Memorise bible verses

[Katiebug]

In confirmation class we had to memorize parts of Luther's Small Catechism. That was middle school age, though (7th and 8th grade).

I taught Sunday School to 1st and 2nd graders for four years and to 3 and 4 year olds for two years before that - I never had the kids memorize anything. To be honest, with the 3-4 year olds, Sunday School was basically about making a fun Bible story-related craft project and singing "Jesus Loves Me". The 1st-2nd grade class was a little more involved because they could read and were starting to write, but there was still no memorization.

[Joykins]

I went to Christian school and we basically got special certificates and things for memorizing verses. I memorize things easily so it was an easy win for me. Also it really comes in handy when playing that favorite of evangelical games "dueling Bible verses" where you attempt to substantiate some position or another using the Bible (I'll see your "Let the women of the church keep silent" and raise you an "In Christ there is no male or female...").

I don't think it's harmful, actually it is useful, but I don't think it makes me extra spiritual or anything. I do think the Bible is a great work of literature and worth knowing. But mostly I just like to argue.

[mirele]

We were always told that knowing the Bible by heart would come in very handy should we find ourselves imprisoned (with nothing to read) as part of a worldwide persection of our faith. . . or in the end times. . . or in a POW camp. . . or something.

Which will help me more when I'm being tortured in that mythical future...verses of scripture...Madonna lyrics...or Spanish verb tenses? Yes, there was a time when I really thought about it that way.

[Austin]

I don't know if I think it's useful any more. I probably would have been better off memorizing the periodic table or something.

Our boys belong to a Lutheran Church. It used to be ELCA, which was very cool, but then teh ebil gayz came along wanting equal rights and all (crazees!), and the church split from the ELCA after a huge brouhaha. Anyhoo, since then, I have noticed more conservative influences creeping in. One of our boys youth leaders (a newer one) has suggested they memorize such and such verses and such and such passages. This was never required/suggested of our oldest son.

So when the younger sons asked me about it, I was more like "Meh, why would you spend a lot of time doing that? You can get the Bible on your iPhone whenever you want, so it's at your fingertips. I would rather you spent more time going over your ACT prep course materials".

[latraviata]

I have no idea into the motives of the Anderson's Bible memorization.

We memorize Scripture for a couple of reasons.

One of them is that memorization and recitation is a nice skill to have. Poetry and prose are included in this category too though. I also love hearing a 5 year old recite the Jabberwocky. :D

The other reasons truly are pointless if you're not a Christian. So, yeah, "Why bother?" would apply and be totally reasonable for someone who is uninterested in the Bible and doesn't consider it valuable. I wouldn't ask a non Christian to memorize Scripture or think that it would be at all useful to them if they were uninterested.

But for those of us who believe it and value it, there's a good bit to "bother" with. :) Our theology and doctrine come from Scripture, and knowing where it comes from and what it actually says is useful to us. Also, there are things which are applicable in a broad way to life situations, and for those of us who believe, it can be comforting to have those words right there and available to us in a difficult moment. We have not done Awana or any public competitions, although the children's Sunday school does do memorization of the verses that are relevant to whatever they're teaching at the moment. I have no idea how much any of us actually knows by heart, and we'd probably fail Bible Bees because our focus has been more on concept rather than exact wording + chapter/verse.

So, yeah, there are a few other reasons besides bragadociousness. :D

Memorising is rather useless as long as the content and the message have not been internalised, still pointless and that has in fact nothing to do with being a christian or not.

Memorising lawbooks doesn't make you a lawyer.

Zsu's son is very young and you think he really understands what he is memorising and reciting?

I think it is more important to understand ' and apply the message'of the bible than memorise it verse by verse.

[Confused_by_religion]

As some people have already said, it is no different from learning poetry - trains your memory and gives you something edifying to think about in times of stress when there are no book available. I used to learn lots of poetry by heart as a teenager and now occupy myself with reciting "Ode to a Nightingale" while the dentist drills holes in my jaw and says awful things like " Hand me the bone scraper." It distracts one from the unpleasantness. (I also think that whatever you keep telling yourself gives you a certain mindset, for example if you keep listening to gangsta rap until you can recite the lyrics, the phrases and sentiments behind it will pop up in your mind all the time. So I guess it makes sense to encourage people to learn something by heart that contains a positive message instead. Which does not include "thou shalt not allow a witch to live", obviously. )

[maybeizfundie]

I think it is more important to understand ' and apply the message'of the bible than memorise it verse by verse.

And that's why I said we wouldn't win any prizes, because that's been our focus, with less focus on exact wording and exact verse numbering and all that.

