Godly Play
Godly Play is based upon the recognition that children have an innate sense of the presence of God. Godly Play provides children with a language to help them identify and express their spirituality so it can be explored and strengthened. The Godly Play approach uses story, play, ritual, and creativity to enhance the child's authentic experience of God so it can contribute to the spiritual life of the child and assist the child in making meaning in the world.
Oh sweet fuck-a-doodle. Here, take a gander at the indoctrination training video.
I like that they are going to teach all the stories of the Old Testament. I can't wait to see the play figures they use to explain away the slavery, the genocide, the infanticide, the incest, and all the other horrors.
I am a little surprised by the bald language. To speak of "an authentic experience with god" is dancing awfully close the batshit crazy line. They are promoting the idea that your child will be able to contact, and have a relationship with, an ultra-powerful, supernatural being. That's fucking moronic. Just tell people it's a good learning tool and kids get bored being lectured to. It's O.K. to use the Bible as a heavily, heavily edited guide to morality. Did I say heavily edited? You don't have to have them believe in ghosts and the boogey-man in order to be a member of your church and tithe till it hurts.
My one hope is that Godly Play will show a bit of courage and embrace the canonical story of The Book of Tobit. It is part of the Septuagint (the Greek language version of the Old Testament) and we know how hung up christianists get on old timey values. This one is old, old timey.
"The young Tobias is a man who has just been on an adventure to collect some money owed to his father. Along the way he is aided by the archangel Raphael and battles a giant fish. When he returns from his adventures, Raphael suggests he court a young lady named Sarah. She seems like a nice young lady until one learns she's had seven husbands already!
Tobias is not discouraged, however, for Sarah is yet a virgin. It seems Sarah is cursed by a demon that mysteriously appears whenever her newly-wed husband attempts to deflower her. This demon, Asmodeus, kills the husband and leaves Sarah a virgin widow yet again.
Turns out the one thing that can scare Asmodeus away is a really awful smell. A smell exactly like the burning liver of a giant fish. So Tobias marries Sarah and, before attempting to take Sarah in a manly fashion, smokes the demon out of her and has his lovely wife. A happy ending to a tale of vaginal possession."
Here's my idea for a quick playset for the story of Tobit that you can put together with stuff from around the house.
First, you need Tobit, and Tobias. Just use a farm-boy Luke action figure. Pretend the lightsaber is a shepherd's crook or something.
For Raphael, just grab the Warren Worthington III figure off your shelf, or out of the box int the garage. Any version will do, but Archangel a bit too on the nose, don't you think?
For Sarah, you can't go wrong with any version of Leia. Maybe slave-girl Leia fits the story better, but that's pandering. All right, let's pander a little.
Those sardines you were going to give to your father-in-law at Christmas? Crack 'em and let the smell of burnt fish liver and heart drive away the demon of boring old play time.
For Asmodeus, any old D&D figure, Cobra Commander, or Darth Vader Lego will do.
Of course, you'll need a vagina, since that is the point of the entire story. The demon Asmodeus kills any man who dares go near Sarah's vagina. Kills seven of them in fact. As a bonus, you can point out the location of the clitoris and the g-spot in case the blessed little buggers find an enchanted vagina of their own one day. Unlike God, the clitoris is real, and you can have a wonderful and authentic experience with it.
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