I had one of those Protestant preachers on the car radio while driving back from Isabel's.
A woman called in and asked him if it was okay to read her children stories that weren't from the Bible and to draw them pictures of non-Biblical figures.
Her example was Winnie the Pooh.
His answer was no, it was not acceptable, and that a good parent would only teach their children stories that would help them understand the Bible.
My three quick responses:
1) Intertextual theory pretty much supports the claim that ANY text can be taught in relation to ANY OTHER text. It seems to me that whatever is true and good in any children's story can be made helpful to Biblical instruction. Furthermore, it makes sense to sharpen our critical techniques and exercise our reading skills on non-Scriptural texts before trying them out on something more serious as adults.
2) In On Christian Doctrine, St. Augustine clearly argues that any body of knowledge can be helpful in interpreting the Bible. He is thinking more specifically about ancient pagan learning as a means of decoding obscure passages, but I would argue that much of what we learn about the world is bound to come from modern secular sources...and that information can still have bearing on our proper understanding of God.
3) Thbbbbbppppt! (that's the closest I can come textually to representing a raspberry.)
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