Yet and still, there are some particular verses that I am glad to have memorized and have been helpful to me personally. In that sense it is useful to me and I hope that some of what my children are learning will stick and come back to the surface when they need it. :) Of course a child doesn't have an adult understanding of what they're learning. It would be no different if he were memorizing classical poetry or Shakespeare (and I was a fortunate child in having a bibliophile for a dad, being exposed to literary greats--both secular and religious--from toddlerhood on. No I didn't understand everything he read to me when I was 3 or 6 or 8 years old, but I am so glad for that part of my early education. It served me well). I don't think familiarity with any of those things is a bad foundation for growing into an eventual adult understanding of what was learned.

[pomology]

I'm assuming they're preparing for the day, only a few generations off thanks to atrocious homeschooling, where members of fundie society can no longer read.

[latraviata]

As some people have already said, it is no different from learning poetry

It is different, poetry is about reciting, diction, convey the beauty, use of language, art, performance.

The bible is a manual, meant to give people 'directions' in life, predominantly commandments and prohibitions.

It doesn't sharpe the mind at all, that is utter nonsense.

In the madrassas in islamic countries, the children have to memorise the koran, the are just chanting without any understanding of the words, just docile memorising, no purpose.

[LilMissMetaphor]

Since when does appreciating the literary merits of a text automatically equal endorsing its contents? Much of the Bible IS poetry.

By the same token no one should memorize the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, because it smacks of Sufism, or nihilism, or Islam. I suppose that is not poetry either. Oh noes, all the time I've wasted! :roll:

Latrav is such a Philistine.

[maybeizfundie]

Memorization for no purpose is...well purposeless, this is true. Particularly memorization in a language one doesn't understand whatsoever.

African children who do not know Arabic but memorize the Koran in Arabic are indeed learning pretty much nothing, particularly if they never will learn Arabic in their lives. And it would be just as useless for me to have my children memorize Bible verses in Chinese, since they know none of that language. Or Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic, for that matter.

But in their own language, reciting, diction, poetic language, use of language, meaning, historical and cultural context...these all can be learned as part of Scripture memorization, though I don't think the Bible should be relied upon solely as a curriculum for such things, as some fundies are prone to thinking. There is much more to it than a dry list of "Thou shalt" and "Thou shalt not".

Maybe we are just thinking entirely different things when using the word "memorization", IDK. ?

[Guest Anonymous]

It is different, poetry is about reciting, diction, convey the beauty, use of language, art, performance.

The bible is a manual, meant to give people 'directions' in life, predominantly commandments and prohibitions.

It doesn't sharpe the mind at all, that is utter nonsense.

In the madrassas in islamic countries, the children have to memorise the koran, the are just chanting without any understanding of the words, just docile memorising, no purpose.

The bible is a whole collection of books and I can understand that for people who believe that it is God's inspired word, there are plenty of passages that they believe to be beautiful, edifying, calming or whatever, and that contain promises and commands that are meaningful to them.

If it doesn't sharpen your mind, and you believe it to be nonsense then of course you will consider there to be no purpose. But who is to decide the purpose of others' actions?

I wouldn't repeat my forays into scripture memorisation, if I were to live my life again, but I can acknowledge that, for others who believe, it may well be purposeful and helpful to them.

As well as my bible memory verses I can still recite, in order, the elements of the Periodic table (we had a great mnemonic for that), I can quote passages from all the books I read for GCSE and A Level French and English, and I can speed-recite half a dozen children's stories that I learned through sheer repetition when my niece and nephew were young (We're going on a Bear Hunt is my party piece...). If there were an option to 'delete' some of them from my memory and use the space for something else, I might well use it but I don't feel permanently damaged by it - and my brain doesn't seem to be full yet. :D

[Witsec1]

Another AWANA alumna here.

For some reason, what really sticks in my brain was being taught to recite verse that goes "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?" I was like, 8 or something. I wanted to be nice and good and helpful, most of the time. Was I just as bad as some really bad person? Were all the people around me who seemed nice, really evil at heart? I just didn't know what to do with this information. I knew I couldn't ask too many questions about the Bible, though.

The Bible does have some good poetry, but most of it deserves an NC-17 rating for violence and misogyny.

I would also like to point out that Bertie Wooster, as portrayed by my beloved avatar, Hugh Laurie, was quite proud of the prize he won at school for Bible Knowledge. 'Nuff said about the intellectual rigors of bible memorization!

[latraviata]

The bible is a whole collection of books and I can understand that for people who believe that it is God's inspired word, there are plenty of passages that they believe to be beautiful, edifying, calming or whatever, and that contain promises and commands that are meaningful to them.

Initially I posted this about Zsu's instruction video where she teaches her son (10) to memorise the bible verses and I do have an opinion about that. When adults feel an urge to memorise the bible by all means but I do have an opinion about that as well.

This commenter on Zsu's blog makes some sense, considering I sort of understand that religious people like to read their holy books and pass it on to their children although I have an opinion about that too.

Renee said:

Why is it critical to memorize Bible verses? I'm totally not trying to be controversial; honestly just interested. If you read the Bible through from cover to cover every year and discuss the concepts and the application to your life, why do the children need to know the exact wording of Proverbs 4? I teach my children Bible as well, but we don't do memorization. We discuss concepts and I "test" them on this, but not precise wording of verses.

