Once upon a time in a far away land lived… Those words signal our worldview that a fairy tale is about to begin. No matter how old you are, we have all learned from an early age that “once upon a time” starts a journey through fictional lands, experiences, and characters. Sometimes there is some semblance of reality that teaches a moral or favorable character trait. These fairy tales are not historical but rather come from a place in the author’s imagination.

While shopping at a Christian bookstore recently, my wife texted me a picture of a Bible for sale. To my utter shock I observed the picture you see here. It seems to me that the publishers have just destroyed credibility for the Bible in the child’s worldview as historically accurate or real. At the very least, the publisher has just placed the Words of God on an even playing field with other works of literature. Either one of those possibilities are very dangerous in training your children to trust the Lord as the source of Truth.

Please take special note of the tag line at the bottom of the front cover. “The Bible is not a fairy tale. Every great story happened once upon a time.” Again, I appeal to the obvious problem with the main title. If you have to tell us that it is not a fairy tale, then why start our minds down that road from the beginning? Would it be acceptable for us to title the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, “Abracadabra, Open Sesame”? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Why? Because in our worldview those words are attached to magic illusions and not reality. One would most likely have to place a tagline that says, “The resurrection is not an illusion. But every great disappearance follows those words.” If those words were connected to the resurrection, it should bring outrage. At least I pray that it would, especially in those of us that know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the power through the glorious resurrection. It is by that power that we have life over death, for ETERNITY. Praise be our Savior alone!

Many of those that do not know the truth view the Bible as a fairy tale already. Please take to heart the following quote from a blogger on ExChristian.net:   “These stories are all scientifically impossible and are so far fetched that only ignorant, primitive desert tribesmen, uneducated children, and the thoroughly brainwashed could take them seriously…Clearly the Bible is merely a collection of fairy tales and should be catalogued and shelved with the fiction section of the library.” 1 As much as this is not the sentiment of most unbelievers, it is representative of all atheists. Notice the appeal to “science” as a measuring stick for fairy tale or not. This is exactly how the Bible was portrayed during a lecture by well-known atheist Richard Dawkins at the University of Oklahoma a few years ago. The event sponsored by the campus atheist club packed the field house with attendees from college students to families with small children. Everyone was “treated” to a night of Bible- and Christianity-bashing, as if it were all a deluded fairy tale.

Here at CTF we revere the Bible for what it is – the very Word of God. Each and every time the Lord provides us an opportunity to preach or teach, we strive to reinforce the reality that the Word of God is accurate and not a story or fairy tale. We will always stand on the Bible and drive home the importance that if Genesis is not properly read, then worldviews will be impacted incorrectly for the rest of scripture. As always, please keep us in yours prayers.

1   Sage, W. (2009, March 09). The Fairytale Bible [Web log post]. Retrieved January 18, 2018, from http://articles.exchristian.net/2009/03/fairytale-bible.html