrong impression of who God is.

A. I am deeply appreciative of this question. I myself am a father of young children, seeking to raise them in the faith. I will never forget when someone once learned of my eldest son’s name, named after the prophet Elijah, and proceeded to question when and how I will tell him that the Elijah of the Bible slayed 450 men, as if to imply that his namesake was tainted. 

Raising our children well and reading Scripture well are no small issues. At the outset of this answer, I must make the disclaimer that, while I respond as a teacher and parent, I do not respond as a parenting or behavioral expert, nor do I think there is only one “right way” to raise the next generation of saints. My answers are simply that – my own. 

Before entertaining some practical suggestions, it would be helpful to look at the matter from a 30,000-foot point of view: What is Scripture? The Second Vatican Council teaches us that the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, contains the revelation of God Himself and that “the books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching solidly, faithfully and without error that truth which God wanted put into sacred writings for the sake of salvation” (Dei Verbum §11). The God of the universe is longing to reveal Himself, not only to you and to me, but also to our children, and He accomplishes this primarily by the disclosure of Himself in the Scriptures. When the Scriptures are read faithfully, “the Father who is in heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them” (DV §21). 

This introduces an interesting point of self-reflection for parents. On one hand, this forces us to consider how I am facilitating an encounter with God for my children. Am I letting the Lord reveal Himself to them in the way that He has intended, or am I tailoring the process to my own standard(s) of who God is or who God should be? I do not intend this as a sharp critique, but as a matter for deep prayer and discernment. 

On the other hand, it is not imprudent to withhold certain themes from children, even if they do appear in the Bible. Complex themes like death and violence need not be thrust upon young minds simply on the principle that “it’s in God’s Word.” 

Given this delicate balance, what are faithful parents to do? Here are a few suggestions. 

First, do not underestimate what a child’s mind can comprehend and even enjoy. In his book, To Light a Fire on the Earth, Bishop Barron recalls a young boy once speaking to him after Mass, describing all the intricate details of the Star Wars universe—its many characters, planets, and complex themes—after having watched one of its movies. After listening to his lengthy account, he turned to the boy’s mother and said, “Now don’t tell me little kids can’t understand the Bible.” The point is that parents can often shield their children from the Bible—from the Old Testament in particular—for fear that it is too complicated, while these little minds are able to display a mastery of Star Wars, Marvel, and other fantasy narratives in great detail! What better story is there to know than God’s love story with mankind?! 

Second, the complexity of the whole issue calls parents to be formed in the faith themselves. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that “Parents are the principal and first educators of their children” (CCC §1653). The Church also teaches us that “since God speaks in Sacred Scripture through men in human fashion, the interpreter of Sacred Scripture, in order to see clearly what God wanted to communicate to us, should carefully investigate what meaning the sacred writers really intended, and what God wanted to manifest by means of their words” (DV §12; cf. CCC §§101–141). When we read these two teachings together, it becomes clear that it is the parents’ responsibility to help facilitate their children’s reading of Scripture so that they come to the right knowledge of God and of themselves. This requires that parents must also be engaged in a lifelong pursuit of growing in their own faith, so as to be better equipped in bringing their children along in that journey. 

Finally, rely on prayer and prudence. Besides the Lord, parents know their child best. Rely on prudence to know when and if a certain theme or teaching is age appropriate. Rely on prayer to be Jesus’ instrument in helping your child to become a saint. St. Thérèse of Lisieux knew the Scriptures intimately as a young child. She even had the whole Imitation of Christ (not exactly “children’s literature”!) memorized, and she is not an anomaly when we survey the lives of young saints. Ultimately, trust that the Lord is the one in control and that He is longing to reveal Himself to us and to invite us into His blessed life. All we have to do is to give Him the space to do so. I would suggest that His Word, including the Old Testament, is not a bad place to begin.