[latraviata]

Another AWANA alumna here.

For some reason, what really sticks in my brain was being taught to recite verse that goes "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?" I was like, 8 or something. I wanted to be nice and good and helpful, most of the time. Was I just as bad as some really bad person? Were all the people around me who seemed nice, really evil at heart? I just didn't know what to do with this information. I knew I couldn't ask too many questions about the Bible, though.

The Bible does have some good poetry, but most of it deserves an NC-17 rating for violence and misogyny.

I would also like to point out that Bertie Wooster, as portrayed by my beloved avatar, Hugh Laurie, was quite proud of the prize he won at school for Bible Knowledge. 'Nuff said about the intellectual rigors of bible memorization!

Yes, Canticum Canticorum or Canticles or Song of Solomon whatever you fancy.

[Witsec1]

Yes, Canticum Canticorum or Canticles or Song of Solomon whatever you fancy.

That's actualy one of the better bits. I used to read it when bored in church. And yeah, it's about teh sexy times, not about Christ and the Church or anything like that.

[Kitty]

I think that might be part of the AWANA program. I believe there were different names for different age groups - maybe Cubbies, then Sparks, then AWANA? But it's been a long time so I may be totally wrong.

I believe the old ranks were: Cubs, Sparks, Chums (?) and I can't remember the guys' equivalent of Chums. I could be wrong though.

I do remember that they kept Cubs and Sparks, but then for the older kids it was Truth and Training (or Truth in Training, can't remember which now) for middle-school age, then JV. Girls and boys weren't separated.

I do remember being in Sparks, the age groups changed in the years between leaving Sparks and joining Truth in Training (between ages 7 and 11ish).

[Kitty]

That's actualy one of the better bits. I used to read it when bored in church. And yeah, it's about teh sexy times, not about Christ and the Church or anything like that.

The first time I ever truly started questioning the Bible was when I was at Centrifuge camp (at 13) and one of the preachers there had us all read it. He was all "It's comparing God's love to a great big party!" and I was all "Uh... no." I saw the innuendo for what it was. Given that at the same time the preacher was subtly sneaking in abstinence shit, and my church was all about abstinence until marriage... it confused the hell out of me. Why would God want me to be sexually pure and not see, hear, or listen to anything sexual at 13, but be perfectly fine with me reading erotic poetry IN THE FREAKING BIBLE at the same age? It was a mindfuck.

[Kitten]

for the older kids it was Truth and Training (or Truth in Training, can't remember which now) for middle-school age

Oh, I hope it's Truth in Training (TIT)! Love it... :D

Damn...had to look it up - it's Truth & Training (3-6 grade). Guess I have to trade my TIT for TAT...

:lol: :lol: :lol:

So, now it's Puggles, Cubbies, Sparks, T&T, Trek, and Journey. Puggles??

[formergothardite]

Puggles just sound cute! I don't know anyone who did AWANA, it must have not been popular here in the 80's. I've seen signs for it recently, though. We just had something called Kid's Club at my church.

[JesusFightClub]

Nowt wrong with memorising Bible verses. And Qu'ran recitations can have an unearthly beauty.

I only have a handful of Biblical memorisations but a headful of song lyrics. If someone had that in reverse, that would be a good education.

[Kitty]

Oh, I hope it's Truth in Training (TIT)! Love it... :D

Damn...had to look it up - it's Truth & Training (3-6 grade). Guess I have to trade my TIT for TAT...

:lol: :lol: :lol:

So, now it's Puggles, Cubbies, Sparks, T&T, Trek, and Journey. Puggles??

It was abbreviated T'n'T. Cute.

At my church, JV came after TnT. I don't know if the program changed again or if my church simply didn't offer Trek and Journey. I do remember some stupid ass packet featuring a female character whining "My sister wants an abortion and I think my parents are going to get her one!" like an abortion is a physical object. Even then (in my pro-life phase) I thought it was exceptionally stupid.

[Joykins]

It is different, poetry is about reciting, diction, convey the beauty, use of language, art, performance.

The bible is a manual, meant to give people 'directions' in life, predominantly commandments and prohibitions.

It doesn't sharpe the mind at all, that is utter nonsense.

In the madrassas in islamic countries, the children have to memorise the koran, the are just chanting without any understanding of the words, just docile memorising, no purpose.

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept

when we remembered Zion.

There on the poplars

we hung our harps,

for there our captors asked us for songs,

our tormentors demanded songs of joy;

they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!â€

How can we sing the songs of the LORD

while in a foreign land?

If I forget you, Jerusalem,

may my right hand forget its skill.

May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth

if I do not remember you,

if I do not consider Jerusalem

my highest joy.

[Rachel333]

Yeah, I still think some parts of the Bible are really beautiful, especially many of the Psalms.