You can't get to heaven on roller skates

"Oh you can't get to heaven on roller skates, cause you'll roll right by those pearly gates"

Yes... these are actually words to a very popular child's christian song. One that I fell asleep listening to as a child. One that is on a CD I let my child listen to falling asleep. This is a problem. You truly can not get to heaven based on your recreational footwear. But there are bigger problems than that with this song, which goes on in further verses to describe other things that won't get you to heaven, none of which include... YOU!!! Yes, you know... the truth! So I have decided to reconsider the "christian" influences for my children. In our feeble attempt to literally teach our children the truth about GOD, THEMSELVES, and THE WORLD (no pressure), I need to take seriously the songs and books that my children listen to. Especially "Christian" ones making blatant claims about God, Heaven,and their spiritual state. We forget that especially at young ages they believe EVERYTHING they are told. This means my child could actually believe getting into heaven has something to do with roller skates. But most importantly, they will miss the REAL BIBLICAL truth, which is Gal 2:16 "yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ..." They may miss or confuse the most important thing we can ever teach them as mothers, Jesus Christ is THE ONLY way to heaven. 

Mabye we can all have a purging session. Just look through your "Christian" children's books, songs, bibles (yes, even children's bibles) and make sure the truths therein are consistent with what the bible teaches. If you feel intimidated by the process, you could ask your husband or a discerning friend to help. 

And as a somewhat entertaining, somewhat horrifying example of this problem, I present to you a "Christian" children's song that I recently found while looking for a song to teach the children in our small group. I don't know, you tell me, is this problematic?

Adam was a gardener

copyright 1999 KIDiddles.com

Adam was a gardener 

And Eve, she was his spouse,

They lost their jobs by stealing fruit (Is that all they lost? their job?!?!?!)

And went to keeping house. (And THIS is the wage of sin! keeping house!)

There it was a quiet one

And peaceful in the main, (REALLY?!?! I could have sworn SIN had just entered the world)

Until they had a baby boy and

Went to raising Cain. (now, that's just cheezy!)

Young folks, old folks

Everybody Come.

Come on oe'r to our place

And make yourselves at home.

But please check your chewing gum

And razors at the door, (YUP! what more can I say?)

We'll tell you bible stories

That you never heard before." (Oh, I don't doubt that for a minute!)