Should we teach children the Old Testament?

[ShieldAxe]

Is it appropriate to teach children bible stories of the Old Testament? Is this material suitable for kids? Take Abraham for example. Is it wise to teach kids that Abraham was willing to kill his own son for god and god was honored by this? Is it acceptable to teach kids that this is admirable behavior?
http://www.jesusandkidz.com/Abraham/Page10.htm

What about Sodom and Gomorrah? Is it prudent to teach kids that an entire city can be filled with bad people worthy of being wiped out? Is right to teach children a city should be destroyed because of sexual immorality? Aren't there far better ways to teach kids about sex?

[Curious]

Did he ever make the decision to murder his child? It is really impossible to say since he never did.

Wouldn't god know if Abraham didn't really intend to kill his son? If Abraham didn't really intent to kill his son, it wouldn't be a sacrifice would it? And he would not be obeying god would he?

What is clear from the story is that God never intended for Abraham to murder Issac because he stopped him seeing his faith.

I don't see how we can tell that god didn't just change his mind at the last second.

I believe it is important to not the historical context as well. The religions of the surrounding world practiced child sacrifice as a rite. God here is saying I could ask the same of you (it is within his right to ask), but I would rather just have your faith. It is really the beginning of grace and the seperate identity of the God of the Israelites form the rest of the Gods of the Ancient Near East.

I think it would be better if we just taught kids that human sacrifice to god or gods is absolutely wrong. They should be taught that any voice in your head telling you do conduct such an act is wrong. No good can come of it, regardless of when or where it is done. We should explain the context to them as well. We should explain that people thought human and animal sacrifice had some beneficial effect back then but they were wrong. They didn't know any better.

This is fair comment. A number of cases use this very defence to justify acts of extreme inhumanity. I find it unlikely that after giving humanity the ability to judge the morality of an action, that God would ask for such a sacrifice. God would have to be a real knob.